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Brush, COPhoto: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Brush · CDC PLACES 2025

Within Colorado, Brush is healthier than 17% of graded towns

Brush differs from Colorado on 15 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 13 worse.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Brush

Colorado sets a high bar

Brush is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, but only 17% of the 159 Colorado towns we grade. Health Grade ↓

Stroke, heart disease and COPD run high in Brush

1 in 25 adults have had a stroke (4%), vs 2.7% across Colorado. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.4%), vs 5.1% across Colorado. COPD is also above the state: 7.5%, vs 5.3% across Colorado. In all, Brush runs above Colorado on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More Brush adults get no exercise

1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (24.1%), vs 17.7% across Colorado. Habits ↓

1 in 6 working-age adults in Brush has no health insurance

17.8% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 11.1% across Colorado. 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 Colorado figure falls outside Brush’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.

Health Grade

What’s behind Brush’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brush is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #131 of 159 in Colorado. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 81% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 33%).

CSelf-rated health21.6% · CO 15.5% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.2% · CO 11.9% · U.S. 13%
B−Mental distress16.8% · CO 16% · U.S. 15.9%
A−Obesity30.6% · CO 26.1% · U.S. 32.9%
BDiabetes11.5% · CO 8.6% · U.S. 12%
B+Smoking12.7% smoke · CO 10.9% · U.S. 11.8%
BExercise24.1% · CO 17.7% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 58%
Less healthyHealthier
Colorado towns we grade (159)Healthier than 17%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $55K–$92K (10,775)Healthier than 69%

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). Brush’s median household income is $73,382; among the 10,775 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 69%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Brush could be anywhere from C− to A. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Brush adults…

Brush runs above CO on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

4 of every 100 Brush adults have had a stroke
Colorado: 3 in 100 · worse · likely 3.4–4.6%
Better than COWorseAbout the sameColorado
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Colorado

Share of adults, with the Colorado figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.1%CO 17.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.3%CO 30.7%
Binge drink 15%CO 19%
Smoke cigarettes 12.7%CO 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Brush, betterBrush, worseAbout the sameColorado
Where Brush gets moving

0.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

72%Yearly checkupCO 71%
60%Dentist visitCO 65%
85%Cholesterol checkCO 85%
60%Colon screeningCO 62%
66%MammogramCO 72%
74%Taking BP medsCO 70%
1 in 6
working-age adults has no health insurance
Brush 17.8% · Colorado 1 in 9 (11.1%)
Getting care

Care in and near Brush

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

HNearest EREast Morgan County HospitalBrush · 6.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySt. Elizabeth Hospital★★★★★ · 8.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSalud Family HealthFort Morgan · 8.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.7 mi
East Morgan County Hospital
Brush · not rated
ERRural critical access
8.1 mi
Salud Family Health
2 sites · nearest in Fort Morgan
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
8.4 mi
St. Elizabeth Hospital
Fort Morgan · ★★★★★
ER
32.8 mi
Sterling Regional Medcenter
Sterling · ★★★★★
ER
48.5 mi
Yuma District Hospital
Yuma · not rated
ERRural critical access
51.5 mi
Health Center at Strasburg
Strasburg · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Brush itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Brush itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Brush 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 Brush; ≈ 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).

Mind & connection

How Brush adults are doing

About the same as Colorado on each measure.

1 in 5Brush adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.2% · CO 22.7% · About the same as CO
1 in 6Brush adults are in frequent mental distress
16.8% · CO 16% · About the same as CO
The one neighbors can help with

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.

Around town

Brush and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
BrushB30.6%11.5%12.7%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

34.9%

of Brush adults live with a disability (Colorado 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.5%
Thinking or memory16.5%
Hearing9.2%
Errands alone9.1%
Vision6.3%
Dressing or bathing4.2%
Colorado

Every CDC estimate for Brush

Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brush is better than Colorado on 2 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Colorado figure falls inside Brush’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…BrushCOU.S.vs CO
Overall health
Fair or poor health21.6%18.2–25.215.5%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.2%13–17.411.9%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.8%14.7–18.916%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity30.6%23.4–38.226.1%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.5%9.7–13.28.6%12%Worse
High blood pressure33.3%29.1–37.327%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)34.9%30.6–39.131.5%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.4%25–31.722.9%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.1%9.7–12.410.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.2%8.2–10.27.8%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease7.4%6.4–8.55.1%6.4%Worse
COPD7.5%6.2–8.95.3%6.3%Worse
Stroke4%3.4–4.62.7%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)14.5%11.7–17.79.2%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes12.7%10.4–15.310.9%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work24.1%19.4–28.917.7%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking15%12.1–1819%15.4%Better
Sleep under 7 hours31.3%25.6–37.630.7%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)17.8%14.5–21.511.1%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year72.1%67.5–75.971.4%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year60.2%56.5–63.964.6%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.6%82.1–86.785.2%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)73.5%70.1–76.469.5%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)60.2%55.1–65.362.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)66.1%57.2–74.271.6%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression21.2%17.8–24.622.7%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability34.9%30–39.827.1%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.5%12.9–18.210.4%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering16.5%14.2–18.913.9%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty9.2%7.9–10.46.4%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty6.3%5.5–7.34.2%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9.1%7.7–10.66.7%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.2%3.6–4.92.9%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 Colorado figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Brush

Is Brush a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brush is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #131 of 159 in Colorado. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 69%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Brush?

CDC estimates 30.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.4% and 38.2%, against 26.1% across Colorado and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Brush?

East Morgan County Hospital in Brush, 6.7 miles in a straight line from Brush’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Brush have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 17.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 14.5–21.5%), against 11.1% across Colorado.

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 Brush 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 Brush.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Colorado 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.