Van Winkle's Mill Site · Photo: Farther Along · CC BY 2.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Prairie Creek is healthier than 20%
Prairie Creek differs from Arkansas on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 11 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Prairie Creek. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Prairie Creek
Prairie Creek trails towns with similar incomes
Prairie Creek is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns, and only 20% of the 9,534 towns with similar household incomes ($70K–$117K), so income alone doesn’t explain its grade. Health Grade ↓
Prairie Creek adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (29.2% vs 34.2%), frequent mental distress (16.3% vs 18.5%) and lack of emotional support (23.2% vs 27%) all run below Arkansas. Mind & connection ↓
Cancer runs high in Prairie Creek
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (10.7%), vs 8.2% across Arkansas. Conditions ↓
Fewer Prairie Creek adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Arkansas. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 5 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Prairie Creek’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Prairie Creek’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prairie Creek is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 63% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 27%).
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). Prairie Creek’s median household income is $93,391; among the 9,534 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($70K–$117K), it’s healthier than 20%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Where Prairie Creek compares well: no health insurance (ages 18–64), 8.8% (U.S. 11%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 81.8% (U.S. 76.5%); worried about keeping housing, 10% (U.S. 12%).
How Prairie Creek adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Prairie Creek does better than Arkansas.
3 in 10 Prairie Creek 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.
Out of every 100 Prairie Creek adults…
Prairie Creek runs below AR on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.6% of Prairie Creek adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.6% across Arkansas.
Care in and near Prairie Creek
No hospital or community health center in Prairie Creek 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 Prairie Creek; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Arkansas
Share of adults, with the Arkansas figure marked.
1.6 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Prairie Creek adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arkansas.
Prairie Creek and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Creek | C+ | 37.1% | 13.7% | 13.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Prairie Creek adults live with a disability (Arkansas 38.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Prairie Creek
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Prairie Creek is better than Arkansas on 11 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Arkansas figure falls inside Prairie Creek’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Prairie Creek | AR | U.S. | vs AR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.5%19.3–25.9 | 24.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.3–17.4 | 15.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.3–18.3 | 18.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.1%32.2–42.4 | 39.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.7%11.9–15.7 | 13.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 41.3%37.8–44.9 | 41.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.8%35.2–42.4 | 38% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.1%28–34.2 | 28.5% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.8–11.2 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.7%9.7–11.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.6%7.6–9.7 | 7.7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 9%7.6–10.6 | 8.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.6–4.6 | 4% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.5%11.2–16.1 | 18.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.4%11–16 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28.3%24.1–32.7 | 32.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14%11.7–16.5 | 14.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.7%29.3–38.2 | 38.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.8%7.1–10.9 | 11.3% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.9%79–84.5 | 79% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.2%54.7–61.7 | 54.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88%86.2–89.6 | 84.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.8%79.1–84.1 | 76.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.9%59.3–68.3 | 61.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.8%64.4–78.3 | 71.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.7%21.5–28 | 24.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.2%25.3–32.9 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.2%19.9–26.3 | 27% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13%10.6–15.5 | 18.5% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10%8.3–11.8 | 14.4% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.4%6.2–8.6 | 10.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.2%6.2–8.4 | 9.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.6%6–9.5 | 11.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.2%31.1–39.5 | 38.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.4%14.9–20.2 | 17.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.4%13.4–17.6 | 18.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.9%8.8–11.2 | 8.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.7–6.2 | 6.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.9%7.6–10.3 | 10% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.7–4.9 | 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 Prairie Creek
Is Prairie Creek a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Prairie Creek is healthier than 39% 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 Prairie Creek?
CDC estimates 37.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.2% and 42.4%, against 39.3% across Arkansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Prairie Creek?
Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers, 7.1 miles in a straight line from Prairie Creek’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Prairie Creek have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.1–10.9%), 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 Prairie Creek 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 Prairie Creek.
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.