On CDC estimates, Balch Springs is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns
Balch Springs differs from Texas on 17 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 14 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Balch Springs. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Balch Springs
Making ends meet is harder in Balch Springs
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (30.7%), vs 19.3% across Texas. Utility shut-off threats (16.7% vs 10.7%) and housing insecurity (25.3% vs 16.4%) are higher too. 23.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Dental care lags in Balch Springs
45.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 54.6% across Texas. Among those 65 and older, 20.4% have lost all their teeth (Texas 12.5%). Checkups ↓
More Balch Springs adults lack emotional support
1 in 3 adults lack social or emotional support (34%), vs 28.4% across Texas. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 18.9%, vs 16.9% across Texas. 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 Texas figure falls outside Balch Springs’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Balch Springs’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Balch Springs is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns, #380 of 641 in Texas. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 55% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Balch Springs’ median household income is $66,942; among the 10,189 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 32%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Balch Springs compares well: arthritis, 18.3% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.2% (U.S. 7.9%); coronary heart disease, 4.9% (U.S. 6.4%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
23.8% of Balch Springs adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Balch Springs adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
How Balch Springs adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Balch Springs runs above Texas.
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.
Out of every 100 Balch Springs adults…
Balch Springs runs below TX on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 9% of Balch Springs residents are 65 or older, vs 13% across Texas. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Balch Springs
1 community health center in Balch Springs, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Balch Springs; ≈ 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 Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
1.2 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
Balch Springs and the towns around it
Balch Springs’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balch Springs | C | 38.4% | 12.6% | 14.3% | CDC place |
| Dallas | C+ | 36.8% | 12.4% | 13% | CDC place |
| Mesquite | C | 37.8% | 12.9% | 14.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Balch Springs adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Balch Springs
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Balch Springs is better than Texas on 3 and worse on 14; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Balch Springs’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Balch Springs | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 26.6%24–29.3 | 21.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.6–15.7 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.9%17–21 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.4%34.2–43 | 35.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.6%11.2–14.2 | 12.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.8%29.1–34.7 | 33.1% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.6%31.7–37.8 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 18.3%16.4–20.3 | 21.6% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.1%9–11.3 | 9.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.2%3.8–4.7 | 6.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.9%4.5–5.5 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 5.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%3–3.5 | 3.2% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.4%17.2–23.8 | 12.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.3%12.6–16.2 | 12.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 35.2%31.6–39 | 27.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.2%14.9–19.9 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.4%34.8–42.1 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 29.1%26.1–32.1 | 19.1% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.8%69.6–75.9 | 73.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 45.3%42.4–48.3 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.8%79.8–83.7 | 84.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.3%68.5–74.2 | 74.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 52.5%48.3–56.6 | 57.9% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70.7%64.1–76.7 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.7%17.4–22.4 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 34%31–37.4 | 28.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 30.7%28.5–33.2 | 19.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 25.3%23.1–27.6 | 16.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 16.7%15.1–18.5 | 10.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 15.9%14.6–17.3 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 23.8%21.8–26 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.9%29.6–36.3 | 30.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15%13.4–16.7 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.1%16.2–20 | 15.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.4%4.9–6.1 | 6.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 7.7%7–8.3 | 6.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.7–10.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4.5–5.3 | 4% | 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 Texas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Balch Springs
Is Balch Springs a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Balch Springs is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #380 of 641 in Texas. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 32%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Balch Springs?
CDC estimates 38.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.2% and 43%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Balch Springs?
Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite, 4.6 miles in a straight line from Balch Springs’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Balch Springs have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 29.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 26.1–32.1%), against 19.1% across Texas.
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 Balch Springs more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Balch Springs.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Texas 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.