Crested Butte Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot · Photo: Int77345 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Crested Butte is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Crested Butte beats Colorado on 14 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Crested Butte. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Crested Butte
Crested Butte is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Crested Butte’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Crested Butte is an active town
Only 11.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 17.7% across Colorado. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Crested Butte
Crested Butte runs below Colorado on six chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.4% vs 5.3%), stroke (1.8% vs 2.7%) and diabetes (5.8% vs 8.6%). Conditions ↓
The nearest ER is 22 miles from Crested Butte
The closest emergency room is Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison, 22.1 miles away in a straight line. Getting care ↓
Nearly everyone in Crested Butte is insured
Only 5.2% 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 Crested Butte’s likely range.
What’s behind Crested Butte’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Crested Butte is among the healthiest U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than almost every town); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 85%.
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). Crested Butte’s median household income is $74,479; among the 10,852 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($56K–$93K), it’s healthier than 100%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Crested Butte
No hospital or community health center in Crested Butte 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 Crested Butte; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Colorado
Share of adults, with the Colorado figure marked.
2.5 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Crested Butte adults…
Crested Butte runs below CO on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Crested Butte adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Colorado.
How Crested Butte adults are doing
About the same as Colorado on each measure.
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.
Crested Butte and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crested Butte | A+ | 23.1% | 5.8% | 7.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Crested Butte adults live with a disability (Colorado 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Crested Butte
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Crested Butte is better than Colorado on 14 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Colorado figure falls inside Crested Butte’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Crested Butte | CO | U.S. | vs CO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 9.6%7.8–11.6 | 15.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.9%7.5–10.4 | 11.9% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%12.5–16.8 | 16% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23.1%16.8–29.8 | 26.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 5.8%4.8–6.8 | 8.6% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 21.5%18.2–24.9 | 27% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 28.6%24.6–32.5 | 31.5% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.3%16.6–22.1 | 22.9% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.4–12 | 10.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.3%6.5–8.1 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.5%3–3.9 | 5.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.4%2.7–4.1 | 5.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.8%1.6–2 | 2.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.3%4.9–7.9 | 9.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.9%5.8–10.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 11.2%8.5–14.3 | 17.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 21.7%17.9–25.6 | 19% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.6%20.7–32.9 | 30.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4–6.8 | 11.1% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 70.6%65.8–74.7 | 71.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.3%70.1–76.3 | 64.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.5%85.3–89.3 | 85.2% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 65.5%61.1–69.5 | 69.5% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.6%58.2–68.6 | 62.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.8%66.2–81.8 | 71.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23%19.4–26.8 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 19.1%15.5–22.9 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 6.2%5–7.6 | 10.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.5%8.8–12.5 | 13.9% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.4%3.8–5 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.3%2–2.7 | 4.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.5%3.7–5.3 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.8%1.5–2.1 | 2.9% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Crested Butte
Is Crested Butte a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Crested Butte is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 100%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Crested Butte?
CDC estimates 23.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.8% and 29.8%, against 26.1% across Colorado and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Crested Butte?
Gunnison Valley Hospital in Gunnison, 22.1 miles in a straight line from Crested Butte’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Crested Butte have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4–6.8%), 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 Crested Butte more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Crested Butte.
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.