Within Arkansas, Alexander is healthier than 65% of graded towns
Alexander differs from Arkansas on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Alexander. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Alexander
Alexander looks healthier next to Arkansas than next to the country
It’s healthier than 65% of the 123 Arkansas towns we grade, but 31% of towns nationwide. Much of Arkansas scores low on these measures. Health Grade ↓
Alexander is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Alexander is healthier than 31%. Against the 8,098 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 53%. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Alexander
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (23.7%), vs 18.5% across Arkansas. Housing insecurity (19.7% vs 14.4%) and utility shut-off threats (13.6% vs 10.4%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Many Alexander adults are uninsured, but health holds up
1 in 6 working-age adults has no health insurance (16.8%, vs 11.3% across Arkansas). Yet the share who say their health is fair or poor, 24.9%, is about level with the state’s 24.4%. Checkups ↓
Cancer and heart disease are less common in Alexander
Alexander runs below Arkansas on six chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5.2% vs 8.2%), heart disease (5.2% vs 7.7%) and COPD (6.1% vs 8.6%). A young population is part of it: only 8% of residents are 65 or older (Arkansas 18%). 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 Arkansas figure falls outside Alexander’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Alexander’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Alexander is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns, #43 of 123 in Arkansas. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 67% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 13%).
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). Alexander’s median household income is $57,250; among the 8,098 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.
Where Alexander compares well: high cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years), 33.1% (U.S. 37.1%); arthritis, 21.1% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.2% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14.4% of Alexander adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Out of every 100 Alexander adults…
Alexander runs below AR on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 8% of Alexander residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Arkansas. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Keeping up with care
Share of Alexander adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.
Care in and near Alexander
No hospital or community health center in Alexander 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 Alexander; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Arkansas
Share of adults, with the Arkansas figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Alexander adults are doing
About the same as Arkansas on each measure.
1 in 3 Alexander 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.
Alexander and the towns around it
Alexander’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander | C | 38.9% | 11% | 15.1% | CDC place |
| Shannon Hills | C− | 40.7% | 11.4% | 18.3% | CDC place |
| Bryant | B | 34% | 10.2% | 13.3% | CDC place |
| Little Rock | C+ | 40.5% | 13.1% | 13.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Alexander adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Alexander
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Alexander is better than Arkansas on 8 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Arkansas figure falls inside Alexander’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Alexander | AR | U.S. | vs AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.9%21.9–28 | 24.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.6–16 | 15.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.9%16.8–21.1 | 18.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.9%33.6–44.4 | 39.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11%9.6–12.4 | 13.3% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 35.6%32.4–39 | 41.4% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.1%30–36.3 | 38% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 21.1%18.9–23.4 | 28.5% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.2%9.1–11.5 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.2%4.8–5.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.2%4.7–5.8 | 7.7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.1%5.3–7 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.7–3.2 | 4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.1%15.6–21.1 | 18.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.1%12.7–17.5 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32.6%28.3–37 | 32.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.2%13.7–18.9 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.5%35.2–45.9 | 38.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.8%14.1–19.5 | 11.3% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.3%72.8–79.4 | 79% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.8%50.5–57.2 | 54.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.7%80.3–85 | 84.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.4%67.4–73.3 | 76.9% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 57.7%53.3–62 | 61.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.5%68.8–81.3 | 71.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.2%21.3–27.4 | 24.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.8%31.2–40.6 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.2%24.4–32.1 | 27% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 23.7%20.1–27.3 | 18.5% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 19.7%16.7–22.6 | 14.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.6%11.7–15.6 | 10.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12.1%10.4–13.8 | 9.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.4%11.8–17.1 | 11.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.8%31.7–39.9 | 38.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.4%12.6–16.3 | 17.6% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.8%16.5–21.2 | 18.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.1%5.4–6.8 | 8.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 6.5%5.8–7.2 | 6.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.3–10.7 | 10% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 4.6% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Arkansas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Alexander
Is Alexander a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Alexander is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #43 of 123 in Arkansas. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 53%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Alexander?
CDC estimates 38.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.6% and 44.4%, against 39.3% across Arkansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Alexander?
CHI-St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, 10.7 miles in a straight line from Alexander’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Alexander have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 14.1–19.5%), against 11.3% across Arkansas.
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 Alexander more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Alexander.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Arkansas 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.