Photo: Roastedbeanz1 · CC BY 4.0Within Mississippi, Gulf Hills is healthier than 82% of graded towns
Gulf Hills beats Mississippi on 15 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Gulf Hills. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Gulf Hills
Gulf Hills looks healthier next to Mississippi than next to the country
It’s healthier than 82% of the 101 Mississippi towns we grade, but 58% of towns nationwide. Much of Mississippi scores low on these measures. Health Grade ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Gulf Hills
Gulf Hills runs below Mississippi on four chronic conditions, most of all COPD (6.3% vs 8.6%), stroke (3.3% vs 4.5%) and heart disease (6% vs 7.5%). Conditions ↓
Gulf Hills is an active town
Only 26.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 34% across Mississippi. Habits ↓
Fewer Gulf Hills adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Mississippi. 1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food, vs 22.4% of adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Gulf Hills’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Gulf Hills’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gulf Hills is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #19 of 101 in Mississippi. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 79% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 36%).
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). Gulf Hills’ median household income is $72,839; among the 10,716 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$91K), it’s healthier than 70%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Gulf Hills adults…
Gulf Hills runs below MS on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Mississippi
Share of adults, with the Mississippi figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.4% of Gulf Hills adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.6% across Mississippi.
Care in and near Gulf Hills
No hospital or community health center in Gulf Hills 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 Gulf Hills; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Gulf Hills adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Mississippi.
How Gulf Hills adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Gulf Hills does better than Mississippi.
1 in 3 Gulf Hills 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.
Gulf Hills and the towns around it
Gulf Hills’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Hills | B | 38% | 12.9% | 13.1% | CDC place |
| Ocean Springs | A− | 35.1% | 12.4% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| St. Martin | C+ | 37.4% | 12.7% | 15.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Gulf Hills adults live with a disability (Mississippi 38.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Gulf Hills
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Gulf Hills is better than Mississippi on 15 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Mississippi figure falls inside Gulf Hills’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Gulf Hills | MS | U.S. | vs MS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.9%15.5–20.3 | 24.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.2%10.7–13.8 | 14.8% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.9%13.9–17.8 | 17.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38%31.9–44.1 | 40.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.9%11.2–14.7 | 15.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 41.4%37.3–45.3 | 44.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.2%33.1–41.3 | 38.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.8%23.7–29.9 | 29.9% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.1%8–10.3 | 10% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8%7.2–8.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6%5.4–6.7 | 7.5% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.3%5.4–7.2 | 8.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.3%3–3.6 | 4.5% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.6%8.4–12.9 | 18.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.1%10.9–15.2 | 16.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 26.3%22.2–30.4 | 34% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13.2–18.8 | 13.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.5%31.8–42.9 | 38.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.8%7.3–10.5 | 11.5% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.9%77.6–83.8 | 81.5% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.4%85.6–89 | 86.2% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.7%75–80.3 | 79.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.3%60.2–69.6 | 61.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.5%65.3–79.8 | 74% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.7%16.7–22.9 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.2%29.5–39.2 | 36.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.1%21.6–28.8 | 28.9% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.5%12.3–17 | 22.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.9%10.2–13.8 | 16.8% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.5%6.5–8.7 | 11.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.3%7.3–9.5 | 11.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.4%6.2–8.9 | 13.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.5%27.4–35.5 | 38.1% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14%12.1–16 | 18.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.4%12.6–16.2 | 17.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.2%6.4–8.2 | 8.1% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.3–5.3 | 7% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.6–8.5 | 10.4% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.2–4 | 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 Gulf Hills
Is Gulf Hills a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gulf Hills is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #19 of 101 in Mississippi. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 70%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Gulf Hills?
CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.9% and 44.1%, against 40.4% across Mississippi and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Gulf Hills?
Memorial Hospital Biloxi in Biloxi, 5.1 miles in a straight line from Gulf Hills’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Gulf Hills have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.3–10.5%), 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 Gulf Hills 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 Gulf Hills.
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.