Nutt-Trussell Building · Photo: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Fordyce is healthier than 54%
Fordyce differs from Arkansas on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fordyce. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fordyce
Fordyce looks healthier next to Arkansas than next to the country
It’s healthier than 39% of the 123 Arkansas towns we grade, but 10% of towns nationwide. Much of Arkansas scores low on these measures. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Fordyce
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (24.1%), vs 18.5% across Arkansas. Utility shut-off threats (14.1% vs 10.4%) and housing insecurity (19.5% vs 14.4%) are higher too. 16% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Stroke and diabetes run high in Fordyce
1 in 20 adults have had a stroke (5.1%), vs 4% across Arkansas. 1 in 6 adults have diabetes (16.6%), vs 13.3% across Arkansas. In all, Fordyce runs above Arkansas on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (Arkansas 18%), and stroke and diabetes are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Fordyce adults get no exercise
2 in 5 adults get no exercise outside work (38.2%), vs 32.1% across Arkansas. Habits ↓
Fordyce is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Fordyce is healthier than 10%. Against the 1,898 towns with similar household incomes ($29K–$48K), it’s healthier than 54%. 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 Fordyce’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Fordyce’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fordyce is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns, #76 of 123 in Arkansas. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 33% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 4%).
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). Fordyce’s median household income is $38,079; among the 1,898 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($29K–$48K), it’s healthier than 54%, about where its income would put it.
Few Arkansas towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Fordyce is healthier than 39% of graded towns, against 10% nationally.
Where Fordyce compares well: binge drinking, 11.8% (U.S. 15.4%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.4% (U.S. 76.5%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
16% of Fordyce adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Out of every 100 Fordyce adults…
Fordyce runs above AR on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Fordyce is an older town: 25% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Arkansas. Stroke and diabetes rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Fordyce as about how healthy they are.
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
Care in and near Fordyce
1 hospital in Fordyce, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Fordyce; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Fordyce adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.
How Fordyce adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Fordyce runs above Arkansas.
4 in 10 Fordyce 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.
Fordyce and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fordyce | D | 43.5% | 16.6% | 16.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fordyce adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fordyce
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fordyce is better than Arkansas on 3 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Arkansas figure falls inside Fordyce’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fordyce | AR | U.S. | vs AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.9%24.3–31.6 | 24.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.4–18.6 | 15.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.6%16.3–20.9 | 18.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43.5%34.9–52.4 | 39.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 16.6%14.5–18.9 | 13.3% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 49%44.5–53.4 | 41.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.1%34.5–43.8 | 38% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.5%27.9–35 | 28.5% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.2%9.8–12.6 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.7%7–8.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.2%7.3–9.2 | 7.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.8%7.7–10 | 8.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 5.1%4.5–5.6 | 4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.6%15.2–22.4 | 18.6% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.5%14–19.3 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 38.2%32.6–44.1 | 32.1% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.8%9.5–14.4 | 14.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 45.6%38.3–52.9 | 38.1% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.6%9.5–14.2 | 11.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.8%78.5–84.9 | 79% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 49.6%45.6–53.6 | 54.7% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.8%85–88.7 | 84.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.4%77.8–82.7 | 76.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.3%60–70.3 | 61.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.9%67–81.7 | 71.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.5%18.2–25 | 24.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36.8%31.1–42.5 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 32.9%28.2–37.5 | 27% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 24.1%20.4–27.9 | 18.5% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 19.5%16.7–22.4 | 14.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 14.1%12.1–16.2 | 10.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.9%10.3–13.6 | 9.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16%13.2–19 | 11.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 41.7%36.6–46.8 | 38.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.9%18.2–23.7 | 17.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.4%16.1–20.9 | 18.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.2%7.2–9.2 | 8.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 7.3%6.5–8.2 | 6.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11%9.7–12.5 | 10% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 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 Fordyce
Is Fordyce a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fordyce is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns: D for health, #76 of 123 in Arkansas. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Fordyce?
CDC estimates 43.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.9% and 52.4%, against 39.3% across Arkansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fordyce?
Dallas County Medical Center in Fordyce, 0.8 miles in a straight line from Fordyce’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Fordyce have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.5–14.2%), 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 Fordyce 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 Fordyce.
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.