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Chester Arkansas signPhoto: w:Flickr user David Rosen (https://www.flickr.com/people/dnszero/) · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded
Health in Chester · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Chester residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Chester, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Chester. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
22.2%
About the same as AR (24.4%)
Obesity
36.8%
About the same as AR (39.3%)
No exercise
27.9%
About the same as AR (32.1%)
Uninsured
9.9%
About the same as AR (11.3%)
Feel lonely
34.4%
About the same as AR (34.2%)
Nearest ER
19 mi
Baptist Health - Van Buren
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Chester adults…

Chester runs below AR on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Chester adults have diabetes
Arkansas: 13 in 100 · better · likely 9.3–12.8%
Better than ARWorseAbout the sameArkansas
Getting care

Care in and near Chester

No hospital or community health center in Chester itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERBaptist Health - Van BurenVan Buren · 19 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRiver Valley Primary Care ServicesMountainburg · 3.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
3.1 mi
River Valley Primary Care Services
8 sites · nearest in Mountainburg
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
19 mi
Baptist Health - Van Buren
Van Buren · not rated
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
23.5 mi
Mercy Hospital Ozark
Ozark · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
24.5 mi
Mercy Hospital Fort Smith
Fort Smith · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
25 mi
Baptist Health - Fort Smith
Fort Smith · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Chester itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Chester itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Chester itself

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 Chester; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Arkansas

Share of adults, with the Arkansas figure marked.

Get no exercise 27.9%AR 32.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 38.2%AR 38.1%
Binge drink 15.7%AR 14.6%
Smoke cigarettes 15.6%AR 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Chester, betterChester, worseAbout the sameArkansas
Where Chester gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Chester adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.

78%Yearly checkupAR 79%
50%Dentist visitAR 55%
84%Cholesterol checkAR 85%
67%Colon screeningAR 62%
65%MammogramAR 71%
75%Taking BP medsAR 77%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Chester 9.9% · Arkansas 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Mind & connection

How Chester adults are doing

About the same as Arkansas on each measure.

1 in 3Chester adults feel lonely
34.4% · AR 34.2% · About the same as AR
1 in 4Chester adults lack social or emotional support
25.8% · AR 27% · About the same as AR
3 in 10Chester adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.8% · AR 24.6% · About the same as AR
1 in 5Chester adults are in frequent mental distress
19.9% · AR 18.5% · About the same as AR
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Chester adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 7
Chester adults worry about having enough food
15.3% · AR 18.5%
About the same as AR
1 in 9
Chester adults worry about keeping their housing
11.7% · AR 14.4%
About the same as AR
1 in 12
Chester adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.2% · AR 10.4%
Better than AR
1 in 12
Chester adults lack reliable transportation
8.3% · AR 9.7%
About the same as AR

9% of Chester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.

Around town

Chester and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

37.8%

of Chester adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.7%
Thinking or memory18.9%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone9.5%
Vision5.2%
Dressing or bathing3.9%
Arkansas

Questions about health in Chester

Why doesn’t Chester have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Chester.

What hospital is closest to Chester?

Baptist Health - Van Buren in Van Buren, 19.0 miles in a straight line from Chester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Where can I get low-cost care near Chester?

2 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Mountainburg Family Clinic in Mountainburg, 3.1 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Chester.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.