Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Oark

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Oark General Store, Oark, ArkansasPhoto: Valis55 · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Health in Oark · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Oark residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 72852. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Oark

Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Oark

1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.9%), vs 7.7% across Arkansas. 1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.4%), vs 8.2% across Arkansas. COPD is also above the state: 10.8%, vs 8.6% across Arkansas. In all, Oark runs above Arkansas on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Oark, and more people treating it

46.5% of adults have high blood pressure (Arkansas 41.4%), but 80.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.9% statewide. 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 Oark’s likely range; Oark’s figures come from ZIP code 72852, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Oark adults…

Oark runs above AR on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Oark adults have heart disease
Arkansas: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 8.7–11%
Better than ARWorseAbout the sameArkansas
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupAR 79%
55%Dentist visitAR 55%
87%Cholesterol checkAR 85%
63%Colon screeningAR 62%
72%MammogramAR 71%
80%Taking BP medsAR 77%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Oark 10.1% · Arkansas 1 in 9 (11.3%)
Getting care

Care in and near Oark

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

HNearest ERJohnson Regional Medical CenterClarksville · 17.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyJohnson Regional Medical Center★★★★★ · 17.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRiver Valley Primary Care ServicesClarksville · 16.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
16.5 mi
River Valley Primary Care Services
6 sites · nearest in Clarksville
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.5 mi
Johnson Regional Medical Center
Clarksville · ★★★★★
ER
20.4 mi
Arcare - 169
Ozark · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
20.5 mi
Mercy Hospital Ozark
Ozark · not rated
ERRural critical access
29.2 mi
Mercy Hospital Paris
Paris · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
37.2 mi
St. Marys Regional Medical Center
Russellville · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Oark itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Oark itself
✓ Mental healthOark is not a shortage area

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 Oark; ≈ 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 33.7%AR 32.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 38.9%AR 38.1%
Binge drink 14%AR 14.6%
Smoke cigarettes 17.8%AR 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Oark, betterOark, worseAbout the sameArkansas
Where Oark gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Mind & connection

How Oark adults are doing

About the same as Arkansas on each measure.

1 in 3Oark adults feel lonely
31.9% · AR 34.2% · About the same as AR
1 in 4Oark adults lack social or emotional support
26.1% · AR 27% · About the same as AR
1 in 4Oark adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.4% · AR 24.6% · About the same as AR
1 in 6Oark adults are in frequent mental distress
17.9% · AR 18.5% · About the same as AR
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Oark 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 6
Oark adults worry about having enough food
16% · AR 18.5%
About the same as AR
1 in 8
Oark adults worry about keeping their housing
11.9% · AR 14.4%
Better than AR
1 in 11
Oark adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.7% · AR 10.4%
Better than AR
1 in 11
Oark adults lack reliable transportation
8.7% · AR 9.7%
About the same as AR

9.6% of Oark adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.

Around town

Oark 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.

41.1%

of Oark adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs20.3%
Thinking or memory18.2%
Hearing10.9%
Errands alone10.3%
Vision6.5%
Dressing or bathing5.2%
Arkansas

Questions about health in Oark

Why doesn’t Oark have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Oark?

Johnson Regional Medical Center in Clarksville, 17.5 miles in a straight line from Oark’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.