On CDC estimates, Fort Riley is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Fort Riley differs from Kansas on 28 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fort Riley. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fort Riley
Binge drinking is the habit Fort Riley doesn’t win on
24.5% of adults binge drink, vs 16.3% across Kansas, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Cancer and heart disease are less common in Fort Riley
Fort Riley runs below Kansas on nine chronic conditions, most of all cancer (0.9% vs 8.1%), heart disease (1.2% vs 6.4%) and arthritis (5.2% vs 25.5%). A young population is part of it: only 0% of residents are 65 or older (Kansas 17%). Conditions ↓
Loneliness runs high in Fort Riley
43.3% of adults feel lonely, vs 30.9% across Kansas. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 21.8%, vs 16% across Kansas. Mind & connection ↓
Fort Riley is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Fort Riley is healthier than 82%. Against the 7,229 towns with similar household incomes ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 99%. 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 Kansas figure falls outside Fort Riley’s likely range.
What’s behind Fort Riley’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Riley is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns, #24 of 150 in Kansas. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Fort Riley’s median household income is $54,362; among the 7,229 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 99%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Everyday habits, side by side with Kansas
Share of adults, with the Kansas figure marked.
Out of every 100 Fort Riley adults…
Fort Riley runs below KS on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 0% of Fort Riley residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Kansas. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
How Fort Riley adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Fort Riley runs above Kansas.
4 in 10 Fort Riley 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 Fort Riley
No hospital or community health center in Fort Riley 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 Fort Riley; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Fort Riley adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Kansas.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.1% of Fort Riley adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.
Fort Riley and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Riley | A− | 24.6% | 2.4% | 10.5% | CDC place |
| Madison Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Milford Township | B− | 35.4% | 12.5% | 15.8% | ZIP codes |
Madison Township: no CDC estimate of its own. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fort Riley adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fort Riley
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fort Riley is better than Kansas on 13 and worse on 15; on the rest, the Kansas figure falls inside Fort Riley’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fort Riley | KS | U.S. | vs KS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.2%12.1–16.3 | 18% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8%7–9.2 | 12.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21.8%19.2–24.4 | 16% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24.6%20.6–29.3 | 36.5% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 2.4%2–2.7 | 11.4% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 12.9%11.1–15.1 | 34.4% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 13.8%11.9–15.9 | 36.7% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 5.2%4.5–6 | 25.5% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.1%8.2–10.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 0.9%0.8–1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 1.2%1–1.3 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 2.1%1.8–2.4 | 6.7% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 0.7%0.6–0.8 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.9%15.2–20.8 | 11.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.5%8.7–12.3 | 14% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 21.8%18–25.5 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 24.5%21.1–28.4 | 16.3% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.6%32–41.3 | 34.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 14.7%12–17.4 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 62.9%58.7–67.2 | 76.6% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.5%54.1–60.7 | 64.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 60.8%57.1–65.4 | 84.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 30.6%27.1–34.4 | 77.6% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 46.7%42.7–50.5 | 63.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.2%62.8–75.1 | 74.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.2%18.5–24.3 | 20.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 43.3%38.5–47.9 | 30.9% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.1%23.9–31.9 | 21.1% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 19%15.9–22.3 | 13% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16%13.6–18.3 | 11.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.3%8.9–11.7 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12.2%10.5–13.8 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.1%7.5–10.7 | 7.4% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.2%25.1–33.3 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 3.8%3.3–4.5 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 20.8%17.8–23.3 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 2.9%2.5–3.3 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.5–4.4 | 4.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%6.8–8.9 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.5%1.4–1.7 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Kansas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Fort Riley
Is Fort Riley a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Riley is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #24 of 150 in Kansas. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 99%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Fort Riley?
CDC estimates 24.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.6% and 29.3%, against 36.5% across Kansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fort Riley?
Stormont Vail Health Flint Hills in Junction City, 6.7 miles in a straight line from Fort Riley’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fort Riley have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 14.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12–17.4%), against 9.9% across Kansas.
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 Fort Riley 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 Fort Riley.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Kansas 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.