Vision Statistics in Mississippi

Mississippi exhibits some of the most significant challenges in vision health nationwide. High rates of preventable blindness, vision impairment, and disparities in care access have persisted for decades, creating urgent concerns for both public health and community well-being.

In examining population-level data, trends reveal that Mississippi’s older adults, rural communities, and Black residents face notably higher vision-related burdens. Below is a data-focused exploration of prevalence rates, demographic variances, and infrastructure constraints shaping vision care throughout the state.

This overview highlights core metrics demonstrating the scale of vision impairment and its drivers. While the statistics below underline significant challenges, they also illustrate critical focal points for intervention and support.

• 8.98% of Mississippians reported blindness or major vision difficulty, higher than the 5.31% national average.
• By 2025, Mississippi is projected to have the highest per capita prevalence of legal blindness at 1.25%.
• 12.4% of adults over 65 in Mississippi face vision impairment, exceeding rates among those aged 40–64.
• Black Mississippians experience 2–3× higher vision-related disease rates than white residents.

Prevalence and Overall Impact

Statewide data underscore how common vision impairment and blindness are across demographics, highlighting an outsized impact in older age groups.

• 8.98% of residents reported blindness or serious vision difficulty even with corrective lenses.
• Among adults aged 65 and older, 12.4% experience notable vision impairment.
• By 2025, projections indicate Mississippi will have a 1.25% per capita prevalence of legal blindness, the highest nationwide.
• The total count of legal blindness cases is currently estimated at 96,400 across the state.

The growing share of older adults, coupled with chronic disease rates, amplifies these challenges. Higher-than-average poverty rates further impact individuals' ability to seek regular eye care.

With these prevalence rates continuing to climb, statewide challenges in maintaining comprehensive eye care affect both workforce readiness and overall public health.

Key Eye Diseases

Specific ocular conditions account for much of the state's vision loss burden, particularly among populations with limited access to routine screenings.

• Diabetic Retinopathy: 20.8% of Mississippians with diabetes had diabetic retinal disease in 2022, up from 13.6% in 2001.
• Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: Affects 8% of diabetic patients, reflecting a growing demand for specialized treatments.
• Glaucoma: Mississippi’s rate of 1.95% is the highest in the U.S., with non-Hispanic Black adults experiencing a 3.15% prevalence.
• Cataracts: Surgical intervention rates remain below national averages, especially in rural counties lacking advanced intraocular lens options.

Diabetes and hypertension serve as major risk factors, often correlating with delayed diagnosis and limited specialist access in underserved regions.

As these conditions progress, missed preventive visits can lead to permanent vision loss, underscoring the importance of accessible treatment paths for all populations.

Barriers to Care

From limited insurance coverage to workforce shortages, several factors hinder early detection and ongoing management of eye diseases in Mississippi.

• Insurance Coverage: 27.4% of Mississippians lacked health insurance, restricting access to routine exams and specialist referrals.
• Rural Access: 51.2% of residents live in rural areas where optometry and ophthalmology services are often scarce.
• Vision Screening Gaps: 67.03% of children had screenings in 2017, yet nearly a quarter of those needing follow-up care did not receive it.
• Workforce Shortages: Mississippi’s optometrist-to-patient ratio stands at roughly 18,496:1, among the worst in the nation.
• Specialist Distribution: Only 5.6% of ophthalmic subspecialists practice in rural communities, with many patients facing travel over 100 miles for advanced procedures.

These limitations deepen geographic disparities in outcomes, especially in areas such as the Delta region, which faces some of the state’s highest rates of vision-related mortality.

Such care gaps impact not only early intervention but also long-term disease management, making equitable coverage and physician distribution major factors in patient outcomes.

Comparison with Neighboring States

Regional data comparisons highlight Mississippi’s particularly high rates of vision impairment, underscoring the scale of health and infrastructural hurdles.

• Mississippi ranks second nationally in visual acuity loss at 3.3%, trailing only West Virginia.
• Glaucoma prevalence reaches 1.95% in Mississippi, surpassing Alabama (1.42%) and Louisiana (1.56%).
• Diabetic retinopathy rates of 20.8% exceed national trends of 15.7%.
• At 27.4%, uninsured populations in Mississippi exceed neighboring states like Arkansas (23.9%).

These metrics reveal how Mississippi’s struggle with chronic diseases, insurance gaps, and provider shortages translates to a heavier vision-related disease burden than in much of the broader region.

Recognizing these comparisons helps contextualize Mississippi’s unique healthcare landscape and underscores areas in which additional resources may be required to reduce disease progression and vision loss.

Key Statistics Summary

• Mississippi’s statewide vision impairment rate stands at 8.98%, far above national averages.
• Among the older population, 12.4% of adults aged 65+ experience vision impairment.
• More than 20% of Mississippi’s diabetic population is affected by diabetic retinal disease.
• Less than 6% of ophthalmic specialists practice in rural areas, creating major care gaps.
• Approximately 27.4% of residents remain uninsured, complicating routine eye exam access.

Together, these figures highlight widespread vision health disparities in Mississippi, with chronic conditions, uneven resource distribution, and economic factors driving much of the state’s significant vision loss burden.