Shorter, AL health
Shorter differs from Alabama on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer binge drinkers (10.3% vs 14.1%) and fewer adults who have had cancer (7.3% vs 8.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had a stroke (6.5% vs 4.1%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for ShorterNot graded
Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 404 people are less certain, so we show Shorter's figures without a grade.
How Shorter compares with Alabama
Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.
Chronic conditions
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Shorter adults…
Bars show Shorter; the black tick is Alabama. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
AL 28.7%
AL 39.1%
AL 14.1%
AL 15.1%
Keeping up with care
Share of Shorter adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
How Shorter adults are doing
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
23.4% of Shorter adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Living with a disability
of Shorter adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Black tick: Alabama. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Shorter
No hospital or community health center in Shorter itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Shorter. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Shorter
| Measure | Shorter | Margin | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 55.5% | 50.7–59.9% | 43.3% | worse |
| High cholesterol | 43.3% | 38.4–48.1% | 40.7% | about the same |
| Obesity | 47.5% | 38.2–56.6% | 39.4% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 36% | 31.9–40% | 30.3% | worse |
| Depression | 19.9% | 16.5–23.3% | 23.3% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 21% | 17.5–24.9% | 15.4% | worse |
| Asthma | 11.4% | 9.9–12.8% | 10% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 7.3% | 6.5–8.1% | 8.2% | better |
| Diabetes | 22.5% | 19.5–25.5% | 14.8% | worse |
| COPD | 10% | 8.4–11.8% | 8% | worse |
| Heart disease | 9.5% | 8.3–10.8% | 7.3% | worse |
| Stroke | 6.5% | 5.7–7.3% | 4.1% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.7% | 14.5–21.1% | 15.1% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 10.3% | 8.1–12.5% | 14.1% | better |
| Get no exercise | 36.5% | 30.6–42.5% | 28.7% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.6% | 35.4–50% | 39.1% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 84.1% | 80.8–86.8% | 80.4% | better |
| Dentist visit | 53.8% | 49.7–58% | 56.9% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 87.7% | 85.5–89.6% | 85.8% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 67.8% | 62.8–72.7% | 67% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 78% | 70.8–84.2% | 77.9% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 83% | 80.4–85.2% | 78% | better |
| No health insurance | 11.5% | 8.7–14.5% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 38.5% | 32.3–44.5% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 31.7% | 26.9–36.8% | 24.8% | worse |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.3% | 15–19.6% | 17.2% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 31.1% | 26.5–35.6% | 22.8% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 16.9% | 14.5–19.3% | 14.2% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 29.5% | 24.4–34.9% | 19.2% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 20.9% | 17.4–24.5% | 13.9% | worse |
| Utility shut-off threat | 14.8% | 12.5–17.1% | 9.6% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 14.1% | 11.9–16.5% | 9.8% | worse |
| Receive SNAP | 23.4% | 19–28.2% | 14% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 43.4% | 37.6–48.7% | 36.5% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 24.8% | 21.2–28.5% | 17.1% | |
| Thinking or memory | 17.6% | 15.1–20.3% | 16.1% | |
| Hearing | 8.5% | 7.4–9.6% | 8.2% | |
| Vision | 9% | 7.8–10.4% | 6% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 7.4% | 6.2–8.7% | 4.6% | |
| Errands alone | 12.6% | 10.7–14.6% | 9.8% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alabama figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.