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PG&E PowerhousePG&E Powerhouse · Photo: Oscarmostofi · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Health in Walker · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Walker residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Walker, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Walker. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Walker

Cancer, COPD and heart disease run high in Walker

1 in 8 adults have had cancer (11.8%), vs 6.4% across California. 1 in 11 adults have COPD (8.8%), vs 5.1% across California. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.9%, vs 5.6% across California. In all, Walker runs above California on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 47% of residents are 65 or older (California 16%), and cancer, COPD and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

The nearest ER is 31 miles from Walker

The closest emergency room is Carson Valley Health in Gardnerville, 30.6 miles away in a straight line. Getting care ↓

More high blood pressure in Walker, and more people treating it

39.4% of adults have high blood pressure (California 30.5%), but 78.6% of them take medicine for it, vs 71.3% statewide. Checkups ↓

Walker keeps up with checkups

It beats California on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (77.2% vs 71.9%) and cholesterol checks (88.9% vs 85.4%). Checkups ↓

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 California figure falls outside Walker’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Walker adults…

Walker runs below CA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.

12 of every 100 Walker adults have had cancer
California: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 10.6–13.1%
Better than CAWorseAbout the sameCalifornia
Why age matters here

Walker is an older town: 47% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across California. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Walker as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Walker47%
California16%
Getting care

Care in and near Walker

No hospital or community health center in Walker itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERCarson Valley HealthGardnerville · 30.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careEl Dorado Community Health Center South Lake TahoeSouth Lake Tahoe · 39.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
30.6 mi
Carson Valley Health
Gardnerville · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
36.2 mi
South Lyon Medical Center
Yerington · not rated
ERRural critical access
39.2 mi
Barton Memorial Hospital
South Lake Tahoe · ★★★★★
ER
39.7 mi
El Dorado Community Health Center South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
45.7 mi
Mount Grant General Hospital
Hawthorne · not rated
ERRural critical access
55.8 mi
Nevada Health Centers
2 sites · nearest in Virginia City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careWalker is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careWalker is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Walker itself

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 Walker; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Walker adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.

77%Yearly checkupCA 72%
65%Dentist visitCA 63%
89%Cholesterol checkCA 85%
69%Colon screeningCA 58%
78%MammogramCA 76%
79%Taking BP medsCA 71%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Walker 7.1% · California 1 in 9 (10.6%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with California

Share of adults, with the California figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.2%CA 24.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.3%CA 35.1%
Binge drink 14.1%CA 15.3%
Smoke cigarettes 13%CA 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Walker, betterWalker, worseAbout the sameCalifornia
Mind & connection

How Walker adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Walker does better than California.

1 in 3Walker adults feel lonely
31.9% · CA 37.3% · About the same as CA
1 in 4Walker adults lack social or emotional support
22.9% · CA 28.6% · Better than CA
1 in 4Walker adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.6% · CA 20.1% · About the same as CA
1 in 6Walker adults are in frequent mental distress
15.9% · CA 16.4% · About the same as CA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Walker adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 8
Walker adults worry about having enough food
13.1% · CA 17.9%
Better than CA
1 in 10
Walker adults worry about keeping their housing
10% · CA 14.9%
Better than CA
1 in 17
Walker adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.9% · CA 7.3%
Better than CA
1 in 14
Walker adults lack reliable transportation
7.4% · CA 9.3%
Better than CA

13.3% of Walker adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.

Around town

Walker and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Coleville————

Coleville: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

34.7%

of Walker adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.4%
Thinking or memory14.1%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone9.2%
Vision5.7%
Dressing or bathing4.6%
California

Questions about health in Walker

Why doesn’t Walker have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Walker.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Walker.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The California figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. 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.