On CDC estimates, Brownsville is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns
Brownsville trails Louisiana on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brownsville. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brownsville
Brownsville is in the bottom 3% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Brownsville is healthier than only 3% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on all of them. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Brownsville
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (29.9%), vs 22.5% across Louisiana. Utility shut-off threats (16.1% vs 12.4%) and no reliable transportation (14.4% vs 11.3%) are higher too. 26.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 19% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Brownsville adults get no exercise
2 in 5 adults get no exercise outside work (37.9%), vs 30.3% across Louisiana. Habits ↓
Brownsville is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Brownsville is healthier than 3%. Against the 1,340 towns with similar household incomes ($27K–$44K), it’s healthier than 23%. 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 Louisiana figure falls outside Brownsville’s likely range.
What’s behind Brownsville’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brownsville is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns, #115 of 161 in Louisiana. All seven of Brownsville’s estimates fall in the lowest 9% of U.S. towns. The furthest from typical is obesity: 45.4% of adults, against 40% across Louisiana and 32.9% nationally.
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). Brownsville’s median household income is $35,526; among the 1,340 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($27K–$44K), it’s healthier than 23%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Few Louisiana towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Brownsville is healthier than 29% of graded towns, against 3% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
26.5% of Brownsville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 19% across Louisiana.
Everyday habits, side by side with Louisiana
Share of adults, with the Louisiana figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Out of every 100 Brownsville adults…
Brownsville runs above LA on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Brownsville
No hospital or community health center in Brownsville 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 Brownsville; ≈ 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 Brownsville adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Louisiana.
How Brownsville adults are doing
About the same as Louisiana on each measure.
2 in 5 Brownsville 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.
Brownsville and the towns around it
Brownsville’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville | D− | 45.4% | 17% | 21.8% | CDC place |
| West Monroe | D | 43.2% | 15.6% | 18.3% | CDC place |
| Bawcomville | D− | 45.7% | 16.9% | 26.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Brownsville adults live with a disability (Louisiana 38%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brownsville
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brownsville is better than Louisiana on 0 and worse on 14; on the rest, the Louisiana figure falls inside Brownsville’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brownsville | LA | U.S. | vs LA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 29.3%26.2–32.8 | 24.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.6%15.6–19.8 | 15.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.1%18.9–23.5 | 19.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 45.4%39.4–51.5 | 40% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17%15–19.2 | 15.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 45.8%42.1–49.7 | 42.6% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.7%35.9–43.7 | 38.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.4%29.3–35.7 | 29.7% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11%9.7–12.4 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.5%6.8–8.2 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 7.5% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11%9.8–12.4 | 8.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5%4.6–5.5 | 4.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 21.2%17.9–25 | 18.1% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 21.8%19.2–24.8 | 17.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 37.9%33.4–42.5 | 30.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.6%13.1–18.6 | 16.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.6%34.9–46.4 | 40.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.3%10.5–14.3 | 8.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.7%77.6–83.7 | 81.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 51%47.2–54.7 | 57.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84%82–85.9 | 86.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.6%75–80.1 | 78.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.6%57.7–67.4 | 66.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.5%70.5–83.7 | 79.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.6%23.2–30.4 | 26.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 38.1%33.4–42.9 | 36.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 31%27.1–34.9 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 29.9%26.6–33.6 | 22.5% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 21.3%18.8–24.1 | 16.8% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 16.1%14.2–18.1 | 12.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.4%12.8–16.2 | 11.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 26.5%23.4–29.8 | 19% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 43.7%39.3–48.2 | 38% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.5%19.1–24.2 | 17.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 21.6%19.4–24.1 | 18.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.1%8.1–10.3 | 8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 8.8%8–9.7 | 6.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 13.1%11.7–14.7 | 10.3% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.7%6–7.4 | 5.1% | 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 Louisiana figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Brownsville
Is Brownsville a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brownsville is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns: D− for health, #115 of 161 in Louisiana. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 23%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brownsville?
CDC estimates 45.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 39.4% and 51.5%, against 40% across Louisiana and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brownsville?
Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Brownsville’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brownsville have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.5–14.3%), against 8.9% across Louisiana.
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 Brownsville more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to D.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Brownsville.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Louisiana 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.