Fairview School Building · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Bull Shoals is healthier than 58%
Bull Shoals differs from Arkansas on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bull Shoals. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bull Shoals
Bull Shoals is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Bull Shoals is healthier than 15%. Against the 3,016 towns with similar household incomes ($31K–$52K), it’s healthier than 58%. Health Grade ↓
Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Bull Shoals
1 in 7 adults have heart disease (13.5%), vs 7.7% across Arkansas. 1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.6%), vs 8.2% across Arkansas. COPD is also above the state: 13.8%, vs 8.6% across Arkansas. In all, Bull Shoals runs above Arkansas on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Arkansas 18%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Bull Shoals, and more people treating it
51.1% of adults have high blood pressure (Arkansas 41.4%), but 85.4% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Bull Shoals keeps up with checkups
It beats Arkansas on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.2% vs 79%) and cholesterol checks (89.5% vs 84.8%). Checkups ↓
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 Bull Shoals’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Bull Shoals’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bull Shoals is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 63% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 2%).
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). Bull Shoals’ median household income is $41,976; among the 3,016 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($31K–$52K), it’s healthier than 58%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Bull Shoals compares well: binge drinking, 10.8% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 83.2% (U.S. 77.4%); cholesterol check in 5 years, 89.5% (U.S. 87.1%).
Out of every 100 Bull Shoals adults…
Bull Shoals runs above AR on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Bull Shoals is an older town: 32% 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 Bull Shoals as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bull Shoals adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.
Care in and near Bull Shoals
No hospital or community health center in Bull Shoals 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 Bull Shoals; ≈ 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.
How Bull Shoals adults are doing
About the same as Arkansas on each measure.
3 in 10 Bull Shoals 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.
10.4% of Bull Shoals adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Bull Shoals and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Shoals | C− | 37.8% | 18.7% | 17.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bull Shoals adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bull Shoals
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bull Shoals is better than Arkansas on 7 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Arkansas figure falls inside Bull Shoals’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bull Shoals | AR | U.S. | vs AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 29.4%24.4–34.7 | 24.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 20%16.9–23.2 | 15.6% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.2–18.6 | 18.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.8%30–45.9 | 39.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 18.7%15.8–21.7 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 51.1%46.3–55.9 | 41.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 47%42.2–51.8 | 38% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 42%37.6–46.4 | 28.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.6%12.2–15.1 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 13.5%11.6–15.5 | 7.7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 13.8%11.1–16.6 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 6.3%5.4–7.3 | 4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 25.1%21.2–29.1 | 18.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.4%13.9–21.3 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 36.6%30.1–43.3 | 32.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 10.8%8.7–13.1 | 14.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.8%28.5–41.5 | 38.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.9%7.6–12.6 | 11.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.2%80–86 | 79% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.5%51.6–59.2 | 54.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.5%87.6–91 | 84.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 85.4%83–87.6 | 76.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.2%63.9–74.1 | 61.6% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%66.6–81.5 | 71.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.7%20.1–27.6 | 24.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.1%24.9–35.5 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.3%20.2–28.5 | 27% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.9%12.6–19.7 | 18.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.3%8.4–12.4 | 14.4% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8%6.6–9.4 | 10.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.2%6.8–9.7 | 9.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.4%8–13.1 | 11.6% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 46.6%40.6–52.6 | 38.2% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 25.8%21.5–30.2 | 17.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.6%14.9–20.6 | 18.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 14.6%12.7–16.6 | 8.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.7%6.4–9.2 | 6.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.8%9.8–14 | 10% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.2%5.1–7.4 | 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 Bull Shoals
Is Bull Shoals a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bull Shoals is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns: C− 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 Bull Shoals?
CDC estimates 37.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 30% and 45.9%, against 39.3% across Arkansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bull Shoals?
Baxter Health in Mountain Home, 11.2 miles in a straight line from Bull Shoals’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bull Shoals have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.6–12.6%), 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 Bull Shoals 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 Bull Shoals.
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.