Health · Mulberry

Mulberry, AR health

On most measures Mulberry looks like Arkansas as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (22.9% vs 18.6%) and more adults who have had cancer (9.9% vs 8.2%).

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

C-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁻

Mulberry’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Mulberry is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns, and than 37% of towns with similar incomes.

DSelf-rated healthDPhysical distressC-Mental distressCObesityCDiabetesC-SmokingC-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 15%

Less healthyHealthier

Arkansas towns we grade (217)Healthier than 53%

Towns with similar incomes, $38K–$63K (5,456)Healthier than 37%

Better than its income would suggest. Mulberry 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, Mulberry 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 Mulberry 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. Mulberry 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 Mulberry 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 Mulberry adults…

45 of every 100 Mulberry adults have high blood pressure

Arkansas: 41 in 100 · too close to call · margin 40–48.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Mulberry, betterMulberry, worseToo close to callArkansas

Get no exerciseshare of adults 31.7% Mulberry
AR 32.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 38.6% Mulberry
AR 38.1%

Binge drinkshare of adults 14.3% Mulberry
AR 14.6%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.8% Mulberry
AR 15.8%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Mulberry 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

Mulberry 10.3% · Arkansas 1 in 9 (11.3%)

Mind & connection

How Mulberry adults are doing

1 in 3Mulberry adults feel lonely

33.6% · Arkansas 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Mulberry adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.5% · Arkansas 24.6% · too close to call

1 in 4Mulberry adults lack social or emotional support

26.7% · Arkansas 27% · too close to call

1 in 5Mulberry adults are in frequent mental distress

19.1% · 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

Mulberry adults worry about having enough food

16.8% · AR 18.5% · about the same

1 in 8

Mulberry adults worry about keeping their housing

12.4% · AR 14.4% · about the same

1 in 11

Mulberry adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.9% · AR 10.4% · about the same

1 in 11

Mulberry adults lack reliable transportation

8.7% · AR 9.7% · about the same

10.2% of Mulberry adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.

Disability

Living with a disability

41.7%

of Mulberry adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs20%

Thinking or memory19.2%

Hearing10.4%

Errands alone10.6%

Vision6.3%

Dressing or bathing5%

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

Around Mulberry

Mulberry and the towns around it

Care in and near Mulberry

1 community health center in Mulberry, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.

Mercy Hospital OzarkOzark · 13.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Baptist Health - Van BurenVan Buren · 15.7 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mercy Hospital Fort SmithFort Smith · 18.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Baptist Health - Fort SmithFort Smith · 21.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mulberry Family ClinicMulberry · 1.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees · 3 sites in Mulberry Directions to nearest site

Arcare - 169Ozark · 13.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

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

! Dental careMulberry's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Crawford County · need score 17 of 25

! Mental healthMulberry's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.MHCA-Fort Smith · need score 18 of 25

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 Mulberry. 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 Mulberry

Measure	Mulberry	Margin	Arkansas
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	44.6%	40–48.9%	41.4%	about the same
High cholesterol	42.5%	37.9–47%	38%	about the same
Obesity	38.7%	31.5–46.3%	39.3%	about the same
Arthritis	32.8%	29.2–36.5%	28.5%	worse
Depression	26.5%	22.6–30.5%	24.6%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	22.9%	19.4–26.7%	18.6%	worse
Asthma	10.6%	9.2–12%	10.3%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.9%	8.8–11%	8.2%	worse
Diabetes	13.7%	11.7–15.8%	13.3%	about the same
COPD	10.4%	8.6–12.3%	8.6%	about the same
Heart disease	9.2%	8–10.5%	7.7%	worse
Stroke	4.6%	3.9–5.2%	4%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.8%	14.3–21.1%	15.8%	about the same
Binge drink	14.3%	11.6–17.5%	14.6%	about the same
Get no exercise	31.7%	26–37%	32.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	38.6%	32.7–45%	38.1%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.2%	75.5–82.8%	79%	about the same
Dentist visit	51.7%	48–55.3%	54.7%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.5%	83.3–87.8%	84.8%	about the same
Colon screening	61.7%	56.7–66.7%	61.6%	about the same
Mammogram	71.7%	63.5–78.8%	71.4%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77.9%	74.8–80.8%	76.9%	about the same
No health insurance	10.3%	7.9–13.3%	11.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33.6%	28.5–38.9%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	26.7%	22.7–31%	27%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	19.1%	16.6–21.5%	18.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	25.8%	21.5–30%	24.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	17.6%	15–20%	15.6%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	16.8%	13.4–20.5%	18.5%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.4%	10–14.8%	14.4%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.9%	7.4–10.5%	10.4%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8.7%	7.3–10.3%	9.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	10.2%	7.8–12.7%	11.6%
Disability
Any disability	41.7%	36–46.8%	38.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	20%	16.8–23.2%	17.6%
Thinking or memory	19.2%	16.3–22%	18.2%
Hearing	10.4%	9–11.8%	8.6%
Vision	6.3%	5.3–7.3%	6.2%
Dressing or bathing	5%	4.1–5.8%	4.6%
Errands alone	10.6%	8.9–12.4%	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 Mulberry door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Mulberry 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.