Photo: Kswx29 · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Silver Lake is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns
Silver Lake differs from Kansas on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 10 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Silver Lake. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Silver Lake
Silver Lake is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Silver Lake is healthier than 79%. Against the 7,962 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 98%. Health Grade ↓
Silver Lake keeps up with checkups
It beats Kansas on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (79.8% vs 76.6%) and dentist visits (72.5% vs 64.9%). Checkups ↓
Cancer runs high in Silver Lake
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.1%), vs 8.1% across Kansas. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Kansas 17%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Fewer Silver Lake adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Kansas. 1 in 12 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 Silver Lake’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Silver Lake’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Silver Lake is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 86% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 60%.
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). Silver Lake’s median household income is $56,834; among the 7,962 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 98%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Keeping up with care
Share of Silver Lake adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Kansas.
Out of every 100 Silver Lake adults…
Silver Lake runs above KS on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Silver Lake is an older town: 26% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Kansas. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Silver Lake as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
4.3% of Silver Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.
Care in and near Silver Lake
No hospital or community health center in Silver Lake 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 Silver Lake; ≈ 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.
0.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Silver Lake adults are doing
About the same as Kansas on each measure.
3 in 10 Silver Lake 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.
Silver Lake and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Lake | A− | 34.9% | 10.4% | 13.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Silver Lake adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Silver Lake
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Silver Lake is better than Kansas on 10 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Kansas figure falls inside Silver Lake’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Silver Lake | KS | U.S. | vs KS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.6%13.2–18 | 18% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.5%9.9–13.1 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%12.9–16.7 | 16% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.9%31.2–38.8 | 36.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.4%9–11.7 | 11.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.9%34.1–39.9 | 34.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.3%38.4–44.3 | 36.7% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 27.7%25.3–30.2 | 25.5% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.1%9.1–11.1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.6%5.7–7.5 | 6.4% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.3%5.2–7.5 | 6.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.7–3.5 | 3.2% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.5%8.6–12.5 | 11.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.1%10.5–15.9 | 14% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.3%17.9–24.9 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13.8–18.1 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.9%29.8–36.2 | 34.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.4%5–8.1 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%77.3–82.2 | 76.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.5%70–75 | 64.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.1%86.2–89.7 | 84.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.2%76.8–81.6 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.5%70.2–76.5 | 63.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.9%73.8–83.2 | 74.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.3%20.7–26 | 20.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.7%26.6–33.3 | 30.9% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.9%16.4–21.8 | 21.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.4%6.7–10.4 | 13% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.7%6.2–9.3 | 11.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.7%4.8–6.8 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.1–5.8 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.3%3.2–5.5 | 7.4% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.2%25.8–32.8 | 30.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.6%10.6–14.6 | 13.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.8%11–14.9 | 14.4% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.7–8.7 | 7.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%3–4 | 4.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.5%5.5–7.6 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.7%2.3–3.2 | 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 Silver Lake
Is Silver Lake a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Silver Lake is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 98%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Silver Lake?
CDC estimates 34.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.2% and 38.8%, against 36.5% across Kansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Silver Lake?
University of Kansas Health System - St. Francis Campus in Topeka, 9.1 miles in a straight line from Silver Lake’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Silver Lake have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–8.1%), 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 Silver Lake 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 Silver Lake.
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.