Objective To investigate the current status of cognitive function of the elderly in the community and explore its influencing factors. Methods A face-to-face survey was conducted among urban residents of 4 community in Shaanxi Province using the general information questionnaire and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scale from September 2019 to March 2020, assessing the cognitive status and analyzing influencing factors of cognitive impairment in the elderly. A total of 367 questionnaires were distributed and 342 valid ones were recovered. SPSS statistics 25.0 was used for data analysis. Depending on the data type, t-test orχ² test were used for inter-group comparison. The influencing factors of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Among 342 elderly patients, 118 (34.50%) had MCI with a MMSE score of (21.44±5.041) points. Univariate analysis showed that gender, age, marriage, smoking and alcohol drinking history affected the occurrence of cognitive impairment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gender (OR=2.319,95%CI 1.257-4.277; P=0.007) and age (OR=1.044,95%CI 1.010-1.079;P=0.011) were the influencing factors of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. Conclusion The cognitive function of the elderly in the community is at a relatively low level, the aged and women should be given more attention. Association of smoking and drinking with MCI in the elderly needs further exploration.