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DHealth Grade
Health in Liberty Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Liberty Township is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns

Liberty Township trails Missouri on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 63841, 63822, 63936. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Liberty Township

COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Liberty Township

1 in 8 adults have COPD (11.8%), vs 8% across Missouri. 1 in 21 adults have had a stroke (4.8%), vs 3.6% across Missouri. Heart disease is also above the state: 9%, vs 6.8% across Missouri. In all, Liberty Township runs above Missouri on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Dental care lags in Liberty Township

50.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 60.4% across Missouri. Among those 65 and older, 21.7% have lost all their teeth (Missouri 15.8%). Checkups ↓

Liberty Township is in the bottom 10% of U.S. towns for health

On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Liberty Township is healthier than only 10% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on self-rated health, physical distress, smoking and exercise. 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 Missouri figure falls outside Liberty Township’s likely range; Liberty Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 63841, 63822, 63936, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.

Health Grade

What’s behind Liberty Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Liberty Township is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns, #196 of 247 in Missouri. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 37% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 4%).

DSelf-rated health27.4% · MO 20.5% · U.S. 19.4%
DPhysical distress17.8% · MO 14.2% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress19.1% · MO 17.5% · U.S. 15.9%
C+Obesity37.8% · MO 36.6% · U.S. 32.9%
C−Diabetes14.5% · MO 12.1% · U.S. 12%
D−Smoking21.8% smoke · MO 16% · U.S. 11.8%
DExercise35.6% · MO 28.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 10%
Less healthyHealthier
Missouri towns we grade (247)Healthier than 21%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $43K–$72K (8,280)Healthier than 14%

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). Liberty Township’s median household income is $57,847; among the 8,280 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 14%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Liberty Township could be anywhere from D− to C. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 63841,63822,63936), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Liberty Township adults…

Liberty Township runs above MO on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

12 of every 100 Liberty Township adults have COPD
Missouri: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 10.4–13.3%
Better than MOWorseAbout the sameMissouri
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Liberty Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.

77%Yearly checkupMO 78%
50%Dentist visitMO 60%
83%Cholesterol checkMO 85%
60%Colon screeningMO 64%
71%MammogramMO 75%
78%Taking BP medsMO 77%
1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Liberty Township 11% · Missouri 1 in 11 (8.7%)
Getting care

Care in and near Liberty Township

1 hospital and 1 community health center in Liberty Township, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERMercy Hospital StoddardDexter · 6.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMercy Hospital Stoddard★★★★★ · 6.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBernie Medical and Dental CenterBernie · 5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5 mi
Bernie Medical and Dental Center
Bernie · community health center
Sliding-scale feesIn Liberty Township
6.8 mi
Mercy Hospital Stoddard
Dexter · ★★★★★
ERIn Liberty Township
22.2 mi
Poplar Bluff VA Medical Center
Poplar Bluff · not rated
For veterans
22.2 mi
Big Springs Medical Association
7 sites · nearest in Poplar Bluff
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
23.8 mi
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center
Poplar Bluff · ★★★★★
ER
24.8 mi
Piggott Community Hospital
Piggott · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Liberty Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Liberty Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Liberty Township itself

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 Liberty Township; ≈ 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 Missouri

Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.

Get no exercise 35.6%MO 28.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 39.8%MO 36.5%
Binge drink 14.7%MO 16.3%
Smoke cigarettes 21.8%MO 16%
0%10%20%30%40%
Liberty Township, betterLiberty Township, worseAbout the sameMissouri
Where Liberty Township gets moving

193 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Liberty Township adults are doing

About the same as Missouri on each measure.

1 in 3Liberty Township adults feel lonely
32.9% · MO 31.7% · About the same as MO
1 in 5Liberty Township adults lack social or emotional support
20.1% · MO 20.1% · About the same as MO
1 in 4Liberty Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.4% · MO 24.3% · About the same as MO
1 in 5Liberty Township adults are in frequent mental distress
19.1% · MO 17.5% · About the same as MO
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Liberty Township 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
Liberty Township adults worry about having enough food
17.7% · MO 13.7%
Worse than MO
1 in 8
Liberty Township adults worry about keeping their housing
13.3% · MO 12.1%
About the same as MO
1 in 10
Liberty Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.2% · MO 9%
About the same as MO
1 in 10
Liberty Township adults lack reliable transportation
9.9% · MO 8.4%
Worse than MO

15.2% of Liberty Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.

