Photo: Roastedbeanz1 · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Diamondhead is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns
Diamondhead differs from Mississippi on 22 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 21 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Diamondhead. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Diamondhead
Cancer runs high in Diamondhead
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.1%), vs 7.6% across Mississippi. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Mississippi 17%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Diamondhead is older than Mississippi, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Diamondhead runs below Mississippi on COPD (7% vs 8.6%), diabetes (12.7% vs 15.5%) and asthma (8.5% vs 10%). That’s despite an older population: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Mississippi 17%). Conditions ↓
Diamondhead adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (29.4% vs 36.4%), frequent mental distress (13.2% vs 17.3%) and lack of emotional support (21.6% vs 28.9%) all run below Mississippi. Mind & connection ↓
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 Diamondhead’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Diamondhead’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Diamondhead is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns, #10 of 101 in Mississippi. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 94% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 40%).
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). Diamondhead’s median household income is $87,407; among the 10,213 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$109K), it’s healthier than 74%, about where its income would put it.
Few Mississippi towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Diamondhead is healthier than 90% of graded towns, against 72% nationally.
Out of every 100 Diamondhead adults…
Diamondhead runs below MS on 5 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Diamondhead is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Mississippi. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Diamondhead as about how healthy they are.
How Diamondhead adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Diamondhead does better than Mississippi.
3 in 10 Diamondhead 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.
Care in and near Diamondhead
No hospital or community health center in Diamondhead 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 Diamondhead; ≈ 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 Mississippi
Share of adults, with the Mississippi figure marked.
2.1 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Diamondhead adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Mississippi.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
3.8% of Diamondhead adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.6% across Mississippi.
Diamondhead and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamondhead | B+ | 32.7% | 12.7% | 11% | CDC place |
| Bay St. Louis | C+ | 37.1% | 14.5% | 14.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Diamondhead adults live with a disability (Mississippi 38.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Diamondhead
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Diamondhead is better than Mississippi on 21 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Mississippi figure falls inside Diamondhead’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Diamondhead | MS | U.S. | vs MS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.8%14.3–19.6 | 24.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%11.1–14.6 | 14.8% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.6–15.1 | 17.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.7%25.8–40.9 | 40.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.7%10.9–14.7 | 15.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 42.5%38–47.3 | 44.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.6%38.8–48.5 | 38.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.6%29.9–37.6 | 29.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.5%7.5–9.7 | 10% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.1%10.9–13.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.9%7–8.8 | 7.5% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7%6–8.1 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 4.5% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.6%7.7–11.9 | 18.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11%9.2–13.2 | 16.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 25.8%21.4–30.8 | 34% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.9%11.4–16.9 | 13.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.7%24.6–37.3 | 38.4% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%5.9–8.7 | 11.5% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83%79.9–85.9 | 81.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.1%89.8–92.4 | 86.2% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.7%81.1–86.1 | 79.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.4%66.5–75.9 | 61.8% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.4%70.9–84.6 | 74% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.8%14.8–21.1 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.4%24.7–34.4 | 36.4% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.6%18.3–25.2 | 28.9% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.7%7.1–10.5 | 22.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.3%6.1–8.6 | 16.8% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.7–5.1 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.4%4.6–6.2 | 11.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.8%3.1–4.7 | 13.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.9%28.6–37.8 | 38.1% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.3%13.1–17.8 | 18.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.1%10.6–13.8 | 17.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.7%8.6–11 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%5.9–7.8 | 10.4% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.9–3.7 | 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 Diamondhead
Is Diamondhead a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Diamondhead is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #10 of 101 in Mississippi. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 74%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Diamondhead?
CDC estimates 32.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.8% and 40.9%, against 40.4% across Mississippi and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Diamondhead?
Ochsner Medical Center-Hancock in Bay Saint Louis, 5.9 miles in a straight line from Diamondhead’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Diamondhead have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.9–8.7%), 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 Diamondhead 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 Diamondhead.
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.