Austin, AR health
Austin differs from Arkansas on 21 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults with heart disease (3.6% vs 7.7%) and fewer adults who have had a stroke (1.9% vs 4%). Where it trails the state: more binge drinkers (19.8% vs 14.6%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for AustinAustin’s Health Grade: B+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Austin is healthier than 74% of U.S. towns and 96% of Arkansas towns.
Wealth explains part of the grade. Austin is healthier than 74% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Arkansas ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Austin with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Austin uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
How Austin compares with Arkansas
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 Austin adults…
Bars show Austin; the black tick is Arkansas. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
AR 32.1%
AR 38.1%
AR 14.6%
AR 15.8%
Keeping up with care
Share of Austin adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.
How Austin 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.
5.6% of Austin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Living with a disability
of Austin adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Black tick: Arkansas. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Austin
No hospital or community health center in Austin 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 Austin. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
All 40 measures for Austin
| Measure | Austin | Margin | Arkansas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 28.4% | 24.8–32.1% | 41.4% | better |
| High cholesterol | 31.8% | 28–35.8% | 38% | better |
| Obesity | 32.6% | 26.2–39.4% | 39.3% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 19% | 16.5–21.6% | 28.5% | better |
| Depression | 26.9% | 23.2–30.8% | 24.6% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 10.4% | 8.5–12.5% | 18.6% | better |
| Asthma | 10% | 8.8–11.3% | 10.3% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 5.6% | 5–6.2% | 8.2% | better |
| Diabetes | 6.7% | 5.7–7.7% | 13.3% | better |
| COPD | 4.4% | 3.8–5.1% | 8.6% | better |
| Heart disease | 3.6% | 3.2–4% | 7.7% | better |
| Stroke | 1.9% | 1.7–2.1% | 4% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.8% | 10.3–15.3% | 15.8% | better |
| Binge drink | 19.8% | 16.4–23.6% | 14.6% | worse |
| Get no exercise | 23.3% | 19.2–27.7% | 32.1% | better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.2% | 31.3–43.6% | 38.1% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 75.1% | 71–79% | 79% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 61% | 57.4–64.4% | 54.7% | better |
| Cholesterol check | 84.1% | 81.6–86.5% | 84.8% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 57.8% | 53–62.6% | 61.6% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 74.2% | 66.8–80.8% | 71.4% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 65.9% | 62.4–69.5% | 76.9% | worse |
| No health insurance | 8.1% | 6.5–10% | 11.3% | better |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 35.6% | 30.7–40.7% | 34.2% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 25.2% | 21.6–29.2% | 27% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 19% | 16.6–21.5% | 18.5% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 15.6% | 13.1–18% | 24.4% | better |
| Frequent physical distress | 11.2% | 9.7–12.8% | 15.6% | better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 11.3% | 9.1–13.7% | 18.5% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 10.6% | 8.7–12.6% | 14.4% | better |
| Utility shut-off threat | 7% | 5.9–8.2% | 10.4% | better |
| No reliable transportation | 6.6% | 5.6–7.8% | 9.7% | better |
| Receive SNAP | 5.6% | 4.4–7% | 11.6% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.4% | 24.2–32.6% | 38.2% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 8.6% | 7.3–10% | 17.6% | |
| Thinking or memory | 16.2% | 13.9–18.5% | 18.2% | |
| Hearing | 4.7% | 4.1–5.3% | 8.6% | |
| Vision | 3.2% | 2.8–3.6% | 6.2% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 2.3% | 2–2.6% | 4.6% | |
| Errands alone | 6.6% | 5.7–7.6% | 10% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Arkansas 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.