Photo: Ktkvtsh · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Decatur is healthier than 93%
Decatur differs from Mississippi on 17 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 4 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Decatur. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Decatur
Decatur is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Decatur is healthier than 59%. Against the 5,843 towns with similar household incomes ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 93%. Health Grade ↓
Decatur is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Decatur’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Diabetes and heart disease are less common in Decatur
Decatur runs below Mississippi on eight chronic conditions, most of all diabetes (9.3% vs 15.5%), heart disease (4.7% vs 7.5%) and stroke (2.9% vs 4.5%). A young population is part of it: only 9% of residents are 65 or older (Mississippi 17%). Conditions ↓
Decatur is an active town
Only 27.1% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 34% across Mississippi. 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 Mississippi figure falls outside Decatur’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Decatur’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Decatur is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 88% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 7%).
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). Decatur’s median household income is $50,128; among the 5,843 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 93%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Care in and near Decatur
No hospital or community health center in Decatur 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 Decatur; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Decatur adults…
Decatur runs below MS on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 9% of Decatur residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Mississippi. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Mississippi
Share of adults, with the Mississippi figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Decatur adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Mississippi.
How Decatur adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Decatur runs above Mississippi.
2 in 5 Decatur 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.
10.4% of Decatur adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.6% across Mississippi.
Decatur and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | B | 34.5% | 9.3% | 12.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Decatur adults live with a disability (Mississippi 38.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Decatur
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Decatur is better than Mississippi on 13 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Mississippi figure falls inside Decatur’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Decatur | MS | U.S. | vs MS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.6%16.5–23.4 | 24.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.8%10.3–13.7 | 14.8% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.4%17.6–23.3 | 17.3% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.5%27.3–42.7 | 40.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.3%8–10.8 | 15.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.6%28–35.4 | 44.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 29.3%25.7–33.2 | 38.8% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 19.9%17.5–22.5 | 29.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.3%9–11.8 | 10% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5%4.5–5.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.1–5.2 | 7.5% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.7%4.9–6.7 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.6–3.2 | 4.5% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.9%15.4–22.8 | 18.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.7%10.5–15.3 | 16.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 27.1%22.4–32.6 | 34% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%12.8–19.1 | 13.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36%29.9–42.4 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.3%7.8–13.7 | 11.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.4%73.3–81.3 | 81.5% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 79.1%75.3–82.8 | 86.2% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 69.4%66.8–71.8 | 79.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 58.9%53.8–64.2 | 61.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.1%62.8–78.6 | 74% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.3%18.1–25.1 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 41.2%35.3–47.1 | 36.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 30%25.2–34.8 | 28.9% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 21%16.7–26.4 | 22.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 15.3%12.4–18.5 | 16.8% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.5%7.9–11.1 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12.9%10.5–15.5 | 11.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.4%8–13.6 | 13.6% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%30.2–41 | 38.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.4%10.6–14.4 | 18.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 20.1%16.9–23.8 | 17.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.7%5–6.4 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5.6%4.9–6.6 | 7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.1%8.4–12.1 | 10.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3.1–4.1 | 5.3% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Mississippi figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Decatur
Is Decatur a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Decatur is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns: ≈ B 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 Decatur?
CDC estimates 34.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.3% and 42.7%, against 40.4% across Mississippi and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Decatur?
Ochsner Laird Hospital in Union, 9.8 miles in a straight line from Decatur’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Decatur have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.8–13.7%), against 11.5% across Mississippi.
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 Decatur more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Decatur.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Mississippi 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.