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Gray, William R., Photography Studio and ResidenceGray, William R., Photography Studio and Residence · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ CHealth Grade
Health in St. John · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, St. John is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns

St. John differs from Kansas on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 8 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. John. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in St. John

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in St. John

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.5%), vs 6.7% across Kansas. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.1%), vs 6.4% across Kansas. Stroke is also above the state: 4%, vs 3.2% across Kansas. In all, St. John runs above Kansas on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

St. John has a community health center but no hospital

Heart of Kansas Family Health Care is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Stafford County Hospital in Stafford, 9.5 miles away. Getting care ↓

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 St. John’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Health Grade

What’s behind St. John’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. John is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 65% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 14%).

CSelf-rated health21.4% · KS 18% · U.S. 19.4%
C+Physical distress14.5% · KS 12.3% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.2% · KS 16% · U.S. 15.9%
DObesity41.4% · KS 36.5% · U.S. 32.9%
C+Diabetes13% · KS 11.4% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking15.6% smoke · KS 14% · U.S. 11.8%
C−Exercise30.5% · KS 25.6% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 34%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $55K–$92K (10,820)Healthier than 33%

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). St. John’s median household income is $73,929; among the 10,820 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 33%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

Where St. John compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.4% (U.S. 76.5%).

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, St. John could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 St. John adults…

St. John runs above KS on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 St. John adults have COPD
Kansas: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 7–10.2%
Better than KSWorseAbout the sameKansas
Getting care

Care in and near St. John

1 community health center in St. John, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERStafford County HospitalStafford · 9.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHeart of Kansas Family Health CareSt. John · 0.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.4 mi
Heart of Kansas Family Health Care
5 sites · nearest in St. John
Sliding-scale feesIn St. John
Directions to nearest
9.5 mi
Stafford County Hospital
Stafford · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.7 mi
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital
Larned · not rated
ERRural critical access
24.5 mi
Pratt Regional Medical Center
Pratt · ★★★★★
ER
24.7 mi
University of KS Health System Great Bend Campus
Great Bend · ★★★★★
ER
48.2 mi
Prairiestar Health Center
Hutchinson · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers St. John itself
✓ Dental careSt. John is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers St. John itself

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 St. John; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Kansas

Share of adults, with the Kansas figure marked.

Get no exercise 30.5%KS 25.6%
Sleep under 7 hours 36.1%KS 34.3%
Binge drink 15%KS 16.3%
Smoke cigarettes 15.6%KS 14%
0%10%20%30%40%
St. John, betterSt. John, worseAbout the sameKansas
Where St. John gets moving

0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of St. John adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Kansas.

77%Yearly checkupKS 77%
60%Dentist visitKS 65%
85%Cholesterol checkKS 84%
62%Colon screeningKS 64%
71%MammogramKS 75%
80%Taking BP medsKS 78%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
St. John 12% · Kansas 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How St. John adults are doing

About the same as Kansas on each measure.

3 in 10St. John adults feel lonely
30.5% · KS 30.9% · About the same as KS
1 in 5St. John adults lack social or emotional support
20.8% · KS 21.1% · About the same as KS
1 in 5St. John adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.6% · KS 20.8% · About the same as KS
1 in 6St. John adults are in frequent mental distress
16.2% · KS 16% · About the same as KS
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 St. John adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 7
St. John adults worry about having enough food
14% · KS 13%
About the same as KS
1 in 9
St. John adults worry about keeping their housing
11.7% · KS 11.2%
About the same as KS
1 in 12
St. John adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.5% · KS 8.2%
About the same as KS
1 in 13
St. John adults lack reliable transportation
7.6% · KS 7.1%
About the same as KS

8.1% of St. John adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.

Around town

St. John and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
St. JohnC41.4%13%15.6%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

35.8%

of St. John adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17%
Thinking or memory15.6%
Hearing9.6%
Errands alone9.1%
Vision5.5%
Dressing or bathing4.3%
Kansas

Every CDC estimate for St. John

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. John is better than Kansas on 1 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Kansas figure falls inside St. John’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…St. JohnKSU.S.vs KS
Overall health
Fair or poor health21.4%18.1–25.118%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14.5%12.5–16.612.3%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.2%14.2–18.316%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity41.4%33.7–49.436.5%32.9%About the same
Diabetes13%11.2–1511.4%12%About the same
High blood pressure37.6%33.7–41.734.4%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.2%35.1–43.436.7%37.1%About the same
Arthritis30.3%27.1–33.625.5%25.3%Worse
Asthma10.2%9.1–11.59.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.6%8.6–10.68.1%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.1%7.1–9.36.4%6.4%Worse
COPD8.5%7–10.26.7%6.3%Worse
Stroke4%3.4–4.73.2%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)10.6%8.4–1311.3%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.6%12.8–18.614%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work30.5%25.5–35.825.6%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking15%12.5–17.816.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours36.1%29.4–4334.3%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)12%9.5–14.79.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year77.2%73.8–80.576.6%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year59.6%55.7–63.264.9%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.5%82.3–86.684.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80.4%78–82.777.6%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)62%56.6–6763.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)70.7%62.1–78.174.6%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression20.6%17.6–23.920.8%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30.5%25.7–35.730.9%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support20.8%17.5–24.321.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food14%11.2–17.213%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing11.7%9.6–13.911.2%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off8.5%7.1–9.98.2%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.6%6.3–8.97.1%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)8.1%6.1–10.37.4%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability35.8%31.1–40.830.4%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs17%14.3–19.913.4%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering15.6%13.3–1814.4%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty9.6%8.4–10.97.4%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.5%4.7–6.54.6%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9.1%7.6–10.67.7%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.3%3.6–53.5%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 St. John

Is St. John a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. John is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 33%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in St. John?

CDC estimates 41.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.7% and 49.4%, against 36.5% across Kansas and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to St. John?

Stafford County Hospital in Stafford, 9.5 miles in a straight line from St. John’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in St. John have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 12% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.5–14.7%), 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 St. John 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 St. John.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.