Around town

Liberty Township and the towns around it

Liberty Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 graded towns around it.

Castor Township: 37.8%Elk Township: 41.7%Duck Creek Township: 37.5%Union Township: 44.5%Richland Township: 38.5%Cotton Hill Township: 47.8%Pike Township: 37.9%New Lisbon Township: 37.5%Fisk: 40.8%Holcomb Township: 45.8%St. Francis: 40%Freeborn Township: 46.4%Malden: 49%Liberty Township: 37.8%Liberty TownshipCastor TownshipElk TownshipDuck Creek TownshipUnion TownshipRichland TownshipCotton Hill TownshipMercy Hospital Stoddard · Dexter · 6.8 mi · 2★ MedicareHPiggott Community Hospital · Piggott · 24.8 mi · 3★ MedicareHBernie Medical and Dental Center · Bernie · 5 mi+
Healthier than MONear MOLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#3 of 14 towns on this map, healthiest first
Duck Creek Township37.5%
Liberty Township37.8%
Castor Township37.8%
Richland Township38.5%
Elk Township41.7%
Union Township44.5%
Cotton Hill Township47.8%
MO36.6%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Liberty TownshipD37.8%14.5%21.8%ZIP codes
Castor TownshipD37.8%14.4%21.9%ZIP codes
Elk Township————
Duck Creek TownshipD37.5%14.4%22.3%ZIP codes
Union TownshipD−44.5%15.7%22.6%ZIP codes
Richland TownshipD38.5%14.7%22.1%ZIP codes
Cotton Hill TownshipD−47.8%17.4%24.5%ZIP codes

Elk Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

44.5%

of Liberty Township adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs21.3%
Thinking or memory20.8%
Hearing11.1%
Errands alone12.3%
Vision6.8%
Dressing or bathing5.4%
Missouri

Every CDC estimate for Liberty Township

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Liberty Township is better than Missouri on 0 and worse on 16; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Liberty Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Liberty TownshipMOU.S.vs MO
Overall health
Fair or poor health27.4%24–30.920.5%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)17.8%15.8–20.114.2%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)19.1%16.9–21.517.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity37.8%31.6–44.436.6%32.9%About the same
Diabetes14.5%12.7–16.612.1%12%Worse
High blood pressure40.6%36.8–44.736.5%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.2%35.4–43.337.5%37.1%About the same
Arthritis35.4%32.2–38.928.8%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.1%9.8–12.510.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.7%8.8–10.78.6%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease9%8.1–10.16.8%6.4%Worse
COPD11.8%10.4–13.38%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.8%4.3–5.23.6%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)21.7%18.2–25.515.8%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes21.8%18.7–2516%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work35.6%30.9–40.728.8%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking14.7%12.2–17.516.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours39.8%34–45.936.5%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)11%9–13.28.7%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year77.3%73.7–80.678.4%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year50.3%46.7–5460.4%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years82.6%80.4–84.884.5%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)78.2%75.4–80.877.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)60.4%55.4–65.464%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)70.8%62.6–78.174.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26.4%23–30.124.3%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely32.9%28.2–37.631.7%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support20.1%17–23.420.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food17.7%14.9–20.713.7%15%Worse
Worried about keeping housing13.3%11.4–15.412.1%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off10.2%8.8–11.79%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation9.9%8.7–11.38.4%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)15.2%12.8–17.910.8%11.6%Higher
Disability
Any disability44.5%39.9–49.336.2%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs21.3%18.7–24.115.8%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering20.8%18.4–23.417.2%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty11.1%9.9–12.48.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty6.8%6.1–7.75.1%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone12.3%10.8–13.89.2%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing5.4%4.8–6.13.9%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 Missouri figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Liberty Township

Is Liberty Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Liberty Township is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns: D for health, #196 of 247 in Missouri. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 14%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Liberty Township?

CDC estimates 37.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.6% and 44.4%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Liberty Township?

Mercy Hospital Stoddard in Dexter, 6.8 miles in a straight line from Liberty Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

How many people in Liberty Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 11% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9–13.2%), 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 Liberty Township 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 Liberty Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.