County health data
Forrest County, MS
CDC PLACES estimates diabetes at 13.1% of adults in Forrest County (Mississippi: 17.0%). This county has 6 HRSA shortage designations, 1 hospital, and 19 health center sites.
License. US government work, Public Domain Mark 1.0.
For help with food, housing, utilities, or rides in Forrest County, call 211 or visit 211.org.
Health measures compared with the state
40 measures for adults in Forrest County (about 60,424 adults). 24 have a Mississippi figure from the same survey.
Largest differences from the Mississippi figure: high blood pressure 39.5% vs 46.0% (-6.5 points), high cholesterol, adults ever screened 34.0% vs 39.8% (-5.8 points), and arthritis 26.4% vs 31.2% (-4.8 points).
Health Outcomes
| Measure | Forrest County | Mississippi | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis | 26.4% | 31.2% | 26.3% | 2023 |
| High blood pressure | 39.5% | 46.0% | 34.0% | 2023 |
| Cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer | 6.6% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Current asthma | 10.0% | 7.1% | 10.2% | 2023 |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.2% | 5.0% | 4.0% | 2023 |
| COPD | 7.4% | 7.6% | 6.3% | 2023 |
| Depression | 20.8% | 18.1% | 21.8% | 2023 |
| Diagnosed diabetes | 13.1% | 17.0% | 11.8% | 2023 |
| High cholesterol, adults ever screened | 34.0% | 39.8% | 37.2% | 2023 |
| Obesity | 35.8% | 40.1% | 34.4% | 2023 |
| Stroke | 3.8% | 5.3% | 3.3% | 2023 |
| All teeth lost, ages 65 and older | 17.1% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Prevention
| Measure | Forrest County | Mississippi | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, ages 18 to 64 | 10.8% | 13.6% | 9.3% | 2023 |
| Taking blood pressure medicine, adults with high blood pressure | 77.0% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Routine checkup in the past year | 80.0% | 82.3% | 78.4% | 2023 |
| Cholesterol screening | 84.1% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Colorectal cancer screening, ages 45 to 75 | 63.0% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
| Dental visit in the past year | 9.9% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
| Mammogram, women ages 50 to 74 | 76.4% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Health Risk Behaviors
| Measure | Forrest County | Mississippi | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking | 14.9% | 13.1% | 15.1% | 2023 |
| Current smoking | 15.2% | 15.6% | 12.1% | 2023 |
| No leisure-time physical activity | 29.8% | 33.4% | 24.5% | 2023 |
| Short sleep | 38.4% | n/a | n/a | 2022 |
Health Status
| Measure | Forrest County | Mississippi | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health | 22.2% | 24.4% | 18.5% | 2023 |
| Frequent mental distress | 18.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 2023 |
| Frequent physical distress | 13.7% | 14.3% | 12.6% | 2023 |
Disability
| Measure | Forrest County | Mississippi | US | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability | 18.2% | 17.0% | 13.7% | 2023 |
| Any disability | 37.2% | n/a | n/a | 2023 |
| Hearing disability | 7.1% | 9.3% | 7.4% | 2023 |
| Independent living disability | 10.1% | 9.8% | 7.8% | 2023 |
| Mobility disability | 16.0% | 20.2% | 13.4% | 2023 |
| Self-care disability | 4.6% | 5.2% | 3.7% | 2023 |
| Vision disability | 6.4% | 7.6% | 5.0% | 2023 |
Health-Related Social Needs
| Measure | Forrest County | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support | 27.6% | 2023 |
| Food insecurity in the past year | 22.7% | 2023 |
| Received food stamps in the past year | 12.9% | 2023 |
| Housing insecurity in the past year | 16.6% | 2023 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past year | 12.2% | 2023 |
| Loneliness | 36.6% | 2023 |
| Utility shut-off threat in the past year | 11.1% | 2023 |
Source: CDC PLACES county data, as of December 4, 2025. Publisher page
Source: CDC BRFSS prevalence data, as of September 15, 2026. Publisher page
Health professional shortage areas
HRSA lists 6 designated shortage rows in Forrest County: primary care 2 (highest score 22), mental health 2 (highest score 21), and dental 2 (highest score 21). 3 cover a geographic area or population group; the other 3 are facility designations.
