Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Ash Flat is healthier than 49%
Ash Flat differs from Arkansas on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ash Flat. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ash Flat
Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Ash Flat
1 in 8 adults have heart disease (12%), vs 7.7% across Arkansas. 1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.5%), vs 8.2% across Arkansas. COPD is also above the state: 12.9%, vs 8.6% across Arkansas. In all, Ash Flat runs above Arkansas on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 35% of residents are 65 or older (Arkansas 18%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
In Ash Flat, insurance isn’t the gap
Only 10.8% of working-age adults are uninsured (Arkansas 11.3%), yet 29.5% say their health is fair or poor, vs 24.4% across the state. Checkups ↓
More Ash Flat adults get no exercise
2 in 5 adults get no exercise outside work (38.7%), vs 32.1% across Arkansas. Habits ↓
Ash Flat is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Ash Flat is healthier than 11%. Against the 2,908 towns with similar household incomes ($31K–$52K), it’s healthier than 49%. Health Grade ↓
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 Ash Flat’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
What’s behind Ash Flat’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ash Flat is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 36% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Ash Flat’s median household income is $41,667; among the 2,908 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($31K–$52K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
Where Ash Flat compares well: binge drinking, 11.9% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 82.6% (U.S. 77.4%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 83.3% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Ash Flat adults…
Ash Flat runs above AR on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Ash Flat is an older town: 35% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Arkansas. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Ash Flat as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ash Flat adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Arkansas
Share of adults, with the Arkansas figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Ash Flat
No hospital or community health center in Ash Flat 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 Ash Flat; ≈ 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).
How Ash Flat adults are doing
About the same as Arkansas on each measure.
1 in 3 Ash Flat 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.
11.3% of Ash Flat adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Ash Flat and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ash Flat | D | 37.9% | 16.7% | 17.7% | CDC place |
| Cherokee Village | D | 39.3% | 18.4% | 19% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Ash Flat adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ash Flat
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ash Flat is better than Arkansas on 5 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Arkansas figure falls inside Ash Flat’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ash Flat | AR | U.S. | vs AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 29.5%25.3–33.8 | 24.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.5%17–22 | 15.6% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%15.7–20.1 | 18.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.9%30.9–45.4 | 39.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 16.7%14.5–19 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 49.2%44.9–53.5 | 41.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.6%40.4–49 | 38% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 39.6%36–43.3 | 28.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.4–12 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.5%11.3–13.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 12%10.5–13.4 | 7.7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 12.9%10.8–15.1 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 6%5.2–6.7 | 4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.9%17–23 | 18.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.7%14.7–20.7 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 38.7%33–44.4 | 32.1% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.9%9.7–14.2 | 14.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.1%29.3–41.1 | 38.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.8%8.4–13.5 | 11.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.6%79.7–85.2 | 79% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52.5%48.9–56 | 54.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.4%85.4–89.1 | 84.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.3%81.2–85.3 | 76.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62%56.6–67 | 61.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.7%60.7–75.7 | 71.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.1%21.7–28.9 | 24.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.9%28–38 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.2%21.6–29.2 | 27% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 17.3%14.1–20.7 | 18.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.8%9.9–13.9 | 14.4% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9%7.7–10.4 | 10.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%7.7–10.4 | 9.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.3%9–13.8 | 11.6% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 46.9%41.7–51.9 | 38.2% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 25.5%21.9–29 | 17.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19%16.5–21.6 | 18.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 13.7%12.2–15.4 | 8.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.9%6.7–9.2 | 6.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.7%10.8–14.7 | 10% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6%5.1–7.1 | 4.6% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Ash Flat
Is Ash Flat a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ash Flat is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns: D for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ash Flat?
CDC estimates 37.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.9% and 45.4%, against 39.3% across Arkansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ash Flat?
Baxter Health Fulton County Hospital in Salem, 15.3 miles in a straight line from Ash Flat’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Ash Flat have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.4–13.5%), 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 Ash Flat more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Ash Flat.
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.