Smith, Orie J., Black and White Stock Farm Historic District · Photo: Andrew.Belair · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Kirksville is healthier than 87%
Kirksville differs from Missouri on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Kirksville. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Kirksville
Kirksville is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Kirksville is healthier than 49%. Against the 5,819 towns with similar household incomes ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 87%. Health Grade ↓
Mental distress runs high in Kirksville
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (21.2%), vs 17.5% across Missouri. Depression is above the state too: 28.7%, vs 24.3% across Missouri. Mind & connection ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Kirksville
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (16.6%), vs 13.7% across Missouri. No reliable transportation (11.4% vs 8.4%) is higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Cancer and diabetes are less common in Kirksville
Kirksville runs below Missouri on seven chronic conditions, most of all cancer (6.5% vs 8.6%), diabetes (9.2% vs 12.1%) and arthritis (22.1% vs 28.8%). A young population is part of it: only 13% of residents are 65 or older (Missouri 18%). Conditions ↓
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 Missouri figure falls outside Kirksville’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Kirksville’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kirksville is healthier than 49% of U.S. towns, #86 of 247 in Missouri. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 89% of U.S. towns); mental distress 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). Kirksville’s median household income is $50,071; among the 5,819 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 87%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Few Missouri towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Kirksville is healthier than 65% of graded towns, against 49% nationally.
Where Kirksville compares well: high blood pressure, 28.5% (U.S. 34.4%); high cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years), 30.9% (U.S. 37.1%); arthritis, 22.1% (U.S. 25.3%).
How Kirksville adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Kirksville runs above Missouri.
1 in 3 Kirksville 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.7% of Kirksville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Out of every 100 Kirksville adults…
Kirksville runs below MO on 7 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Kirksville residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Missouri. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Kirksville
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Kirksville, 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 Kirksville; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
2.3 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Kirksville adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
Kirksville and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirksville | B− | 35.1% | 9.2% | 14.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Kirksville adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Kirksville
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Kirksville is better than Missouri on 7 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Kirksville’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Kirksville | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.3%17.8–23 | 20.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.8–15.1 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.2%18.8–23.7 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.1%28.3–42.4 | 36.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.2%8–10.5 | 12.1% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28.5%25.2–32 | 36.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30.9%27.5–34.6 | 37.5% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 22.1%19.7–24.7 | 28.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.3%10–12.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.9–7.1 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.4%4.9–6.1 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 7.2%6.4–8.1 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.6–3.2 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.9%15.8–22.2 | 15.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.5%12.5–16.6 | 16% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28.6%24.2–33.3 | 28.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.4%14.3–20.7 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.9%32.4–45.8 | 36.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.9%7.5–10.5 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.6%71.5–79.2 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.3%53.7–61.2 | 60.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 75.7%72.9–78.3 | 84.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.3%67.8–72.5 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.5%56.4–66.7 | 64% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.5%64.5–79.7 | 74.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.7%24.9–32.8 | 24.3% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 34.2%29.1–39.3 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.7%16.6–23.1 | 20.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.6%14.1–19.3 | 13.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.9%11.1–14.9 | 12.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10%8.7–11.5 | 9% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.4%10–12.9 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.7%11.7–15.8 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.3%32.9–42 | 36.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.1%11.5–14.9 | 15.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 21.6%19.3–24 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.3%6.5–8.1 | 8.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5.5%5–6.1 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11%9.8–12.4 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.3–4 | 3.9% | 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 Missouri figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Kirksville
Is Kirksville a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kirksville is healthier than 49% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #86 of 247 in Missouri. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Kirksville?
CDC estimates 35.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.3% and 42.4%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Kirksville?
Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville, 0.9 miles in a straight line from Kirksville’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Kirksville have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–10.5%), against 8.7% across Missouri.
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 Kirksville more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Kirksville.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Missouri 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.