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Lawrence County MO Courthouse 20151022-120Photo: Kbh3rd · CC BY 4.0
DHealth Grade
Health in Mount Vernon · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Mount Vernon is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns

Mount Vernon trails Missouri on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mount Vernon. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Mount Vernon

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Mount Vernon

1 in 9 adults have COPD (11.3%), vs 8% across Missouri. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.5%), vs 6.8% across Missouri. Stroke is also above the state: 4.8%, vs 3.6% across Missouri. In all, Mount Vernon runs above Missouri on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Mount Vernon is in the bottom 10% of U.S. towns for health

On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Mount Vernon is healthier than only 10% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on self-rated health, physical distress, smoking and exercise. Health Grade ↓

More Mount Vernon adults get no exercise

1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (35.6%), vs 28.8% across Missouri. Habits ↓

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 Mount Vernon’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Mount Vernon’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mount Vernon is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns, #190 of 247 in Missouri. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 25% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 7%).

DSelf-rated health25.7% · MO 20.5% · U.S. 19.4%
DPhysical distress17.4% · MO 14.2% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress19.1% · MO 17.5% · U.S. 15.9%
C−Obesity39.5% · MO 36.6% · U.S. 32.9%
C−Diabetes14.1% · MO 12.1% · U.S. 12%
DSmoking19.8% 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 23%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $40K–$67K (6,858)Healthier than 21%

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). Mount Vernon’s median household income is $53,255; among the 6,858 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 21%, 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, Mount Vernon could be anywhere from D− to C+.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Mount Vernon adults…

Mount Vernon runs above MO on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Mount Vernon adults have COPD
Missouri: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 9.5–13.3%
Better than MOWorseAbout the sameMissouri
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 39.4%MO 36.5%
Binge drink 15.3%MO 16.3%
Smoke cigarettes 19.8%MO 16%
0%10%20%30%40%
Mount Vernon, betterMount Vernon, worseAbout the sameMissouri
Where Mount Vernon gets moving

0.6 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Mount Vernon

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

HNearest ERMercy Hospital AuroraAurora · 11 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCox Monett Hospital★★★★★ · 14.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careOzark Tri-County Health Care ConsortiumAurora · 11.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11 mi
Mercy Hospital Aurora
Aurora · not rated
ERRural critical access
11.2 mi
Ozark Tri-County Health Care Consortium
3 sites · nearest in Aurora
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.9 mi
Cox Monett Hospital
Monett · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
19.3 mi
Advocates for A Healthy Community
4 sites · nearest in Republic
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
26 mi
Mercy Hospital Carthage
Carthage · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
27.5 mi
Cox Medical Centers
Springfield · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Mount Vernon itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Mount Vernon itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupMO 78%
54%Dentist visitMO 60%
82%Cholesterol checkMO 85%
60%Colon screeningMO 64%
74%MammogramMO 75%
79%Taking BP medsMO 77%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Mount Vernon 10.5% · Missouri 1 in 11 (8.7%)
Mind & connection

How Mount Vernon adults are doing

About the same as Missouri on each measure.

1 in 3Mount Vernon adults feel lonely
31.7% · MO 31.7% · About the same as MO
1 in 5Mount Vernon adults lack social or emotional support
20.1% · MO 20.1% · About the same as MO
1 in 4Mount Vernon adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.9% · MO 24.3% · About the same as MO
1 in 5Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon 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
Mount Vernon adults worry about having enough food
16.7% · MO 13.7%
About the same as MO
1 in 8
Mount Vernon adults worry about keeping their housing
13.1% · MO 12.1%
About the same as MO
1 in 10
Mount Vernon adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.3% · MO 9%
About the same as MO
1 in 10
Mount Vernon adults lack reliable transportation
10% · MO 8.4%
About the same as MO

14.5% of Mount Vernon adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.

Around town

Mount Vernon and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Mount VernonD39.5%14.1%19.8%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

43.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs20.6%
Thinking or memory20.5%
Hearing11.6%
Errands alone12%
Vision6.9%
Dressing or bathing5.2%
Missouri

Every CDC estimate for Mount Vernon

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mount Vernon is better than Missouri on 0 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Mount Vernon’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Mount VernonMOU.S.vs MO
Overall health
Fair or poor health25.7%21.6–29.720.5%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)17.4%15–19.914.2%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)19.1%16.6–21.717.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity39.5%31.4–48.136.6%32.9%About the same
Diabetes14.1%12.2–16.312.1%12%Worse
High blood pressure40.5%36.2–44.936.5%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.8%35.3–44.337.5%37.1%About the same
Arthritis33%29.5–36.628.8%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.1%9.7–12.510.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10%9–118.6%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease9.5%8.3–10.86.8%6.4%Worse
COPD11.3%9.5–13.38%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.8%4.2–5.53.6%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)15.7%12.5–1915.8%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes19.8%16.4–23.416%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work35.6%29.5–41.528.8%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking15.3%12.5–18.416.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours39.4%32.2–46.736.5%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)10.5%8.3–13.38.7%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year78.5%74.9–81.978.4%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year54.3%50.2–58.260.4%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years82.2%79.5–84.684.5%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)79%76.4–81.377.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)59.7%54.1–64.864%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)74.4%65.9–81.474.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression25.9%22.1–30.124.3%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely31.7%26.4–37.231.7%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support20.1%16.6–23.820.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food16.7%13.3–20.313.7%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing13.1%10.6–15.512.1%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off10.3%8.6–11.99%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation10%8.4–11.78.4%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)14.5%11.5–17.810.8%11.6%Higher
Disability
Any disability43.1%37.7–48.636.2%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs20.6%17.5–23.715.8%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering20.5%17.5–23.417.2%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty11.6%10.2–138.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty6.9%5.8–7.95.1%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone12%10.2–13.99.2%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing5.2%4.5–6.23.9%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 Mount Vernon

Is Mount Vernon a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mount Vernon is healthier than 10% of U.S. towns: D for health, #190 of 247 in Missouri. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 21%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Mount Vernon?

CDC estimates 39.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.4% and 48.1%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Mount Vernon?

Mercy Hospital Aurora in Aurora, 11.0 miles in a straight line from Mount Vernon’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Mount Vernon have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 10.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.3–13.3%), 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 Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon.

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.