The city of Muscle Shoals, Alabama is located in the northwest corner of the state and has a population of approximately 13,146 people. The health care resources available to residents are varied, though limited. The major hospital in the city is Helen Keller Hospital, which provides comprehensive medical services to the community including emergency care, surgical services, orthopedics and rehabilitation services. Additionally, there are several small medical clinics in Muscle Shoals that offer primary care and specialty services such as cardiology and endocrinology. The city also has a few pharmacies that provide medication management and over-the-counter drugs. In addition to these resources, the city offers many programs to encourage healthy living through diet and exercise. Through these opportunities, residents can make informed decisions about their physical and mental health needs.
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 Unlock physicians per 100,000 population in Muscle Shoals (zip 35661). The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Muscle Shoals (zip 35661) area is Unlock. The US average is 100.
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Muscle Shoals (zip 35661) area is Unlock. The US average is 55.
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 Muscle Shoals (zip 35661) area is Unlock. The US average is 87.
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 Muscle Shoals (zip 35661) commutes Unlock 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 Muscle Shoals (zip 35661) area is Unlock. The US average is 58.
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.