INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Public Health Department has released the results of its 2025 Community Health Assessment, identifying the most pressing health needs of residents of all ages. The assessment process provided a high level of engagement with residents and community partners to learn more about what is happening in the community and will result in developing a plan for next steps to achieve better health for all residents in Marion County.
More than 4,500 residents completed a detailed community survey, while community members and leaders were interviewed to gain insight from people with unique experiences, needs and challenges. Plus, more than 200 community partners and leaders were invited to take part in this process to share what they see as priorities. The top five concerns identified through the health assessment are: Mental Health/Wellbeing, Access to Health Care, Housing, Trauma/Injury Prevention, and Infant Mortality.
Key findings are that 1 in 4 county residents have reported being diagnosed with depression, and 19% reported symptoms of anxiety. From 2018-2024, there has been an increase of 10% in suicide rates.
One in three county residents reported that they were unable to fully pay a medical bill, and 1 in 5 said they didn’t see a healthcare professional due to costs. Almost 1 in 5 residents reported that they could not afford medications, or took less than the prescribed amount.
Housing issues continue to plague residents as well, with 40% of 211 calls related to housing in 2023. That same year, an estimated 48.4% of renters spent more than 30% of their income on housing.
A quarter of residents reported that gun violence had affected them or loved ones. A quarter of respondents also reported that they or loved ones were impacted by substance abuse.
The full 2025 Community Health Assessment report for Marion County is available at https://marionhealth.org/CHA_2025.pdf.