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Lake Water TowerPhoto: Ktkvtsh · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Lake · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Lake residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Lake, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Lake

Making ends meet is harder in Lake

1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (27.1%), vs 22.4% across Mississippi. Utility shut-off threats (13.8% vs 11.2%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓

Lake is short on primary care and mental health care

Lake’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓

Stroke and COPD run high in Lake

1 in 19 adults have had a stroke (5.4%), vs 4.5% across Mississippi. 1 in 10 adults have COPD (10%), vs 8.6% across Mississippi. Conditions ↓

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 Lake’s likely range.

★ What stands out · 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 4
Lake adults worry about having enough food
27.1% · MS 22.4%
Worse than MS
1 in 5
Lake adults worry about keeping their housing
19.8% · MS 16.8%
Worse than MS
1 in 7
Lake adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
13.8% · MS 11.2%
Worse than MS
1 in 7
Lake adults lack reliable transportation
14.2% · MS 11.9%
Worse than MS

17.6% of Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.6% across Mississippi.

Getting care

Care in and near Lake

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

HNearest ERS E Lackey Memorial HospitalForest · 9.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careEast Central Mississippi Health CareNewton · 11 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.5 mi
S E Lackey Memorial Hospital
Forest · not rated
ERRural critical access
11 mi
East Central Mississippi Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Newton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
20.9 mi
Ochsner Scott Regional
Morton · not rated
ERRural critical access
20.9 mi
Ochsner Laird Hospital
Union · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.9 mi
Family Health Care Clinic
3 sites · nearest in Raleigh
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
25.6 mi
Smith County Emergency Hospital
Raleigh · not rated
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Lake itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Lake itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Lake 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 Lake; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Lake adults…

Lake runs above MS on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

5 of every 100 Lake adults have had a stroke
Mississippi: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 4.9–5.9%
Better than MSWorseAbout the sameMississippi
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Mississippi

Share of adults, with the Mississippi figure marked.

Get no exercise 38.1%MS 34%
Sleep under 7 hours 40.1%MS 38.4%
Binge drink 11.9%MS 13.6%
Smoke cigarettes 19.2%MS 16.9%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Lake, betterLake, worseAbout the sameMississippi
Where Lake gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Lake adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Mississippi.

82%Yearly checkupMS 82%
86%Cholesterol checkMS 86%
61%Colon screeningMS 62%
71%MammogramMS 74%
81%Taking BP medsMS 80%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Lake 12.2% · Mississippi 1 in 9 (11.5%)
Mind & connection

How Lake adults are doing

About the same as Mississippi on each measure.

2 in 5Lake adults feel lonely
37.8% · MS 36.4% · About the same as MS
1 in 3Lake adults lack social or emotional support
31% · MS 28.9% · About the same as MS
1 in 5Lake adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.9% · MS 19.5% · About the same as MS
1 in 5Lake adults are in frequent mental distress
18.6% · MS 17.3% · About the same as MS
The one neighbors can help with

2 in 5 Lake 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.

Around town

Lake and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

42%

of Lake adults live with a disability (Mississippi 38.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs22%
Thinking or memory19.6%
Hearing8.6%
Errands alone12.2%
Vision8.5%
Dressing or bathing6.5%
Mississippi

Questions about health in Lake

Why doesn’t Lake have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Lake.

What hospital is closest to Lake?

S E Lackey Memorial Hospital in Forest, 9.5 miles in a straight line from Lake’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lake.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.