Photo: Greg L. Wright - SnapJag · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Sun Valley is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Sun Valley differs from Idaho on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 20 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sun Valley. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sun Valley
Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Sun Valley
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.4%), vs 8.3% across Idaho. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.1%), vs 6.2% across Idaho. Stroke is also above the state: 4.4%, vs 3.3% across Idaho. In all, Sun Valley runs above Idaho on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 43% of residents are 65 or older (Idaho 17%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Sun Valley keeps up with checkups
It beats Idaho on five of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (81.8% vs 74.3%) and dentist visits (79.3% vs 66.6%). Checkups ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Sun Valley’s lead shrinks
Sun Valley is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, but 65% of the 4,946 towns with similar household incomes ($94K–$157K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Sun Valley adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (23% vs 29.2%), frequent mental distress (10.9% vs 16.2%), lack of emotional support (15.5% vs 19.6%) and depression (17.8% vs 23.7%) all run below Idaho. Mind & connection ↓
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 Idaho figure falls outside Sun Valley’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Sun Valley’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sun Valley is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 52%.
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). Sun Valley’s median household income is $125,987; among the 4,946 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($94K–$157K), it’s healthier than 65%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Sun Valley adults…
Sun Valley runs below ID on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.
Sun Valley is an older town: 43% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Idaho. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Sun Valley as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sun Valley adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Idaho.
How Sun Valley adults are doing
On 4 of 4 measures, Sun Valley does better than Idaho.
1 in 4 Sun Valley adults feel lonely. 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.
Care in and near Sun Valley
No hospital or community health center in Sun Valley 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 Sun Valley; ≈ 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 Idaho
Share of adults, with the Idaho figure marked.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.3% of Sun Valley adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.8% across Idaho.
Sun Valley and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley | A | 21.4% | 11.9% | 8.4% | CDC place |
| Ketchum | A+ | 21.2% | 9% | 8.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sun Valley adults live with a disability (Idaho 34.7%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sun Valley
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sun Valley is better than Idaho on 20 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Idaho figure falls inside Sun Valley’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sun Valley | ID | U.S. | vs ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.7%12.7–18.9 | 17.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.1–15.4 | 13.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.9%9.3–12.5 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 21.4%16.3–26.5 | 32.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10–13.9 | 10.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38%33.4–42.2 | 31.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.8%36.1–45 | 33.2% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.5%30.4–38.3 | 26.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.6–11.1 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.4%13–15.8 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.1%7.8–10.4 | 6.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.7%6.1–9.5 | 6.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.7–5 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.9%8–12.2 | 16.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.4%6.4–10.6 | 12% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 19.4%15.3–23.8 | 22.2% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 11.3%9.2–13.4 | 15.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 22.5%17.9–27.9 | 32.7% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.5%4.9–8.4 | 10.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.8%78.6–84.4 | 74.3% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 79.3%76.7–82 | 66.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90%88.5–91.3 | 81.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.2%77.8–83.9 | 70.5% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.1%69.5–78.4 | 61.8% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.8%69.5–83.3 | 69.1% | 76.4% | Better |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.8%14.9–20.6 | 23.7% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 23%19.2–27.1 | 29.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 15.5%12.9–18.4 | 19.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.5%5.7–9.7 | 12.8% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.5%4.4–6.8 | 10.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.8%3.1–4.6 | 6.6% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.5%3.7–5.4 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.3%3.8–7.2 | 8.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.8%27.9–37.7 | 34.7% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.4%13.4–19.5 | 14.5% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11%9.1–12.9 | 16% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 12.7%11.1–14.4 | 9.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.5%3.7–5.4 | 4.9% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.9%5.6–8.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%2.9–4.3 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Idaho figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Sun Valley
Is Sun Valley a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sun Valley is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 65%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sun Valley?
CDC estimates 21.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.3% and 26.5%, against 32.1% across Idaho and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sun Valley?
St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center in Ketchum, 2.4 miles in a straight line from Sun Valley’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sun Valley have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.9–8.4%), against 10.7% across Idaho.
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 Sun Valley more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Sun Valley.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Idaho 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.