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Wayne County, MS Health Statistics

44.2% of adults have obesity and 17.8% have diabetes, among about 19,703 residents.

Obesity
44.2%
#24 of 82 · +10.9 pts
Diabetes
17.8%
#36 of 82 · +5.7 pts
Smoking
20.2%
+7.4 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
13.2%
+2.1 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Tooth loss (65+)22.5% vs 12.6%
  • Self-care6.6% vs 3.8%
  • Food insecurity27.1% vs 15.9%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Binge drinking12.3% vs 15.9%

All health measures

Wayne County, MS compared with Mississippi and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereMSU.S.
Obesity44.2%+10.9 pts40.4%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes17.8%+5.7 pts15.5%12.1%
High blood pressure47.7%+13.3 pts44.9%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)40.1%+3.7 pts38.8%36.4%
Coronary heart disease9.0%+2.7 pts7.5%6.3%
Stroke5.5%+2.1 pts4.5%3.4%
Current asthma10.5%about the same10.0%10.2%
COPD10.7%+4.2 pts8.6%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)7.9%about the same7.6%7.7%
Arthritis33.4%+8.2 pts29.9%25.2%
Depression19.7%-1.9 pts19.5%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)22.5%+9.9 pts18.5%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereMSU.S.
Current smoking20.2%+7.4 pts16.9%12.8%
Binge drinking12.3%-3.6 pts13.6%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity38.0%+12.8 pts34.0%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)40.6%+4.5 pts38.4%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereMSU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)13.2%+2.1 pts11.5%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year81.6%+4.8 pts81.6%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year8.8%-52.9 pts9.3%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)81.0%+5.5 pts79.7%75.5%
Cholesterol screening85.4%-0.8 pts86.2%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)59.9%-3.8 pts61.8%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)71.7%-4.4 pts74.0%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereMSU.S.
Fair or poor general health28.7%+8.9 pts24.4%19.8%
Frequent mental distress18.3%+1.8 pts17.3%16.5%
Frequent physical distress17.0%+3.7 pts14.8%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereMSU.S.
Any disability42.2%+11.8 pts38.1%30.4%
Mobility disability22.5%+8.7 pts18.8%13.8%
Cognitive disability19.5%+5.2 pts17.5%14.3%
Hearing disability9.4%+2.6 pts8.1%6.8%
Vision disability8.6%+3.3 pts7.0%5.3%
Self-care disability6.6%+2.8 pts5.3%3.8%
Independent living disability12.3%+4.2 pts10.4%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereMSU.S.
Loneliness37.6%+3.5 pts36.4%34.1%
Lack of social and emotional support30.2%+5.6 pts28.9%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year27.1%+11.2 pts22.4%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year18.0%+5.2 pts13.6%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year19.4%+6.4 pts16.8%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year13.4%+5.4 pts11.3%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation14.0%+5.5 pts11.9%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 Wayne County, MS?
About 44.2% of adults in Wayne County, MS have obesity, compared with 40.4% in Mississippi and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #24 of 82 counties in Mississippi.
How common is diabetes in Wayne County, MS?
About 17.8% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Mississippi 15.5%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Wayne County, MS?
About 20.2% 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.