Photo: Greg Tally - User: (WT-shared) WineCountryInn at wts wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Colorado, Palisade is healthier than 35% of graded towns
Palisade differs from Colorado on 10 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Palisade. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Palisade
Colorado sets a high bar
Palisade is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns, but only 35% of the 159 Colorado towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Heart disease, COPD and stroke run high in Palisade
1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.2%), vs 5.1% across Colorado. 1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.3%), vs 5.3% across Colorado. Stroke is also above the state: 3.7%, vs 2.7% across Colorado. In all, Palisade runs above Colorado on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Colorado 16%), and heart disease, COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Palisade, and more people treating it
32.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Colorado 27%), but 73.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 69.5% statewide. 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 Palisade’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Palisade’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palisade is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns, #104 of 159 in Colorado. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 85% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 48%).
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). Palisade’s median household income is $80,587; among the 10,725 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($60K–$101K), it’s healthier than 84%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Palisade adults…
Palisade runs above CO on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Palisade is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 16% across Colorado. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Palisade as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Palisade adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Colorado.
Care in and near Palisade
No hospital or community health center in Palisade 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 Palisade; ≈ 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.
2.8 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
How Palisade 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.
Palisade and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palisade | B+ | 29.4% | 10.2% | 12.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Palisade adults live with a disability (Colorado 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Palisade
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Palisade is better than Colorado on 2 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Colorado figure falls inside Palisade’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Palisade | CO | U.S. | vs CO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.7%14.6–21.3 | 15.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.1–16.6 | 11.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%13.9–18.3 | 16% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.4%24.3–35 | 26.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.2%8.6–11.9 | 8.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.6%28.8–36.3 | 27% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33%29.5–36.8 | 31.5% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.9%26.6–33.2 | 22.9% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.1–12.9 | 10.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.5%9.4–11.6 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.2–8.2 | 5.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.3%5.9–8.9 | 5.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.2–4.3 | 2.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12%9.8–14.5 | 9.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.8%10–16 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20%16.2–24.4 | 17.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13.3–18.4 | 19% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.7%25.3–34.4 | 30.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10%7.8–12.5 | 11.1% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.2%69.8–76.5 | 71.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.3%58.9–65.7 | 64.6% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.5%84.5–88.4 | 85.2% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.2%69.8–76.3 | 69.5% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.1%60.7–69.2 | 62.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 65.3%57.4–72.3 | 71.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23%19.8–26.4 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31%26.4–35.8 | 27.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.7%11.2–16.3 | 10.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.4%12.2–16.9 | 13.9% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.7%7.5–9.9 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4–5.6 | 4.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.8%6.5–9.4 | 6.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3–4.3 | 2.9% | 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 Palisade
Is Palisade a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palisade is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #104 of 159 in Colorado. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Palisade?
CDC estimates 29.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.3% and 35%, against 26.1% across Colorado and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Palisade?
Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, 11.0 miles in a straight line from Palisade’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Palisade have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.8–12.5%), 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 Palisade 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 Palisade.
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.