Health · Ponca

Ponca, AR health

Ponca differs from Arkansas on 16 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (10.8% vs 14.4%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (8.1% vs 10.4%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (11.8% vs 8.2%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 72670 (all of Ponca)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 73 people are less certain, so we show Ponca's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Ponca 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 Ponca adults…

50 of every 100 Ponca adults have high blood pressure
Arkansas: 41 in 100 · worse · margin 44.7–54.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Ponca, betterPonca, worseToo close to callArkansas
Get no exerciseshare of adults 34.7% Ponca
AR 32.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 38% Ponca
AR 38.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults 12.9% Ponca
AR 14.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 18.2% Ponca
AR 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%
Yearly checkup
AR 79%
55%
Dentist visit
AR 55%
88%
Cholesterol check
AR 85%
68%
Colon screening
AR 62%
73%
Mammogram
AR 71%
82%
Taking BP meds
AR 77%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Ponca 9.6% · Arkansas 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Mind & connection

How Ponca adults are doing

1 in 3Ponca adults feel lonely
32.2% · Arkansas 34.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Ponca adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.4% · Arkansas 24.6% · too close to call
1 in 4Ponca adults lack social or emotional support
25.5% · Arkansas 27% · too close to call
1 in 6Ponca adults are in frequent mental distress
17.4% · 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
Ponca adults worry about having enough food
15.4% · AR 18.5% · about the same
1 in 9
Ponca adults worry about keeping their housing
10.8% · AR 14.4% · better
1 in 12
Ponca adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.1% · AR 10.4% · better
1 in 12
Ponca adults lack reliable transportation
8.1% · AR 9.7% · better

9.6% of Ponca adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.

Disability

Living with a disability

43.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs22.6%
Thinking or memory18%
Hearing12%
Errands alone11%
Vision6.8%
Dressing or bathing5.4%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Ponca

No hospital or community health center in Ponca itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERNorth Arkansas Regional Medical CenterHarrison · 20.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyFayetteville Ar VA Medical Center★★★★★ · 38.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBoston Mountain Rural Health CenterDeer · 13.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
13.1 mi
Boston Mountain Rural Health Center
7 sites · nearest in Deer
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
20 mi
Arcare - 057
Huntsville · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
20.2 mi
North Arkansas Regional Medical Center
Harrison · ★★★★★
ER
23.3 mi
Mercy Hospital Berryville
Berryville · not rated
ERRural critical access
33.3 mi
Eureka Springs Hospital Commission
Eureka Springs · not rated
ER
38.5 mi
Fayetteville Ar VA Medical Center
Fayetteville · ★★★★★
ERVA
! Primary carePonca's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Newton County · need score 15 of 25
! Dental carePonca's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Newton County · need score 14 of 25
✓ Mental healthPonca is not a shortage area

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 Ponca. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Ponca
MeasurePoncaMarginArkansas
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure49.5%44.7–54.6%41.4%worse
High cholesterol44.9%40.2–50%38%worse
Obesity38.7%30.5–48%39.3%about the same
Arthritis37.6%33.5–41.9%28.5%worse
Depression24.4%20.7–28.7%24.6%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)15.3%12.6–18.4%18.6%better
Asthma10.5%9.3–12%10.3%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.8%10.7–13.1%8.2%worse
Diabetes15.9%13.6–18.4%13.3%worse
COPD12%10.2–14%8.6%worse
Heart disease10.8%9.5–12.1%7.7%worse
Stroke5.3%4.7–6%4%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes18.2%15–21.6%15.8%about the same
Binge drink12.9%10.5–15.9%14.6%about the same
Get no exercise34.7%28.6–40.9%32.1%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours38%31–45.2%38.1%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup81.5%78.3–84.9%79%about the same
Dentist visit54.7%50.7–58.6%54.7%about the same
Cholesterol check87.8%85.9–89.7%84.8%better
Colon screening68.1%62.8–72.8%61.6%better
Mammogram73%64.4–80.2%71.4%about the same
Taking BP meds82.1%79.4–84.9%76.9%better
No health insurance9.6%7.3–12.1%11.3%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely32.2%26.7–38.1%34.2%about the same
Lack emotional support25.5%21.4–30.1%27%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.4%15.2–19.7%18.5%about the same
Fair or poor health27%22.8–31.2%24.4%about the same
Frequent physical distress18.5%16–21.1%15.6%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity15.4%12.2–18.8%18.5%about the same
Housing insecurity10.8%8.8–12.9%14.4%better
Utility shut-off threat8.1%6.8–9.5%10.4%better
No reliable transportation8.1%6.8–9.5%9.7%better
Receive SNAP9.6%7.5–12%11.6%
Disability
Any disability43.4%37.8–49%38.2%
Walking or climbing stairs22.6%19.4–26.1%17.6%
Thinking or memory18%15.5–20.6%18.2%
Hearing12%10.6–13.6%8.6%
Vision6.8%5.9–7.8%6.2%
Dressing or bathing5.4%4.7–6.2%4.6%
Errands alone11%9.6–12.7%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 Ponca door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Arkansas figure falls inside it, we don't call Ponca better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Ponca by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Ponca by how much of its land each one covers.

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.

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