Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Smith Center is healthier than 61%
Smith Center differs from Kansas on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Smith Center. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Smith Center
Heart disease, COPD and cancer run high in Smith Center
1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.3%), vs 6.4% across Kansas. 1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.5%), vs 6.7% across Kansas. Cancer is also above the state: 11.4%, vs 8.1% across Kansas. In all, Smith Center runs above Kansas on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Kansas 17%), and heart disease, COPD and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Smith Center adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.7%), vs 25.6% across Kansas. Habits ↓
More high blood pressure in Smith Center, and more people treating it
41.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Kansas 34.4%), but 83.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.6% statewide. Checkups ↓
Smith Center is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Smith Center is healthier than 35%. Against the 7,734 towns with similar household incomes ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 61%. 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 Smith Center’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Smith Center’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Smith Center is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 75% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 16%).
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). Smith Center’s median household income is $56,007; among the 7,734 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 61%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Smith Center compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 83.3% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Smith Center adults…
Smith Center runs above KS on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Smith Center is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Kansas. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Smith Center as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Kansas
Share of adults, with the Kansas figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Smith Center adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Kansas.
Care in and near Smith Center
1 hospital in Smith Center, 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 Smith Center; ≈ 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 Smith Center adults are doing
About the same as Kansas on each measure.
1 in 3 Smith Center 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.6% of Smith Center adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.
Smith Center and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Center | C | 40% | 13.7% | 16.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Smith Center adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Smith Center
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Smith Center is better than Kansas on 2 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Kansas figure falls inside Smith Center’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Smith Center | KS | U.S. | vs KS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.2%16.8–24 | 18% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%12.7–17.2 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.5%13.5–17.7 | 16% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40%32–48.7 | 36.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.7%11.7–16.1 | 11.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.2%36.8–46 | 34.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.3%36.8–46.2 | 36.7% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.9%30.2–37.9 | 25.5% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%8.9–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.4%10.2–12.6 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.3%8–10.8 | 6.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.5%7.8–11.5 | 6.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%3.9–5.3 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.9%9.6–14.7 | 11.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.1%13–19.6 | 14% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 31.7%26.2–37.8 | 25.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14%11.5–16.9 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.9%27.7–40.7 | 34.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.4%6.3–10.8 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.7%76.3–82.8 | 76.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.5%59.8–67 | 64.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%84.7–88.6 | 84.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.3%80.8–85.6 | 77.6% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.3%60.2–70.2 | 63.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72%63.5–79.6 | 74.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20%16.9–23.6 | 20.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31%27.9–34.8 | 30.9% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.5%18.9–24.2 | 21.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.3%9.9–14.8 | 13% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.8%8.2–11.4 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.6%6.5–8.7 | 8.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.8%5.8–7.8 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.6%5.8–9.5 | 7.4% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.2%31.2–41.6 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.2%15.3–21.6 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.7%12.5–17 | 14.4% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.9%9.5–12.6 | 7.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.5–6.3 | 4.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.1%7.7–10.8 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.6–5.1 | 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 Smith Center
Is Smith Center a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Smith Center is healthier than 34% 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 Smith Center?
CDC estimates 40% of adults have obesity, likely between 32% and 48.7%, against 36.5% across Kansas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Smith Center?
Smith County Memorial Hospital in Smith Center, 1.0 miles in a straight line from Smith Center’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Smith Center have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–10.8%), 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 Smith Center 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 Smith Center.
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.