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Walsh, ColoradoPhoto: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Walsh · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Walsh residents get care

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

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Walsh

Heart disease, COPD and stroke run high in Walsh

1 in 10 adults have heart disease (10.2%), about twice the Colorado rate. 1 in 9 adults have COPD (10.6%), about twice the Colorado rate. Stroke is also above the state: 5.4%, vs 2.7% across Colorado. In all, Walsh runs above Colorado on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 37% of residents are 65 or older (Colorado 16%), and heart disease, COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More Walsh adults get no exercise

1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (26.7%), vs 17.7% across Colorado. Habits ↓

More high blood pressure in Walsh, and more people treating it

38.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Colorado 27%), but 77.4% of them take medicine for it, vs 69.5% statewide. Checkups ↓

Walsh is short on primary care and mental health care

Walsh’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓

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 Walsh’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Walsh adults…

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

11 of every 100 Walsh adults have COPD
Colorado: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 8.7–12.7%
Better than COWorseAbout the sameColorado
Why age matters here

Walsh is an older town: 37% 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 Walsh as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Walsh37%
Colorado16%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Colorado

Share of adults, with the Colorado figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.7%CO 17.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 30.8%CO 30.7%
Binge drink 14.3%CO 19%
Smoke cigarettes 15.6%CO 10.9%
0%10%20%30%40%
Walsh, betterWalsh, worseAbout the sameColorado
Where Walsh gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

74%Yearly checkupCO 71%
61%Dentist visitCO 65%
85%Cholesterol checkCO 85%
57%Colon screeningCO 62%
62%MammogramCO 72%
77%Taking BP medsCO 70%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Walsh 13.6% · Colorado 1 in 9 (11.1%)
Getting care

Care in and near Walsh

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

HNearest ERSoutheast Colorado Hospital DistrictSpringfield · 18.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careValley-Wide Health SystemsSpringfield · 18.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
18.3 mi
Southeast Colorado Hospital District
Springfield · not rated
ERRural critical access
18.5 mi
Valley-Wide Health Systems
3 sites · nearest in Springfield
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
31.8 mi
Stanton County Hospital
Johnson · not rated
ERRural critical access
33.6 mi
Morton County Hospital
Elkhart · not rated
ERRural critical access
46.9 mi
High Plains Community Health Center
4 sites · nearest in Holly
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
47.5 mi
Cimarron Memorial Hospital
Boise City · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Walsh itself
✓ Dental careWalsh is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Walsh 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 Walsh; ≈ 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 Walsh adults are doing

About the same as Colorado on each measure.

1 in 4Walsh adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.4% · CO 22.7% · About the same as CO
1 in 6Walsh adults are in frequent mental distress
17.4% · 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

Walsh 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.

39.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs19.9%
Thinking or memory17.8%
Hearing12.1%
Errands alone11.3%
Vision7.7%
Dressing or bathing5.6%
Colorado

Questions about health in Walsh

Why doesn’t Walsh have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Walsh?

Southeast Colorado Hospital District in Springfield, 18.3 miles in a straight line from Walsh’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.