On CDC estimates, Rice is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Rice trails Texas on 9 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rice. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rice
Making ends meet is harder in Rice
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (24.1%), vs 19.3% across Texas. No reliable transportation (13.1% vs 10.5%) and utility shut-off threats (12.9% vs 10.7%) are higher too. 19.6% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.6% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Smoking is more common in Rice
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17%), vs 12.5% across Texas. Habits ↓
COPD runs high in Rice
1 in 14 adults have COPD (7%), vs 5.7% across Texas. 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 Texas figure falls outside Rice’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind Rice’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rice is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 39% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 9%).
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). Rice’s median household income is $65,958; among the 10,087 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$82K), it’s healthier than 22%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.6% of Rice adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Out of every 100 Rice adults…
Rice runs above TX on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 6% of Rice residents are 65 or older, vs 13% across Texas. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Rice
No hospital or community health center in Rice 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 Rice; ≈ 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 Rice adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
How Rice adults are doing
On 1 of 3 measures, Rice 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.
Rice and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | C− | 38% | 12.8% | 17% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rice adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rice
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rice is better than Texas on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Rice’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rice | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.5%21.8–29.3 | 21.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.2%13.2–17.3 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.1%17.7–22.7 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38%29.9–46.7 | 35.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.8%11.1–14.6 | 12.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.7%28.7–36.9 | 33.1% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.2%30–38.6 | 35.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.1%19.3–24.9 | 21.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.3–12 | 9.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 6.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%4.9–6.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7%6–8.2 | 5.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.9–3.6 | 3.2% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.2%10–14.7 | 12.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17%14.1–20 | 12.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.8%26.5–37.5 | 27.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.9%14.7–21.6 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.6%33.1–48.1 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 22.6%18.7–26.7 | 19.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 71.4%67.1–75.6 | 73.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 48.6%44.7–52.3 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.6%79.1–84.1 | 84.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.6%68.3–74.7 | 74.1% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 57.9%52–63.3 | 57.9% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.5%60.6–77.5 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.5%20.8–28.4 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.7%26.1–33.7 | 28.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 24.1%22.1–26.4 | 19.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 19.7%17.7–21.9 | 16.4% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12.9%11.4–14.4 | 10.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.1%12–14.2 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.6%17.7–21.5 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35%29.9–40.1 | 30.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.4%13.1–17.6 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.8%16.2–21.5 | 15.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.4%5.6–7.2 | 6.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%6–7.8 | 6.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.1%8.8–11.6 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.1–5.3 | 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 Rice
Is Rice a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rice is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 22%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Rice?
CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.9% and 46.7%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rice?
Ennis Regional Medical Center in Ennis, 9.9 miles in a straight line from Rice’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Rice have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 22.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 18.7–26.7%), 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 Rice 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 Rice.
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.