Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is growing, a modern epidemic due to rapidly increasing prevalence in recent decades worldwide. Prevalence of DM and contributing risk factors were estimated by performing a cross-sectional study in the urban population of Bahawalpur-district Pakistan. A total of 1161 peoples (≥20-70 years; 589 male and 572 female) were divided into 3 groups i.e., young (20≥35 years), mature (35≥50 years) and old (>50-70 years). Diagnosis of DM and Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) was performed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Overall prevalence of DM was 19.21% (95% CI; 17.04-21.58), maximum 21.16% (95% CI; 17.80-24.95) in old group followed by mature (19.53, 95% CI; 16.30-23.21) and minimum in young (16.99, 95% CI; 11.82-23.79) groups. Young (16.07, 95% CI; 8.46-28.04) and mature (19.17, 95% CI; 14.87-24.35) female groups showed lesser while old (21.60, 95% CI; 16.93-27.13) group higher DM prevalence in comparison to the respective male groups. A significant high (p = 0.042350) prevalence (21.97, 95% CI; 18.95-25.31) was found among low educated in comparison to middle and high educated people. An ascending prevalence was observed with both increasing income and increasing consumption of carbohydrate-rich diet. Diabetics with positive family history of DM (22.46%, CI; 19.20-26.10) showed a significantly higher prevalence (p = 0.025210) verses negative family history diabetics (16.17%, CI; 13.43-19.33). A significantly high (p = 0.006540) prevalence among >30 kg m^-2 weight/obese population (26.07%, CI; 21.74-30.93) was observed. Data suggests that public health target is obesity and directly relating factors; socioeconomic status and carbohydrate-rich diet, focusing on especially high-risk group of positive heredity for diabetes.