For the 3rd year in a row, St. Louis adults ranked gun violence as the most important health issue facing the region. However, the proportion of respondents selecting gun violence dropped for the second straight year, while a growing number said mental health is the top concern.
The poll
Each July, iHeard polls a panel of adults from St. Louis City and County to identify what they believe to be the “biggest health problem” facing St. Louis. Respondents choose from a list of 21 issues or can write in a different response. They are then asked to identify which remaining issue they believe is the “second biggest health problem.”
Top-line findings
In the table below, findings from the 2025 poll are compared to findings from 2024 and 2023. The 10 health problems selected most often each year are shown. The percentage represents the proportion of all respondents who ranked that problem as either the biggest or second biggest health problem facing St. Louis.
Percent of St. Louisans ranking health problems as the “biggest” or “second biggest” facing St. Louis, 2023-2025.
| Rank | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| 1 | Gun violence (70%) | Gun violence (63%) | Gun violence (44%) |
| 2 | Mental health (27%) | Mental health (27%) | Mental health (35%) |
| 3 | Healthcare access and cost (23%) | Healthcare access and cost (24%) | Drug abuse/ overdose (21%) |
| 4 | Drug abuse/ overdose (21%) | Drug abuse/ overdose (23%) | Healthcare access and cost (19%) |
| 5 | 42 Traffic safety (12%) | Traffic safety (15%) | Obesity (11%) |
| 6 | Obesity (10%) | Reproductive health (13%) | Food insecurity* (8%) |
| 7 | Reproductive health (10%) | Obesity (10%) | Heart disease (7%) |
| 8 | Heart disease (7%) | Diabetes (4%) | Traffic safety (7%) |
| 9 | Cancer (5%) | Extreme weather* (4%) | Extreme weather (6%) |
| 10 | Diabetes (4%) | Heart disease (4%) | Diabetes (6%) |
*New to the survey in the year above
Mental health concerns growing
The most striking findings in this year’s poll are in the Top 3. Gun violence remains the top concern among respondents, but the proportion of respondents selecting it has dropped from 70% to 44% in two years. Mental health concerns are rising, with 35% of respondents calling mental health a top concern, compared to 27% each in the two prior years. Drug abuse, addiction, and overdose (21%) landed in St. Louis’s top 3 concerns for the first time, and healthcare access and cost fell to fourth. Food insecurity, new to the poll in 2025, was selected by 8% of respondents. Concerns about traffic safety dropped from 15% in 2024 to 7% in 2025.
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About this week’s report
This week’s alert is based on a survey of adult residents in St. Louis, MO (n = 188) conducted July 19-21. What do St. Louisans think of the results? Explore these data and more at iHeardSTL.
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For the past 3 years, gun violence has been a top health issue for St. Louisans. Mental health is also a growing concern. Do you agree with these results? Share in the comments!
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Which of these is YOUR top health concern for St. Louis? Share in the comments!
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