Photo: SharonPapierdreams · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Seneca is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Seneca differs from Kansas on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Seneca. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Seneca
Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Seneca
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.6%), vs 8.1% across Kansas. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.6%), vs 6.4% across Kansas. Stroke is also above the state: 4.1%, vs 3.2% across Kansas. In all, Seneca runs above Kansas on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Kansas 17%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Seneca, and more people treating it
39.9% of adults have high blood pressure (Kansas 34.4%), but 82.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.6% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Seneca adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Kansas. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Seneca’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.
What’s behind Seneca’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Seneca is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 85% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 35%).
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). Seneca’s median household income is $76,750; among the 10,819 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$96K), it’s healthier than 64%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Seneca adults…
Seneca runs above KS on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Seneca is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Kansas. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Seneca as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Seneca 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.
5.8% of Seneca adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.
Care in and near Seneca
1 hospital in Seneca, 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 Seneca; ≈ 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 Kansas
Share of adults, with the Kansas figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Seneca adults are doing
About the same as Kansas on each measure.
3 in 10 Seneca 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.
Seneca 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca | B | 37.7% | 12.3% | 13.6% | CDC place |
| Richmond Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Mitchell Township | — | — | — | — |
Richmond Township and Mitchell Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Seneca adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Seneca
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Seneca is better than Kansas on 6 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Kansas figure falls inside Seneca’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Seneca | KS | U.S. | vs KS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.5%15–22.7 | 18% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.3–15.8 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.5–16.7 | 16% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.7%30.3–46.4 | 36.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.3%10.3–14.5 | 11.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.9%35.6–44.5 | 34.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.5%36.1–45.4 | 36.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.3%28.7–36.2 | 25.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.5–11 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.6%10.4–13 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.6%7.3–10 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.2%6.5–10.3 | 6.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.4–4.9 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.3%11.7–17.1 | 11.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.6%10.5–17 | 14% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27.7%22.2–33.7 | 25.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.8%12.2–17.7 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.5%26.5–38.9 | 34.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%6.2–10.6 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.2%75.8–82.3 | 76.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.7%56.8–64.3 | 64.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.2%85.1–89.1 | 84.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.8%80.4–85.1 | 77.6% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67%61.8–71.9 | 63.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.2%65–80.6 | 74.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.4%16.4–22.9 | 20.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.5%24.7–35 | 30.9% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.9%16.6–23.8 | 21.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10%7.7–12.7 | 13% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.1%6.5–10 | 11.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.1%5–7.3 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.6%4.6–6.7 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.8%4.3–7.6 | 7.4% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.3%29.2–39.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.6%13.4–20.3 | 13.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.5%11.1–15.9 | 14.4% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.3%8.9–11.9 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%3.8–5.8 | 4.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%6.6–10 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3–4.6 | 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 Kansas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Seneca
Is Seneca a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Seneca is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 64%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Seneca?
CDC estimates 37.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.3% and 46.4%, against 36.5% across Kansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Seneca?
Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca, 0.4 miles in a straight line from Seneca’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Seneca have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.2–10.6%), 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 Seneca more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Seneca.
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.