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Alexander County, IL Health Statistics

45.3% of adults have obesity and 19.0% have diabetes, among about 4,695 residents.

Obesity
45.3%
#2 of 102 · +12.0 pts
Diabetes
19.0%
#1 of 102 · +6.9 pts
Smoking
19.6%
+6.8 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
10.1%
-1.0 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Received SNAP26.9% vs 12.8%
  • COPD12.1% vs 6.5%
  • Stroke6.0% vs 3.4%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Binge drinking13.8% vs 15.9%

All health measures

Alexander County, IL compared with Illinois and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereILU.S.
Obesity45.3%+12.0 pts34.1%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes19.0%+6.9 pts11.6%12.1%
High blood pressure47.9%+13.5 pts33.0%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)41.2%+4.8 pts35.4%36.4%
Coronary heart disease10.2%+3.9 pts5.9%6.3%
Stroke6.0%+2.6 pts3.3%3.4%
Current asthma11.7%+1.5 pts9.9%10.2%
COPD12.1%+5.6 pts6.3%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)9.5%+1.8 pts7.6%7.7%
Arthritis35.3%+10.1 pts24.2%25.2%
Depression21.2%about the same19.8%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)18.2%+5.6 pts10.3%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereILU.S.
Current smoking19.6%+6.8 pts12.1%12.8%
Binge drinking13.8%-2.1 pts17.8%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity33.3%+8.1 pts23.0%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)40.3%+4.2 pts35.4%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereILU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)10.1%-1.0 pts9.9%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year81.6%+4.8 pts77.8%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year52.3%-9.4 pts63.4%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)81.8%+6.3 pts75.7%75.5%
Cholesterol screening87.3%+1.1 pts87.4%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)62.8%-0.9 pts60.2%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)71.2%-4.9 pts73.5%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereILU.S.
Fair or poor general health28.8%+9.0 pts18.6%19.8%
Frequent mental distress18.2%+1.7 pts15.5%16.5%
Frequent physical distress17.8%+4.5 pts12.2%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereILU.S.
Any disability39.7%+9.3 pts27.6%30.4%
Mobility disability22.9%+9.1 pts12.8%13.8%
Cognitive disability16.4%+2.1 pts12.6%14.3%
Hearing disability9.5%+2.7 pts6.2%6.8%
Vision disability8.2%+2.9 pts4.8%5.3%
Self-care disability6.7%+2.9 pts3.5%3.8%
Independent living disability12.3%+4.2 pts7.6%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereILU.S.
Loneliness34.6%+0.5 pts33.5%34.1%
Lack of social and emotional support28.2%+3.6 pts25.4%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year24.4%+8.5 pts15.9%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year26.9%+14.1 pts13.8%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year17.7%+4.7 pts13.1%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year12.6%+4.6 pts7.8%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation11.8%+3.3 pts8.0%8.5%

Share of adults (18 and older unless noted), crude prevalence. Differences are compared with the U.S.; green is better than the national rate, red is worse. These are model-based estimates, not counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the obesity rate in Alexander County, IL?
About 45.3% of adults in Alexander County, IL have obesity, compared with 34.1% in Illinois and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #2 of 102 counties in Illinois.
How common is diabetes in Alexander County, IL?
About 19.0% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Illinois 11.6%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Alexander County, IL?
About 19.6% of adults currently smoke cigarettes, compared with 12.8% nationwide.
How accurate are these numbers?
They are CDC model-based estimates built from national survey data and local population data, not counts from local health records. Small areas have wider margins of error.

Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health · Last updated 12/01/2025 · 2025 release. Share of adults, crude prevalence.