Health · Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro, AR health

Murfreesboro differs from Arkansas on 5 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (10.7% vs 8.6%) and more adults with heart disease (9.4% vs 7.7%).

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

DHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Murfreesboro’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Murfreesboro is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns.

DSelf-rated healthDPhysical distressC-Mental distressCObesityC-DiabetesC-SmokingDExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 13%

Less healthyHealthier

Arkansas towns we grade (217)Healthier than 48%

Towns with similar incomes, $40K–$67K (6,380)Healthier than 26%

About what its income would suggest. Murfreesboro does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

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

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 Murfreesboro 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. Murfreesboro 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 Murfreesboro 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 Murfreesboro adults…

45 of every 100 Murfreesboro adults have high blood pressure

Arkansas: 41 in 100 · too close to call · margin 40.9–49.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Murfreesboro, betterMurfreesboro, worseToo close to callArkansas

Get no exerciseshare of adults 34.6% Murfreesboro
AR 32.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 39.9% Murfreesboro
AR 38.1%

Binge drinkshare of adults 14.1% Murfreesboro
AR 14.6%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.8% Murfreesboro
AR 15.8%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Murfreesboro 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

Murfreesboro 10.4% · Arkansas 1 in 9 (11.3%)

Mind & connection

How Murfreesboro adults are doing

1 in 3Murfreesboro adults feel lonely

33.2% · Arkansas 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Murfreesboro adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.2% · Arkansas 24.6% · too close to call

1 in 4Murfreesboro adults lack social or emotional support

25.7% · Arkansas 27% · too close to call

1 in 5Murfreesboro adults are in frequent mental distress

19% · 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

Murfreesboro adults worry about having enough food

18.1% · AR 18.5% · about the same

1 in 8

Murfreesboro adults worry about keeping their housing

13.3% · AR 14.4% · about the same

1 in 10

Murfreesboro adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

10.1% · AR 10.4% · about the same

1 in 11

Murfreesboro adults lack reliable transportation

9.5% · AR 9.7% · about the same

11.8% of Murfreesboro adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.

Disability

Living with a disability

41.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs20.7%

Thinking or memory19.1%

Hearing10.5%

Errands alone11.2%

Vision6.8%

Dressing or bathing5.3%

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

Around Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro and the towns around it

Care nearby

Howard Memorial HospitalNashville · 13.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Southwest Regional Medical CenterHope · 29.7 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Southwest Regional Medical CenterHope · 29.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Baptist Health Medical Center-ArkadelphiaArkadelphia · 35 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Amity Community Health CenterAmity · 19 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Montgomery County Community ClinicMount Ida · 33.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careMurfreesboro's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Pike County · need score 12 of 25

! Dental careMurfreesboro's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Pike County · need score 18 of 25

! Mental healthMurfreesboro's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.MHCA Hot Spring · 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 Murfreesboro. 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 Murfreesboro

Measure	Murfreesboro	Margin	Arkansas
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	45.4%	40.9–49.9%	41.4%	about the same
High cholesterol	41.9%	37.7–46.4%	38%	about the same
Obesity	38.5%	30.6–46.7%	39.3%	about the same
Arthritis	33.9%	30.4–37.6%	28.5%	worse
Depression	26.2%	22.5–30.3%	24.6%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	19.5%	15.9–23.3%	18.6%	about the same
Asthma	10.6%	9.4–12.1%	10.3%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10%	9–11.1%	8.2%	worse
Diabetes	14.6%	12.6–16.8%	13.3%	about the same
COPD	10.7%	9–12.5%	8.6%	worse
Heart disease	9.4%	8.2–10.6%	7.7%	worse
Stroke	4.8%	4.2–5.4%	4%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.8%	14.6–21.2%	15.8%	about the same
Binge drink	14.1%	11.4–16.8%	14.6%	about the same
Get no exercise	34.6%	29–40.5%	32.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	39.9%	32.5–47.1%	38.1%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.9%	76.5–83.1%	79%	about the same
Dentist visit	52.4%	48.2–56.3%	54.7%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.5%	83.1–87.6%	84.8%	about the same
Colon screening	60.3%	54.3–65.7%	61.6%	about the same
Mammogram	70.8%	61.6–78.3%	71.4%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79.6%	76.9–81.9%	76.9%	about the same
No health insurance	10.4%	8.1–13%	11.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33.2%	28–38.7%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	25.7%	21.7–30.1%	27%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	19%	16.7–21.5%	18.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	26.7%	22.8–30.7%	24.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	17.7%	15.5–20.2%	15.6%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	18.1%	14.7–22%	18.5%	about the same
Housing insecurity	13.3%	11.1–15.9%	14.4%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	10.1%	8.5–11.7%	10.4%	about the same
No reliable transportation	9.5%	8.1–11.2%	9.7%	about the same
Receive SNAP	11.8%	9.4–14.7%	11.6%
Disability
Any disability	41.4%	36.1–46.5%	38.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	20.7%	17.6–23.8%	17.6%
Thinking or memory	19.1%	16.6–21.8%	18.2%
Hearing	10.5%	9.3–11.8%	8.6%
Vision	6.8%	5.9–7.9%	6.2%
Dressing or bathing	5.3%	4.5–6.1%	4.6%
Errands alone	11.2%	9.5–12.9%	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 Murfreesboro door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Murfreesboro 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.