Health · Lamar

Lamar, AR health

On most measures Lamar looks like Arkansas as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (23.3% vs 18.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Lamar

C-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁻

Lamar’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Lamar is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns, and than 47% of towns with similar incomes.

C-Self-rated healthC-Physical distressDMental distressB-ObesityC+DiabetesCSmokingDExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 20%

Less healthyHealthier

Arkansas towns we grade (217)Healthier than 67%

Towns with similar incomes, $38K–$63K (5,613)Healthier than 47%

Better than its income would suggest. Lamar is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C−.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Lamar could be anywhere from D− to B−.

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 Lamar 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. Lamar 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.

Report card

How Lamar 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

Out of every 100 Lamar adults…

40 of every 100 Lamar adults have high blood pressure

Arkansas: 41 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35.4–43.9%

Bars show Lamar; the black tick is Arkansas. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Lamar, betterLamar, worseToo close to callArkansas

Get no exerciseshare of adults 33.4% Lamar
AR 32.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 39.3% Lamar
AR 38.1%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15% Lamar
AR 14.6%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17% Lamar
AR 15.8%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Lamar adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.

Yearly checkup

AR 79%

Dentist visit

AR 55%

Cholesterol check

AR 85%

Colon screening

AR 62%

Mammogram

AR 71%

Taking BP meds

AR 77%

1 in 8

working-age adults has no health insurance

Lamar 11.9% · Arkansas 1 in 9 (11.3%)

Mind & connection

How Lamar adults are doing

1 in 3Lamar adults feel lonely

34.2% · Arkansas 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Lamar adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.6% · Arkansas 24.6% · too close to call

1 in 4Lamar adults lack social or emotional support

26.4% · Arkansas 27% · too close to call

1 in 5Lamar adults are in frequent mental distress

19.9% · Arkansas 18.5% · too close to call

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 6

Lamar adults worry about having enough food

17.9% · AR 18.5% · about the same

1 in 7

Lamar adults worry about keeping their housing

13.5% · AR 14.4% · about the same

1 in 11

Lamar adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

9.3% · AR 10.4% · about the same

1 in 11

Lamar adults lack reliable transportation

9.3% · AR 9.7% · about the same

10.8% of Lamar adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.

Disability

Living with a disability

39%

of Lamar adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17.3%

Thinking or memory19.5%

Hearing8.7%

Errands alone10.2%

Vision6%

Dressing or bathing4.4%

Black tick: Arkansas. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Lamar

Lamar and the towns around it

Care nearby

Johnson Regional Medical CenterClarksville · 3.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

St. Marys Regional Medical CenterRussellville · 17.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Dardanelle Regional Medical CenterDardanelle · 20.5 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Mercy Hospital ParisParis · 21.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Clarksville Community Health CenterClarksville · 4.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Healthy Connections - RussellvilleRussellville · 16.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careLamar's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Johnson County · need score 15 of 25

! Dental careLamar's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Johnson County · need score 17 of 25

✓ Mental healthLamar is not a shortage area

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Lamar. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Lamar

Measure	Lamar	Margin	Arkansas
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	39.7%	35.4–43.9%	41.4%	about the same
High cholesterol	39.2%	34.9–43.7%	38%	about the same
Obesity	36.2%	28.6–44.3%	39.3%	about the same
Arthritis	28.7%	25.3–31.9%	28.5%	about the same
Depression	26.6%	22.6–30.7%	24.6%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	23.3%	19.5–27.6%	18.6%	worse
Asthma	10.7%	9.3–12.1%	10.3%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.3%	7.4–9.2%	8.2%	about the same
Diabetes	12.8%	11–14.7%	13.3%	about the same
COPD	9.2%	7.8–10.8%	8.6%	about the same
Heart disease	7.7%	6.8–8.8%	7.7%	about the same
Stroke	3.9%	3.4–4.4%	4%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17%	13.9–20.2%	15.8%	about the same
Binge drink	15%	12.1–18.2%	14.6%	about the same
Get no exercise	33.4%	28–39%	32.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	39.3%	32.5–46.6%	38.1%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	77.2%	73.2–80.8%	79%	about the same
Dentist visit	53.6%	49.7–57.7%	54.7%	about the same
Cholesterol check	83.4%	80.7–85.9%	84.8%	about the same
Colon screening	60.4%	54.9–65.5%	61.6%	about the same
Mammogram	66.7%	57.1–75%	71.4%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77%	74.1–79.5%	76.9%	about the same
No health insurance	11.9%	9.3–14.9%	11.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	34.2%	28.7–39.8%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	26.4%	22.1–30.9%	27%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	19.9%	17.4–22.6%	18.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	24.8%	20.9–28.8%	24.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	16.6%	14.4–19%	15.6%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	17.9%	14.4–21.9%	18.5%	about the same
Housing insecurity	13.5%	11.2–16.2%	14.4%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	9.3%	7.9–10.9%	10.4%	about the same
No reliable transportation	9.3%	7.9–11%	9.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	10.8%	8.5–13.5%	11.6%
Disability
Any disability	39%	33.6–44.5%	38.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.3%	14.8–20.2%	17.6%
Thinking or memory	19.5%	16.7–22.5%	18.2%
Hearing	8.7%	7.7–9.9%	8.6%
Vision	6%	5.2–6.9%	6.2%
Dressing or bathing	4.4%	3.8–5.1%	4.6%
Errands alone	10.2%	8.7–11.8%	10%

About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Lamar door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Arkansas figure falls inside it, we don't call Lamar better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Lamar directly, so these are its own figures.

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.