Blue Summit’s CDC health estimates rank near the bottom of U.S. towns
Blue Summit differs from Missouri on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 25 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Blue Summit. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Blue Summit
Making ends meet is harder in Blue Summit
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (31.8%), more than twice the Missouri rate. Housing insecurity (24.8% vs 12.1%) and utility shut-off threats (18.3% vs 9%) are higher too. 27.2% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Blue Summit adults get no exercise
44.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 28.8% across Missouri. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Blue Summit
47.1% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 60.4% across Missouri. Among those 65 and older, 34.4% have lost all their teeth (Missouri 15.8%). 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 Missouri figure falls outside Blue Summit’s likely range.
What’s behind Blue Summit’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blue Summit is near the bottom of U.S. towns. All seven of Blue Summit’s estimates fall in the lowest 9% of U.S. towns. The furthest from typical is smoking: 26.6% of adults, against 16% across Missouri and 11.8% nationally.
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). Blue Summit’s median household income is $58,813; among the 8,603 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$74K), it’s healthier than 1%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Blue Summit compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.7% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
27.2% of Blue Summit adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
0.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Blue Summit adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
Out of every 100 Blue Summit adults…
Blue Summit runs below MO on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 3% of Blue Summit residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Missouri. Cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Blue Summit
No hospital or community health center in Blue Summit 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 Blue Summit; ≈ 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 Blue Summit adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Blue Summit runs above Missouri.
1 in 3 Blue Summit 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.
Blue Summit and the towns around it
Blue Summit’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Summit | D− | 42.9% | 16.4% | 26.6% | CDC place |
| Kansas City | C+ | 38.5% | 12% | 15.6% | CDC place |
| Independence | C− | 37.3% | 12.9% | 18.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Blue Summit adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Blue Summit
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Blue Summit is better than Missouri on 1 and worse on 25; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Blue Summit’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Blue Summit | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 34.8%30.5–39 | 20.5% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.2%17.7–22.8 | 14.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 23%20.6–25.5 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.9%38.7–47.2 | 36.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 16.4%14.5–18.4 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 39.3%36.3–42.3 | 36.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.9%38.8–45.1 | 37.5% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 29.3%26.8–31.9 | 28.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11%9.8–12.4 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.7%6–7.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.7–9.9 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 12.5%10.7–14.5 | 8% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.8%4.3–5.4 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 34.4%29.8–39.3 | 15.8% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 26.6%22.7–30.4 | 16% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 44.3%39.5–49.1 | 28.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.3%14.1–18.7 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.6%33.6–41.6 | 36.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 20.8%17.5–24.5 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.6%70.5–76.6 | 78.4% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 47.1%43.8–50.3 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 77.7%75.1–80.3 | 84.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.1%71.4–76.8 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 52%47.6–56.4 | 64% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 67.3%60.3–73.8 | 74.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.1%25.1–31.3 | 24.3% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 35.2%31.2–39.3 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.9%22.2–29.5 | 20.1% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 31.8%27.4–36.8 | 13.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 24.8%21.4–28.5 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 18.3%15.9–21 | 9% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 16.7%14.4–19.2 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 27.2%23.1–31.9 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 48.4%43.7–52.8 | 36.2% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 23.9%20.9–27 | 15.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 25.8%22.6–28.9 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 8.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 10.1%8.8–11.4 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 15.2%13.1–17.2 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 7.4%6.4–8.5 | 3.9% | 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 Missouri figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Blue Summit
Is Blue Summit a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blue Summit is near the bottom of U.S. towns: D− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 1%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Blue Summit?
CDC estimates 42.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.7% and 47.2%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Blue Summit?
Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill in Kansas City, 5.1 miles in a straight line from Blue Summit’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Blue Summit have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 20.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 17.5–24.5%), against 8.7% across Missouri.
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 Blue Summit more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to D.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Blue Summit.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Missouri 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.