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Introduction: Cognitive decline, which increases with age, directly impacts functionality. Objective: To relate the cognitive profile and functionality of elderly individuals in Araras, São Paulo. Method: Analytical and longitudinal study. Individual interviews were conducted using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Lawton and Brody Scale, applied to elderly residents in a municipality in the interior of São Paulo between 2021 and 2022. Inferential analysis used the Chi-square test, with a statistical significance level of 5%. Ethical approval was obtained under opinion number 4,393,230. Results: In the sample of 112 elderly individuals, there was a predominance of males (53.6%), white race/ethnicity (63.6%), elementary school education (70.5%), and having a partner (63.4%). Among respondents, 73.2% had some type of cognitive impairment, and 47.3% had some degree of dependency. Among dependent elderly individuals, 41.1% had mild cognitive impairment (p=0.002). Conclusion: Most respondents had some type of cognitive impairment, and a significant portion had some degree of dependency in daily activities, with a statistically significant difference between dependency and cognitive impairment. It is recommended that intervention strategies be developed and implemented by multidisciplinary teams in health care and elderly assistance services.