| Discipline | Area or population | Facility | Highest score |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary care | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| mental health | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| dental | 1 | 1 | 21 |
Area and population designations
| Designation | Discipline | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI - Forrest County | primary care | HPSA Population | 20 |
| Mental Health Catchment Area 12 | mental health | High Needs Geographic HPSA | 13 |
| LI - Forrest County | dental | HPSA Population | 13 |
Facility designations (3)
| Designation | Discipline | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHEAST MRHI | primary care | Federally Qualified Health Center | 22 |
| SOUTHEAST MRHI | mental health | Federally Qualified Health Center | 21 |
| SOUTHEAST MRHI | dental | Federally Qualified Health Center | 21 |
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page
Hospitals and readmission rates
CMS Care Compare lists 1 acute care or critical access hospital in Forrest County. None has a readmission rate CMS rates worse than the national rate.
| Hospital | City | Stars | Heart failure | Pneumonia | COPD | Heart attack | Hip or knee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORREST GENERAL HOSPITAL | HATTIESBURG | 2 | 21.6% | 17.9% | 21.2% | 14.4% | 5.6% |
Each rate is the share of patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge, July 2023 to June 2025. "n/a" means CMS did not publish a rate for that hospital.
Source: CMS Care Compare hospital general information, as of August 13, 2026. Publisher page
Source: CMS Care Compare unplanned hospital visits, as of September 30, 2026. Publisher page
Health centers
19 active health center sites in Forrest County, run by 1 organization.
| Site ↑ | Health center | Address | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| BROOKLYN FAMILY HEALTH CENTER | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 44 Brooklyn Janice Rd | Brooklyn 39425 |
| Forrest County Agricultural High School | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 215 Old Highway 49 E | Brooklyn 39425 |
| HATTIESBURG COMMUNITY DENTAL CENTER | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 68 Old Airport Rd | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| HATTIESBURG FAMILY HEALTH CENTER | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 66 Old Airport Rd | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| HATTIESBURG High School & COMMUNITY CLIN. | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 605 Stadium Dr | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| Hattiesburg Public School and COMMUNITY CLINIC | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 404 Lillie Burney St | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| Minor Care Clinic | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 123 S 27th Ave | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| N.R. Burger School and Community Clinic | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 180 Wsf Tatum Blvd | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| Petal Elementary School | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 1179 Highway 42 | Petal 39465 |
| Petal High School | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 1145 Highway 42 | Petal 39465 |
| Petal Middle School | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 203 Highway 42 | Petal 39465 |
| Petal Primary School | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 60 Herrington Rd | Petal 39465 |
| Petal School Clinic | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 36 Panther Dr | Petal 39465 |
| Petal Upper Elementary School | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 400 Hillcrest Loop | Petal 39465 |
| SEMRHI Mobile Unit | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 72 Old Airport Rd | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| SEMRHI Pharmacy Assistance Center | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 70 Old Airport Rd | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| SEMRHI Support Services Center | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 64 Old Airport Rd | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 5488 U S Highway 49 | Hattiesburg 39401 |
| WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTER | SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI RURAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, INC. | 62 Old Airport Rd | Hattiesburg 39401 |
Source: HRSA health center service delivery and look-alike sites, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page
Mississippi rural health plan
The MS RHTP strengthens rural healthcare by expanding access, improving care coordination, modernizing infrastructure, growing the workforce, and using telehealth to improve health outcomes.
Initiatives, as the state's abstract names them (page 37):
- Statewide Rural Health Assessment
- Coordinated Regional Integrated Systems (CRIS)
- Workforce Expansion Initiative (WEI)
- Health Technology Advancement and Modernization (HTAM)
- Telehealth Adoption and Provider Support (TAPS)
- Building Rural Infrastructure for Delivery, Growth and Efficiency (BRIDGE) Initiative
CMS says the abstract budgets are illustrative and are not award amounts, so none are shown.
Source: CMS Rural Health Transformation Program state project abstracts, as of December 2025. Publisher page
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Neighboring counties
Medicare plans in Forrest County, MS
About this data
County rates are CDC PLACES model-based estimates of adults, built from the CDC BRFSS survey and Census population data. State and US figures are BRFSS survey results for the same year. They are not averages of counties, and small differences may not be meaningful.
Shortage rows are HRSA designations with status Designated. Scores run from 0 to 25 (0 to 26 for dental); a higher score means greater need. Hospitals are acute care and critical access hospitals CMS lists in the county, with 30-day rates of unplanned readmission. Health centers are active HRSA-funded and look-alike sites.
Rural health plan initiatives are copied as the state wrote them. Nothing here is medical advice.
Source: CDC PLACES county data, as of December 4, 2025. Publisher page
Source: CDC BRFSS prevalence data, as of September 15, 2026. Publisher page
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas, as of October 14, 2026. Publisher page