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Lamar mainPhoto: Junkyard kahrs at English Wikipedia · Public domain
≈ C+Health Grade
Health in Lamar · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Lamar is healthier than 69%

Lamar trails Colorado on 16 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Lamar

More Lamar adults get no exercise

1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (27.2%), vs 17.7% across Colorado. Habits ↓

Dental care lags in Lamar

51.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 64.6% across Colorado. Among those 65 and older, 19.6% have lost all their teeth (Colorado 9.2%). Checkups ↓

COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Lamar

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.3%), vs 5.3% across Colorado. 1 in 25 adults have had a stroke (4%), vs 2.7% across Colorado. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.3%, vs 5.1% across Colorado. In all, Lamar runs above Colorado on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Lamar is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Lamar is healthier than 37%. Against the 6,829 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 69%. Health Grade ↓

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 Lamar’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Lamar’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lamar is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns, #151 of 159 in Colorado. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 84% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 19%).

C−Self-rated health24.2% · CO 15.5% · U.S. 19.4%
C−Physical distress16.3% · CO 11.9% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress18.6% · CO 16% · U.S. 15.9%
A−Obesity29.8% · CO 26.1% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes12.3% · CO 8.6% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking15.7% smoke · CO 10.9% · U.S. 11.8%
C+Exercise27.2% · CO 17.7% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 37%
Less healthyHealthier
Colorado towns we grade (159)Healthier than 5%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $40K–$66K (6,829)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). Lamar’s median household income is $53,188; among the 6,829 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 69%, more than its income alone would suggest.

Most Colorado towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Lamar is healthier than 5% of graded towns, against 37% nationally.

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

How TownRatings grades health →

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Colorado

Share of adults, with the Colorado figure marked.

Get no exercise 27.2%CO 17.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.9%CO 30.7%
Binge drink 16.1%CO 19%
Smoke cigarettes 15.7%CO 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Lamar, betterLamar, worseAbout the sameColorado
Where Lamar gets moving

6.9 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

70%Yearly checkupCO 71%
51%Dentist visitCO 65%
82%Cholesterol checkCO 85%
57%Colon screeningCO 62%
65%MammogramCO 72%
72%Taking BP medsCO 70%
1 in 5
working-age adults has no health insurance
Lamar 19.5% · Colorado 1 in 9 (11.1%)
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Lamar adults…

Lamar runs above CO on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Lamar adults have COPD
Colorado: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 7.2–9.5%
Better than COWorseAbout the sameColorado
Getting care

Care in and near Lamar

1 hospital and 2 community health centers in Lamar, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERProwers Medical CenterLamar · 0.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHigh Plains Community Health CenterLamar · 0.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.1 mi
High Plains Community Health Center
4 sites · nearest in Lamar
Sliding-scale feesIn Lamar
Directions to nearest
0.5 mi
Prowers Medical Center
Lamar · not rated
ERRural critical accessIn Lamar
0.6 mi
Valley-Wide Health Systems
3 sites · nearest in Lamar
Sliding-scale feesIn Lamar
Directions to nearest
29.4 mi
Weisbrod Memorial County Hospital
Eads · not rated
ERRural critical access
42.9 mi
Hamilton County Hospital
Syracuse · not rated
ERRural critical access
46.4 mi
Southeast Colorado Hospital District
Springfield · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Lamar itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Lamar itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Lamar 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 Lamar; ≈ 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 Lamar adults are doing

On 1 of 2 measures, Lamar runs above Colorado.

1 in 4Lamar adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.2% · CO 22.7% · About the same as CO
1 in 5Lamar adults are in frequent mental distress
18.6% · CO 16% · Worse than 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

Lamar and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
LamarC+29.8%12.3%15.7%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

36.2%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.3%
Thinking or memory18.9%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone10.3%
Vision7.4%
Dressing or bathing5%
Colorado

Every CDC estimate for Lamar

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

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lamar is better than Colorado on 0 and worse on 16; on the rest, the Colorado figure falls inside Lamar’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…LamarCOU.S.vs CO
Overall health
Fair or poor health24.2%21.2–27.515.5%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)16.3%14.4–18.411.9%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)18.6%16.4–20.816%15.9%Worse
Conditions
Obesity29.8%22.6–37.726.1%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.3%10.7–14.28.6%12%Worse
High blood pressure31.8%27.9–35.827%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)33.5%29.3–37.731.5%37.1%About the same
Arthritis27%23.8–30.122.9%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.5%10.1–12.910.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer7.8%7.1–8.67.8%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease7.3%6.5–8.25.1%6.4%Worse
COPD8.3%7.2–9.55.3%6.3%Worse
Stroke4%3.6–4.42.7%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)19.6%16.1–23.29.2%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.7%13.3–18.210.9%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work27.2%22.7–32.317.7%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking16.1%13.3–19.419%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.9%26.5–39.830.7%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)19.5%16.7–22.611.1%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year69.6%65.3–73.971.4%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year51.3%47.4–55.164.6%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years81.7%79.5–8485.2%87.1%Worse
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)71.9%68.7–7569.5%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)56.9%51.2–62.262.4%65.5%Worse
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)64.9%55.5–73.571.6%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.2%19.6–2722.7%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability36.2%31.6–4127.1%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs16.3%14.1–18.610.4%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering18.9%16.7–21.313.9%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty8.7%7.7–9.76.4%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty7.4%6.7–8.34.2%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone10.3%9.1–11.66.7%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing5%4.5–5.62.9%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 Lamar

Is Lamar a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lamar is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #151 of 159 in Colorado. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Lamar?

CDC estimates 29.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.6% and 37.7%, against 26.1% across Colorado and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Lamar?

Prowers Medical Center in Lamar, 0.5 miles in a straight line from Lamar’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Lamar have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 19.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 16.7–22.6%), 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 Lamar more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.