Health · Jackson

Jackson, MO health

Jackson differs from Missouri on 8 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (10% vs 13.7%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (6.8% vs 9%).

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

BHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Jackson’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Jackson is healthier than 65% of U.S. towns and 83% of Missouri towns.

B+Self-rated healthB+Physical distressB-Mental distressB+ObesityA-DiabetesBSmokingB-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 65%

Less healthyHealthier

Missouri towns we grade (428)Healthier than 83%

Towns with similar incomes, $58K–$96K (9,836)Healthier than 74%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Jackson 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 Missouri 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 Jackson 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. Jackson 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 Jackson compares with Missouri

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 Jackson adults…

35 of every 100 Jackson adults have high blood pressure

Missouri: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.8–38.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Jackson, betterJackson, worseToo close to callMissouri

Get no exerciseshare of adults 26% Jackson
MO 28.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 35.9% Jackson
MO 36.5%

Binge drinkshare of adults 17.4% Jackson
MO 16.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.8% Jackson
MO 16%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

MO 78%

Dentist visit

MO 60%

Cholesterol check

MO 85%

Colon screening

MO 64%

Mammogram

MO 75%

Taking BP meds

MO 77%

1 in 14

working-age adults has no health insurance

Jackson 7.2% · Missouri 1 in 11 (8.7%)

Mind & connection

How Jackson adults are doing

1 in 3Jackson adults feel lonely

30.5% · Missouri 31.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Jackson adults have been diagnosed with depression

24.2% · Missouri 24.3% · too close to call

1 in 6Jackson adults lack social or emotional support

17.7% · Missouri 20.1% · too close to call

1 in 6Jackson adults are in frequent mental distress

16.9% · Missouri 17.5% · 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 10

Jackson adults worry about having enough food

10% · MO 13.7% · better

1 in 11

Jackson adults worry about keeping their housing

9.4% · MO 12.1% · better

1 in 15

Jackson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.8% · MO 9% · better

1 in 15

Jackson adults lack reliable transportation

6.6% · MO 8.4% · better

7.4% of Jackson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.

Disability

Living with a disability

33.1%

of Jackson adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14%

Thinking or memory15.6%

Hearing8.1%

Errands alone8.1%

Vision4.1%

Dressing or bathing3.2%

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

Around Jackson

Jackson and the towns around it

Care nearby

Saint Francis Medical CenterCape Girardeau · 7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mercy Hospital SoutheastCape Girardeau · 7.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Deaconess Illinois Union CountyAnna · 22.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Memorial Hospital of CarbondaleCarbondale · 33.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Cross Trails Medical CenterCape Girardeau · 7.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Cross Trails Medical CenterMarble Hill · 18.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careJackson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cape Girardeau County · need score 16 of 25

! Dental careJackson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cape Girardeau County · need score 15 of 25

! Mental healthJackson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Bollinger/Cape Girardeau/Madison/Perry/Ste Genevieve Counties · need score 16 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 Jackson. 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 Jackson

Measure	Jackson	Margin	Missouri
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	34.5%	30.8–38.1%	36.5%	about the same
High cholesterol	36.2%	32.1–40.1%	37.5%	about the same
Obesity	33.4%	27.4–39.6%	36.6%	about the same
Arthritis	27.9%	24.9–30.9%	28.8%	about the same
Depression	24.2%	20.8–27.6%	24.3%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	12.3%	10–14.9%	15.8%	better
Asthma	10.3%	9.1–11.6%	10.6%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.1%	8.2–10%	8.6%	about the same
Diabetes	10.3%	8.9–11.8%	12.1%	better
COPD	7.1%	6.2–8%	8%	about the same
Heart disease	6.2%	5.5–6.9%	6.8%	about the same
Stroke	3.2%	2.9–3.5%	3.6%	better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.8%	11.8–16%	16%	about the same
Binge drink	17.4%	14.5–20.5%	16.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	26%	22–30.3%	28.8%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	35.9%	30.1–42%	36.5%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.7%	75.3–81.8%	78.4%	about the same
Dentist visit	63.2%	59.5–66.7%	60.4%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.3%	83.3–87%	84.5%	about the same
Colon screening	66.7%	61.9–71.3%	64%	about the same
Mammogram	74.1%	66.5–80.7%	74.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77.1%	74.3–79.6%	77.2%	about the same
No health insurance	7.2%	6–8.7%	8.7%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.5%	26–35.2%	31.7%	about the same
Lack emotional support	17.7%	14.9–20.7%	20.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.9%	14.9–19%	17.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	17.7%	15.3–20.2%	20.5%	better
Frequent physical distress	13.2%	11.6–14.9%	14.2%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	10%	8.2–12%	13.7%	better
Housing insecurity	9.4%	7.9–11.1%	12.1%	better
Utility shut-off threat	6.8%	5.8–7.9%	9%	better
No reliable transportation	6.6%	5.7–7.6%	8.4%	better
Receive SNAP	7.4%	6–9%	10.8%
Disability
Any disability	33.1%	29–37.3%	36.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	14%	12.2–16%	15.8%
Thinking or memory	15.6%	13.8–17.6%	17.2%
Hearing	8.1%	7.2–9%	8.3%
Vision	4.1%	3.7–4.6%	5.1%
Dressing or bathing	3.2%	2.8–3.5%	3.9%
Errands alone	8.1%	7.1–9.1%	9.2%

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 Jackson door to door.

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

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

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Missouri 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.