Health · Lavaca
Lavaca, AR health
Lavaca differs from Arkansas on 10 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (13.1% vs 18.5%) and fewer adults with diabetes (9.9% vs 13.3%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for LavacaTownTapestry Health GradeNew
C+
Lavaca’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Lavaca is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns and 85% of Arkansas towns.
C+Self-rated healthC+Physical distressDMental distressB+ObesityA-DiabetesC+SmokingC+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 44%
Less healthyHealthier
Arkansas towns we grade (217)Healthier than 85%
Towns with similar incomes, $61K–$101K (9,753)Healthier than 40%
About what its income would suggest. Lavaca does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Lavaca could be anywhere from C− to A−.
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 Lavaca 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. Lavaca 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 Lavaca 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
34% have obesity
5 better7 close0 worse
Habits
28% get no exercise
0 better4 close0 worse
Care & screenings
76.1% had a checkup
0 better7 close0 worse
Mind & connection
37% feel lonely
1 better4 close0 worse
Everyday needs
13.1% face food insecurity
4 better1 close0 worse
Disability
33.9% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Lavaca adults…
36 of every 100 Lavaca adults have high blood pressure
Arkansas: 41 in 100 · better · margin 32–39.8%
Bars show Lavaca; the black tick is Arkansas. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Lavaca, betterLavaca, worseToo close to callArkansas
Get no exerciseshare of adults
28% Lavaca
AR 32.1%
AR 32.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
36.9% Lavaca
AR 38.1%
AR 38.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults
16.2% Lavaca
AR 14.6%
AR 14.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
15.4% Lavaca
AR 15.8%
AR 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Lavaca 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 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Lavaca 9.8% · Arkansas 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Mind & connection
How Lavaca adults are doing
1 in 3Lavaca adults feel lonely
37% · Arkansas 34.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Lavaca adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.9% · Arkansas 24.6% · too close to call
1 in 4Lavaca adults lack social or emotional support
26.7% · Arkansas 27% · too close to call
1 in 5Lavaca adults are in frequent mental distress
19.8% · 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 8
Lavaca adults worry about having enough food
13.1% · AR 18.5% · better
1 in 9
Lavaca adults worry about keeping their housing
11.4% · AR 14.4% · better
1 in 13
Lavaca adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.8% · AR 10.4% · better
1 in 13
Lavaca adults lack reliable transportation
7.6% · AR 9.7% · better
7% of Lavaca adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Disability
Living with a disability
33.9%
of Lavaca adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs13.9%
Thinking or memory17.8%
Hearing7.5%
Errands alone8.6%
Vision4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.4%
Black tick: Arkansas. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Getting care
Care in and near Lavaca
No hospital or community health center in Lavaca itself. These are the nearest.
HNearest ERMercy Hospital Fort SmithFort Smith · 9.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRiver Valley Primary Care ServicesFort Smith · 8.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.9 mi
River Valley Primary Care Services
8 sites · nearest in Fort Smith
Eastside Family ClinicFort Smith · 8.9 mi
Rvpcs - Northside ClinicFort Smith · 12 mi
Northside Clinic at 6th StreetFort Smith · 13.4 mi
Mulberry Family ClinicMulberry · 13.8 mi
Rvpcs Dental Clinic and Training CenterMulberry · 13.8 mi
Mulberry Community PharmacyMulberry · 13.8 mi
Bonanza Wellness CenterBonanza · 15 mi
River Valley Primary Care ServicesRatcliff · 17.2 mi
Nothing matches.
! Primary careLavaca's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Sebastian County · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careLavaca's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Sebastian County · need score 17 of 25
! Mental healthLavaca's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.MHCA-Fort Smith · need score 18 of 25
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 Lavaca. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Lavaca
| Measure | Lavaca | Margin | Arkansas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 35.9% | 32–39.8% | 41.4% | better |
| High cholesterol | 37.9% | 33.9–41.9% | 38% | about the same |
| Obesity | 34% | 28.3–39.9% | 39.3% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 26% | 22.9–29.1% | 28.5% | about the same |
| Depression | 26.9% | 23.1–30.6% | 24.6% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 16% | 13.3–19.2% | 18.6% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10.7% | 9.4–12.2% | 10.3% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 7.9% | 7–8.7% | 8.2% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 9.9% | 8.4–11.5% | 13.3% | better |
| COPD | 7.1% | 5.9–8.4% | 8.6% | better |
| Heart disease | 6.2% | 5.4–7.1% | 7.7% | better |
| Stroke | 3.1% | 2.8–3.6% | 4% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.4% | 12.5–18.7% | 15.8% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 16.2% | 13.5–19.2% | 14.6% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 28% | 23.4–33.2% | 32.1% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.9% | 31.5–42.7% | 38.1% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 76.1% | 72.5–79.5% | 79% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 57.4% | 53.8–60.9% | 54.7% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 84.9% | 82.4–87.2% | 84.8% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 64.5% | 59.2–69.5% | 61.6% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 74.9% | 67.5–81.4% | 71.4% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 74.1% | 71–77% | 76.9% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 9.8% | 7.7–12.4% | 11.3% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 37% | 32–41.9% | 34.2% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 26.7% | 22.8–30.7% | 27% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 19.8% | 17.3–22.3% | 18.5% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 20.5% | 17.2–24.2% | 24.4% | better |
| Frequent physical distress | 14.8% | 12.7–17% | 15.6% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 13.1% | 10.4–16.1% | 18.5% | better |
| Housing insecurity | 11.4% | 9.3–13.5% | 14.4% | better |
| Utility shut-off threat | 7.8% | 6.5–9.1% | 10.4% | better |
| No reliable transportation | 7.6% | 6.4–8.9% | 9.7% | better |
| Receive SNAP | 7% | 5.3–8.7% | 11.6% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.9% | 29.2–38.9% | 38.2% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 13.9% | 11.6–16.3% | 17.6% | |
| Thinking or memory | 17.8% | 15.1–20.6% | 18.2% | |
| Hearing | 7.5% | 6.6–8.5% | 8.6% | |
| Vision | 4.6% | 3.9–5.3% | 6.2% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.4% | 2.9–4% | 4.6% | |
| Errands alone | 8.6% | 7.3–10.2% | 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 Lavaca door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Arkansas figure falls inside it, we don't call Lavaca better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Lavaca 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.