Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Brodhead is healthier than 72%
Brodhead trails Kentucky on 10 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brodhead. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brodhead
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Brodhead
1 in 8 adults have COPD (12.9%), vs 10.2% across Kentucky. 1 in 20 adults have had a stroke (5%), vs 4% across Kentucky. Heart disease is also above the state: 10.1%, vs 8.2% across Kentucky. In all, Brodhead runs above Kentucky on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
More Brodhead adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.2%), vs 26.9% across Kentucky. Habits ↓
Brodhead is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Brodhead is healthier than 14%. Against the 1,307 towns with similar household incomes ($26K–$44K), it’s healthier than 72%. 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 Kentucky figure falls outside Brodhead’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Brodhead’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brodhead is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 37% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Brodhead’s median household income is $35,333; among the 1,307 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($26K–$44K), it’s healthier than 72%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Brodhead adults…
Brodhead runs above KY on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Kentucky
Share of adults, with the Kentucky figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Care in and near Brodhead
No hospital or community health center in Brodhead 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 Brodhead; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Brodhead adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Kentucky.
How Brodhead adults are doing
On 1 of 3 measures, Brodhead runs above Kentucky.
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.
18% of Brodhead adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.5% across Kentucky.
Brodhead and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brodhead | D | 38.7% | 15.3% | 20.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Brodhead adults live with a disability (Kentucky 37.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brodhead
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brodhead is better than Kentucky on 0 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Kentucky figure falls inside Brodhead’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brodhead | KY | U.S. | vs KY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.9%22.3–27.8 | 22.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.2%15.2–19.3 | 15.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.8%15.9–19.8 | 17.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.7%30.6–47.4 | 38.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.3%13.3–17.5 | 13.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.5%37.9–47.2 | 38.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.1%34.2–44.1 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 38.3%34.2–42.5 | 32.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.2%9.8–12.8 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.5%9.4–11.6 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.1%9.1–11.2 | 8.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 12.9%11.7–14.3 | 10.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5%4.5–5.5 | 4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 21.8%18.3–25.9 | 18.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.5%18–23.3 | 18.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32.2%27.3–37.6 | 26.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 12.3%9.8–15.3 | 14.2% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.2%32.9–48 | 39.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.1%5.2–9.3 | 5.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80%76.3–83.5 | 78.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.1%51–59.4 | 58.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.6%83–87.7 | 84.2% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.9%81.2–86.2 | 81.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.3%63.2–73.3 | 65.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.4%63.9–80 | 72.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.7%22.8–31.2 | 26.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.1%23.8–29.1 | 22.5% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 19%17.6–20.7 | 15.5% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.5%12.4–14.8 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.8%8.8–10.9 | 8.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.5%9.8–11.4 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18%16.3–19.9 | 14.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 42.2%37.4–47.2 | 37.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.4%19.2–23.9 | 17.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.4%16.5–20.6 | 17.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.5%10.3–12.8 | 9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.7%6.1–7.3 | 6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11%10–12.2 | 9.4% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4.5–5.4 | 4.4% | 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 Kentucky figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Brodhead
Is Brodhead a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brodhead is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns: D 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 Brodhead?
CDC estimates 38.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.6% and 47.4%, against 38.3% across Kentucky and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brodhead?
Rockcastle County Hospital in Mount Vernon, 5.5 miles in a straight line from Brodhead’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brodhead have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.2–9.3%), against 5.4% across Kentucky.
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 Brodhead more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Brodhead.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Kentucky 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.