Corduroy Creek Bridge · Photo: Clayton B. Fraser · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Wagon Wheel is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns
Wagon Wheel differs from Arizona on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 11 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wagon Wheel. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wagon Wheel
Cancer, COPD and stroke run high in Wagon Wheel
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.4%), vs 8.8% across Arizona. 1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.5%), vs 6.6% across Arizona. Stroke is also above the state: 4.8%, vs 3.4% across Arizona. In all, Wagon Wheel runs above Arizona on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Arizona 19%), and cancer, COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Wagon Wheel is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Wagon Wheel is healthier than 68%. Against the 10,389 towns with similar household incomes ($51K–$86K), it’s healthier than 87%. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Wagon Wheel, and more people treating it
42.5% of adults have high blood pressure (Arizona 32.8%), but 80.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.9% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Wagon Wheel adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing and getting around all run below Arizona. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Arizona figure falls outside Wagon Wheel’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Wagon Wheel’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wagon Wheel is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 90% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 37%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Wagon Wheel’s median household income is $68,495; among the 10,389 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$86K), it’s healthier than 87%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Wagon Wheel adults…
Wagon Wheel runs above AZ on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Wagon Wheel is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Arizona. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Wagon Wheel as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Wagon Wheel adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Arizona.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.6% of Wagon Wheel adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.1% across Arizona.
Care in and near Wagon Wheel
No hospital or community health center in Wagon Wheel itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Wagon Wheel; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Arizona
Share of adults, with the Arizona figure marked.
How Wagon Wheel adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Wagon Wheel does better than Arizona.
3 in 10 Wagon Wheel adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Wagon Wheel and the towns around it
Wagon Wheel’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagon Wheel | B+ | 32.2% | 12.9% | 11.3% | CDC place |
| Show Low | B+ | 32.8% | 11.9% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Pinetop-Lakeside | A− | 31.4% | 12% | 10.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wagon Wheel adults live with a disability (Arizona 31.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wagon Wheel
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wagon Wheel is better than Arizona on 11 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Arizona figure falls inside Wagon Wheel’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wagon Wheel | AZ | U.S. | vs AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.1%16.7–21.6 | 19.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%12.9–16.4 | 13% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.4–15.4 | 15.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.2%28–36.6 | 31.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.9%11.3–14.6 | 11.3% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.5%39.2–45.7 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.3%37.1–43.7 | 37.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.6%31.8–37.5 | 25.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.2–12.7 | 10.4% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.4%12.2–14.6 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9%8–10.1 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.5%8.2–10.9 | 6.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.8%4.3–5.4 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.4%13–18.1 | 14.7% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.3%9.7–13.1 | 11.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.4%18.3–24.5 | 21.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 10.9%9.2–12.8 | 15.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.3%25.4–33.4 | 35.2% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9%7.6–10.5 | 13.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.4%73.6–79.2 | 73.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.7%62.6–68.6 | 59.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.9%86.4–89.4 | 85.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.5%77.9–82.9 | 73.9% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.3%55.9–64.3 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.6%62.9–75.5 | 72.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.8%17.4–22.4 | 19.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.1%24.9–31.4 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.2%21.5–27.2 | 25.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.4%9.7–13.3 | 15.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.6%7.4–9.8 | 12% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.2%5.4–7.1 | 7.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.9%6.1–7.8 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.6%7.2–10.3 | 11.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.1%30.6–37.6 | 31.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.5%14.3–18.8 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.5%11.9–15 | 14.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.2%10–12.4 | 8.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6%5.3–6.7 | 5.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.5%7.4–9.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%4–5.1 | 3.7% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Arizona figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Wagon Wheel
Is Wagon Wheel a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wagon Wheel is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 87%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wagon Wheel?
CDC estimates 32.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 28% and 36.6%, against 31.3% across Arizona and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wagon Wheel?
Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low, 8.1 miles in a straight line from Wagon Wheel’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wagon Wheel have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.6–10.5%), against 13.2% across Arizona.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Wagon Wheel more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Wagon Wheel.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Arizona figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.