Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki ([email protected]) · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Bay is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns
Bay beats Arkansas on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bay. How CDC estimates town health
What’s behind Bay’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bay is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 51% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 9%).
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). Bay’s median household income is $59,769; among the 8,845 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($45K–$75K), it’s healthier than 28%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Bay compares well: lost all teeth (ages 65+), 9.8% (U.S. 12.3%).
Out of every 100 Bay adults…
Bay runs below AR on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Bay residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Arkansas. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Bay
No hospital or community health center in Bay 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 Bay; ≈ 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.
0.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Bay adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.
How Bay adults are doing
About the same as Arkansas on each measure.
1 in 3 Bay 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.
10.7% of Bay adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Bay and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bay adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bay
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bay is better than Arkansas on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Arkansas figure falls inside Bay’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bay | AR | U.S. | vs AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.2%20.5–28.4 | 24.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%13.8–18.5 | 15.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.1%17.5–22.8 | 18.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.7%32.5–45.4 | 39.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.2–14 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.2%36.2–44.4 | 41.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.4%34.2–42.6 | 38% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.4%27.2–33.8 | 28.5% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.3–12.2 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.5–8.5 | 7.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 9.2%7.7–10.8 | 8.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.3–4.3 | 4% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.8%7.9–11.9 | 18.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.9%14.5–21.4 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32%26.6–37.6 | 32.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.6%12.9–18.9 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.8%34.1–45.7 | 38.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.1%7.7–12.8 | 11.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.3%73.5–80.8 | 79% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52.9%49.1–56.7 | 54.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.9%81.2–86.6 | 84.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.8%72.7–78.7 | 76.9% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.9%56.7–66.9 | 61.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70.1%61.8–77.9 | 71.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.2%24.4–32.3 | 24.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.9%29.1–39 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.8%22.7–31 | 27% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.6%13.3–20.3 | 18.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.9%10.6–15.5 | 14.4% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.5%8–11.1 | 10.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%7.5–10.6 | 9.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.7%8.3–13.3 | 11.6% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 38.8%33.7–44 | 38.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.3%14.6–20.1 | 17.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.8%16.9–22.9 | 18.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.6%7.5–9.8 | 8.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%4.9–6.5 | 6.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.3%8.8–12.1 | 10% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.7–5 | 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 Bay
Is Bay a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bay is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 28%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bay?
CDC estimates 38.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.5% and 45.4%, against 39.3% across Arkansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bay?
Baptist Memorial Hospital Jonesboro in Jonesboro, 9.5 miles in a straight line from Bay’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bay have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.7–12.8%), 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 Bay 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 Bay.
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.