Hattiesburg, MS is a vibrant city with plenty of resources available to its residents for health care. The area is served by two major hospital systems, Forrest General and Merit Health Wesley, ensuring that quality medical care is accessible to all citizens. Additionally, there are several local medical facilities available including the Hattiesburg Clinic, South Central Family Health Center, and the Hattiesburg VA Medical Center. These facilities provide a wide range of services including primary care and specialty treatments as well as urgent and emergency care. For those without insurance or other means of accessing health care, the Forrest County Health Department offers free or low-cost health screenings to help ensure residents have access to preventive care. With these resources in place, Hattiesburg has taken steps to ensure that its citizens have access to quality healthcare.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 196 physicians per 100,000 population in Hattiesburg. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Hattiesburg area is 107.4 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
107.4 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Hattiesburg area is 40 (100=best). The US average is 55.
40 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Hattiesburg area is 92 (100=best). The US average is 87.
92 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Hattiesburg commutes 17.5 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Hattiesburg area is 44 (100=best). The US average is 58.
44 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.