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Independence, MO Health Statistics

37.3% of adults have obesity and 12.9% have diabetes, among about 123,011 residents.

Obesity
37.3%
#616 of 964 · +4.0 pts
Diabetes
12.9%
#488 of 964 · +0.8 pts
Smoking
18.4%
+5.6 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
11.5%
about the same

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • COPD9.4% vs 6.5%
  • Smoking18.4% vs 12.8%
  • Utility shutoff threat11.4% vs 8.0%

Lower than the U.S.

  • No measure is more than 10% below the U.S. rate.

All health measures

Independence, MO compared with Missouri and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereMOU.S.
Obesity37.3%+4.0 pts36.6%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes12.9%+0.8 pts12.1%12.1%
High blood pressure37.3%+2.9 pts36.5%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)41.3%+4.9 pts37.5%36.4%
Coronary heart disease7.5%+1.2 pts6.8%6.3%
Stroke4.1%+0.7 pts3.6%3.4%
Current asthma10.7%+0.5 pts10.6%10.2%
COPD9.4%+2.9 pts8.0%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)8.7%+1.0 pts8.6%7.7%
Arthritis29.9%+4.7 pts28.8%25.2%
Depression26.9%+5.3 pts24.4%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)16.6%+4.0 pts15.8%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereMOU.S.
Current smoking18.4%+5.6 pts16.0%12.8%
Binge drinking16.8%+0.9 pts16.3%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity33.9%+8.7 pts28.8%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)34.7%-1.4 pts36.5%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereMOU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)11.5%about the same8.7%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year76.9%about the same78.4%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year58.5%-3.2 pts60.4%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)76.5%+1.0 pts77.2%75.5%
Cholesterol screening83.7%-2.5 pts84.4%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)63.2%-0.5 pts64.0%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)72.9%-3.2 pts74.7%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereMOU.S.
Fair or poor general health24.1%+4.3 pts20.6%19.8%
Frequent mental distress19.9%+3.4 pts17.5%16.5%
Frequent physical distress16.0%+2.7 pts14.2%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereMOU.S.
Any disability40.3%+9.9 pts36.2%30.4%
Mobility disability18.8%+5.0 pts15.8%13.8%
Cognitive disability19.4%+5.1 pts17.2%14.3%
Hearing disability9.2%+2.4 pts8.3%6.8%
Vision disability6.3%+1.0 pts5.1%5.3%
Self-care disability4.8%+1.0 pts3.9%3.8%
Independent living disability11.1%+3.0 pts9.2%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereMOU.S.
Lack of social and emotional support22.8%-1.8 pts20.1%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year17.9%+2.0 pts13.7%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year14.0%+1.2 pts10.8%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year15.6%+2.6 pts12.1%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year11.4%+3.4 pts9.0%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation10.3%+1.8 pts8.3%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 Independence, MO?
About 37.3% of adults in Independence, MO have obesity, compared with 36.6% in Missouri and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #616 of 964 cities and towns in Missouri.
How common is diabetes in Independence, MO?
About 12.9% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Missouri 12.1%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Independence, MO?
About 18.4% 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.