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Walden Colorado Main StreetPhoto: MyName (Wusel007) · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Health in Walden · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Walden residents get care

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

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Walden

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Walden

1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.2%), about twice the Colorado rate. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 5.1% across Colorado. Stroke is also above the state: 4.6%, vs 2.7% across Colorado. In all, Walden runs above Colorado on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Colorado 16%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Dental care lags in Walden

55.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 64.6% across Colorado. Among those 65 and older, 17.7% have lost all their teeth (Colorado 9.2%). Walden’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care. Checkups ↓

More Walden adults get no exercise

1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (25.3%), vs 17.7% across Colorado. Habits ↓

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 Walden’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Walden adults…

Walden runs above CO on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Walden adults have COPD
Colorado: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 8.2–12.4%
Better than COWorseAbout the sameColorado
Why age matters here

Walden is an older town: 30% 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 Walden as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Walden30%
Colorado16%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

73%Yearly checkupCO 71%
56%Dentist visitCO 65%
85%Cholesterol checkCO 85%
60%Colon screeningCO 62%
66%MammogramCO 72%
75%Taking BP medsCO 70%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Walden 13.5% · Colorado 1 in 9 (11.1%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Colorado

Share of adults, with the Colorado figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.3%CO 17.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 32.3%CO 30.7%
Binge drink 15.2%CO 19%
Smoke cigarettes 17.1%CO 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Walden, betterWalden, worseAbout the sameColorado
Where Walden gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Getting care

Care in and near Walden

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

HNearest ERUchealth Yampa Valley Medical CenterSteamboat Springs · 33.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNorthwest Colorado Health Community Health Center - Routt CountySteamboat Springs · 33.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
33.6 mi
Northwest Colorado Health Community Health Center - Routt County
Steamboat Springs · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
33.8 mi
Uchealth Yampa Valley Medical Center
Steamboat Springs · not rated
ER
43.7 mi
Estes Park Medical Center
Estes Park · not rated
ERRural critical access
47 mi
Middle Park Medical Center
Kremmling · not rated
ERRural critical access
47.9 mi
Salud Estes Park
Estes Park · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
51.6 mi
North Platte Valley Medical Center
Saratoga · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Walden itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Walden itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Walden 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 Walden; ≈ 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 Walden adults are doing

About the same as Colorado on each measure.

1 in 4Walden adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.9% · CO 22.7% · About the same as CO
1 in 6Walden adults are in frequent mental distress
17.5% · 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

Walden and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

36.1%

of Walden adults live with a disability (Colorado 27.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17.8%
Thinking or memory17.3%
Hearing9.9%
Errands alone10.3%
Vision6.8%
Dressing or bathing5.3%
Colorado

Questions about health in Walden

Why doesn’t Walden have a Health Grade?

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

Neighbors talk health

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

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. 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.