On CDC estimates, Brooks is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns
Brooks differs from Kentucky on 19 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 18 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brooks. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brooks
Brooks is in the bottom 6% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Brooks is healthier than only 6% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on five of the seven. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Brooks
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (21.3%), vs 15.5% across Kentucky. No reliable transportation (11.2% vs 8.8%) and housing insecurity (14.7% vs 11.7%) are higher too. 21.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.5% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Brooks
1 in 7 adults have COPD (14.3%), vs 10.2% across Kentucky. 1 in 19 adults have had a stroke (5.2%), vs 4% across Kentucky. Heart disease is also above the state: 10.5%, vs 8.2% across Kentucky. In all, Brooks runs above Kentucky on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Kentucky 17%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Brooks, and more people treating it
43.9% of adults have high blood pressure (Kentucky 38.8%), but 84.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 81.3% statewide. Checkups ↓
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 Brooks’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
What’s behind Brooks’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brooks is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 22% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 2%).
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). Brooks’ median household income is $66,056; among the 10,098 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 3%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Brooks compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 84.2% (U.S. 76.5%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
21.9% of Brooks adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.5% across Kentucky.
Out of every 100 Brooks adults…
Brooks runs above KY on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Brooks is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Kentucky. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Brooks as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Brooks adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Kentucky.
Care in and near Brooks
No hospital or community health center in Brooks 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 Brooks; ≈ 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 Kentucky
Share of adults, with the Kentucky figure marked.
2.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Brooks adults are doing
About the same as Kentucky on each measure.
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.
Brooks 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Brooks adults live with a disability (Kentucky 37.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brooks
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brooks is better than Kentucky on 1 and worse on 18; on the rest, the Kentucky figure falls inside Brooks’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brooks | KY | U.S. | vs KY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 28.5%25.7–31.3 | 22.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.4%17.3–21.5 | 15.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.7%16.8–20.6 | 17.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.5%34.3–50.7 | 38.3% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.3%15–19.7 | 13.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 43.9%39.4–48.7 | 38.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.9%36.1–45.9 | 36.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 38.5%34.4–42.6 | 32.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.6–13.6 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.8%8.8–10.8 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.5%9.5–11.6 | 8.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 14.3%12.9–15.7 | 10.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.2%4.8–5.7 | 4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 28.3%23.7–33.1 | 18.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 23.4%20.6–26.1 | 18.5% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.8%27–36.7 | 26.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 12.1%9.6–14.8 | 14.2% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 43.7%36.3–51 | 39.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.4%7–10.2 | 5.4% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.6%75.8–82.9 | 78.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 52%47.9–55.9 | 58.1% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.4%81.8–86.8 | 84.2% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.2%81.5–86.7 | 81.3% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%60.9–71 | 65.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.1%58.9–76.2 | 72.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.3%23.3–31.4 | 26.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.8%21.3–28.6 | 22.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 21.3%19–23.6 | 15.5% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.7%12.9–16.5 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11%9.7–12.5 | 8.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.2%10.1–12.3 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21.9%19.5–24.6 | 14.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 42.9%38.1–47.6 | 37.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 23%20.5–25.4 | 17.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.8%17.7–21.9 | 17.3% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.2%9.9–12.4 | 9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.7%7–8.4 | 6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.8%10.6–12.9 | 9.4% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.1%5.6–6.6 | 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 Brooks
Is Brooks a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brooks is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns: D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 3%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brooks?
CDC estimates 42.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.3% and 50.7%, against 38.3% across Kentucky and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brooks?
Norton Hospitals in Louisville, 12.2 miles in a straight line from Brooks’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brooks have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7–10.2%), 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 Brooks 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 Brooks.
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.