Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Lakin is healthier than 22%
Lakin trails Kansas on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lakin. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lakin
1 in 6 working-age adults in Lakin has no health insurance
16.8% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 9.9% across Kansas. Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Lakin
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (17.4%), vs 13% across Kansas. Housing insecurity (14.8% vs 11.2%) and no reliable transportation (8.8% vs 7.1%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
More Lakin adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32%), vs 25.6% across Kansas. 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 Kansas figure falls outside Lakin’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Lakin’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lakin is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 55% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 15%).
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). Lakin’s median household income is $89,514; among the 9,997 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($67K–$112K), it’s healthier than 22%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lakin 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.
9.5% of Lakin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Kansas
Share of adults, with the Kansas figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Out of every 100 Lakin adults…
On every condition, Lakin is about the same as Kansas. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Lakin
1 hospital in Lakin, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Lakin; ≈ 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).
How Lakin adults are doing
About the same as Kansas on each measure.
1 in 3 Lakin 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.
Lakin and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakin | C+ | 37.7% | 12.1% | 15.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lakin adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lakin
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lakin is better than Kansas on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Kansas figure falls inside Lakin’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lakin | KS | U.S. | vs KS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22%18.7–25.7 | 18% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.4–16.4 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.8%14.9–19.2 | 16% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.7%29.9–46.4 | 36.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.1%10.4–13.9 | 11.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.6%29.6–37.8 | 34.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.5%31.3–40.1 | 36.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.8%22.8–29.1 | 25.5% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.8–11.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%6.8–8.4 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.7%5.9–7.6 | 6.4% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.4%6.2–8.7 | 6.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3–3.9 | 3.2% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12%9.7–14.7 | 11.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.9%13.4–18.9 | 14% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32%26.8–37.8 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.6%12.8–18.6 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.7%29–43 | 34.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.8%13.7–20.1 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.6%69.6–77.4 | 76.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52.9%49–56.9 | 64.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.1%79.9–84.4 | 84.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.3%74.5–80 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 53.5%47.7–59.5 | 63.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.4%62.8–79.5 | 74.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.6%16.6–23.2 | 20.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.9%26.7–37.1 | 30.9% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.6%19.8–27.3 | 21.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 17.4%14.2–20.5 | 13% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.8%12.5–17.2 | 11.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.7%8.2–11.2 | 8.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.8%7.5–10.1 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.5%7.5–11.4 | 7.4% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.3%29.6–39.6 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%13.5–18.4 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.7%14.5–19.4 | 14.4% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.1–9.1 | 7.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.8%5.1–6.7 | 4.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9%7.7–10.3 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.6–4.8 | 3.5% | 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 Kansas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Lakin
Is Lakin a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lakin is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lakin?
CDC estimates 37.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.9% and 46.4%, against 36.5% across Kansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lakin?
St. Catherine Hospital - Garden City in Garden City, 21.3 miles in a straight line from Lakin’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lakin have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.7–20.1%), 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 Lakin more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lakin.
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.