Photo: Robert Donovan from Franklin, TN, USA · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Mountain Brook is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Mountain Brook differs from Alabama on 28 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 26 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mountain Brook. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mountain Brook
Mountain Brook is the healthiest town in Alabama we grade
Out of 187 Alabama towns with a Health Grade, Mountain Brook comes first on the seven CDC estimates behind it. Nationally it’s healthier than 99% of towns. Health Grade ↓
Mountain Brook is an active town
Only 14.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 28.7% across Alabama. The town has 12 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Mountain Brook doesn’t win on
17.8% of adults binge drink, vs 14.1% across Alabama, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Mountain Brook’s lead shrinks
Mountain Brook is healthier than 99% of U.S. towns, but 79% of the 1,032 towns with similar household incomes ($151K–$252K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Mountain Brook
Mountain Brook runs below Alabama on seven chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4% vs 8%), stroke (2.4% vs 4.1%) and diabetes (9% vs 14.8%). Conditions ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Alabama figure falls outside Mountain Brook’s likely range.
What’s behind Mountain Brook’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mountain Brook is among the healthiest U.S. towns, #1 of 187 in Alabama. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 91%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Mountain Brook’s median household income is $201,479; among the 1,032 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($151K–$252K), it’s healthier than 79%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Alabama
Share of adults, with the Alabama figure marked.
12 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Mountain Brook adults…
Mountain Brook runs below AL on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Mountain Brook
No hospital or community health center in Mountain Brook itself. These are the nearest.
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 Mountain Brook; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Mountain Brook adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
How Mountain Brook adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Mountain Brook does better than Alabama.
3 in 10 Mountain Brook adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
2.7% of Mountain Brook adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
Mountain Brook and the towns around it
Mountain Brook has the best Health Grade of the 5 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Brook | A+ | 26.8% | 9% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| Vestavia Hills | A | 29.1% | 10.5% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Birmingham | D | 42.2% | 19.2% | 16.6% | CDC place |
| Irondale | B+ | 33.5% | 12.4% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| Homewood | A | 29.7% | 8.3% | 8.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Mountain Brook adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mountain Brook
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mountain Brook is better than Alabama on 26 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Alabama figure falls inside Mountain Brook’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mountain Brook | AL | U.S. | vs AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 10.3%9–11.8 | 22.8% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.5%7.6–9.7 | 14.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.9%10.6–13.5 | 17.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.8%23.2–30.8 | 39.4% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9%7.9–10.2 | 14.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 33.7%30.7–36.8 | 43.3% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.6%37.2–44.1 | 40.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.8%23.3–28.4 | 30.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.1%7.2–9.2 | 10% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.5–11.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.1%4.6–5.7 | 7.3% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4%3.5–4.5 | 8% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.2–2.6 | 4.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.2%3.3–5.2 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.5%5.5–7.7 | 15.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 14.9%12.8–17.3 | 28.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.8%15.2–20.7 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.3%23.8–31 | 39.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.8%3.1–4.6 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.4%78.6–84 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76.1%73.1–78.8 | 56.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.1%89.8–92.3 | 85.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.3%75.4–81 | 78% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 76%72.5–79.2 | 67% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 85.1%80.6–88.9 | 77.9% | 76.4% | Better |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.5%19.8–25.6 | 23.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.7%27.4–34.3 | 35.4% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 15.2%13.3–17.6 | 24.8% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.1%4.2–6.1 | 19.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 4.4%3.7–5.2 | 13.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.1%2.6–3.6 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.4%3–4 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 2.7%2.2–3.3 | 14% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.3%20.7–26.3 | 36.5% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.1%7.9–10.3 | 17.1% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9%7.9–10.3 | 16.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.7–7.2 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.5%2.2–2.7 | 6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.6%4.1–5.2 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.9%1.8–2.2 | 4.6% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Alabama figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Mountain Brook
Is Mountain Brook a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mountain Brook is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health, #1 of 187 in Alabama. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 79%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mountain Brook?
CDC estimates 26.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.2% and 30.8%, against 39.4% across Alabama and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mountain Brook?
Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham, 3.1 miles in a straight line from Mountain Brook’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Mountain Brook have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–4.6%), against 9.9% across Alabama.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Mountain Brook more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Mountain Brook.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alabama figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.