City of Austin

AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Public Health has published the 2025 Community Health Assessment for Austin-Travis County. Findings from the assessment identify health challenges and strains in the community, guiding public health work for the City of Austin and community partners. 

“These assessments are essential to identifying needs in our community and how best to address them,” said Austin City Manager TC Broadnax. “With this data, our City staff will be better equipped to efficiently address health inequities across Austin and Travis County.” 

These assessments are conducted to better guide health strategy as part of the Austin/Travis County Community Health Plan. The 2022 Community Health Assessment can be found here. 

Key findings from the 2025 assessment include: 

• Mental health distress is widespread, especially among youth, caregivers, working families and residents with lower incomes, and has intensified due to provider shortages, long wait times, and limited access to affordable, culturally-responsive care.
• Housing instability undermines health, access to care, chronic disease management and support for overall wellness.
• Substance use and overdose deaths, especially fentanyl related, are on the decline but continue to pose a risk for stable recovery and prevention support.
• Economic strain and childcare costs limit opportunity and disrupt family stability, especially for those with young children and inflexible work arrangements.
• Food insecurity persists, especially among children and communities of color.
• Healthcare access gaps, especially in East/Southeast Austin, unincorporated areas, and among uninsured populations. Costs, provider shortages and transportation limit care.

“The needs of our community continue to evolve as we see rising issues with opioids, stress and just finding healthy food to eat,” said Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes. “We take pride in our staff being flexible to meet these challenges and continue to make Austin a healthier place to live.” 

The Community Health Assessment is possible thanks to Austin Public Health's collaborative planning initiative, organized by the following community partners: 

• Ascension
• Baylor Scott & White Health
• Capital Metro
• Central Health
• Integral Care
• The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
• St. David’s Foundation
• UTHealth School of Public Health
• Travis County Health and Human Services

“These assessments give us a clear call to action – honest data and community voice to confront persistent inequities and advance a healthier Austin Travis County for all,” said Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup. “We are grateful to residents and partners who shared their experiences, reminding us that community health is shaped by opportunity and the systems we collectively build.”  

This assessment is a critical component of Austin Public Health's re-accreditation process, issued by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). PHAB sets standards against which public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance.