James Brothers' House and Farm · Photo: Americasroof · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Kearney is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns
Kearney beats Missouri on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Kearney. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Kearney
Kearney is an active town
Only 22.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 28.8% across Missouri. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Kearney
Kearney runs below Missouri on four chronic conditions, most of all COPD (6% vs 8%), stroke (2.8% vs 3.6%) and diabetes (9.5% vs 12.1%). Conditions ↓
Fewer Kearney adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Missouri. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Kearney’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Kearney’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kearney is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #45 of 247 in Missouri. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 86% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 56%.
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). Kearney’s median household income is $103,622; among the 8,027 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($78K–$130K), it’s healthier than 63%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
2.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Kearney adults…
Kearney runs below MO on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.9% of Kearney adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Care in and near Kearney
No hospital or community health center in Kearney 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 Kearney; ≈ 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 Kearney adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
How Kearney adults are doing
About the same as Missouri on each measure.
1 in 3 Kearney 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.
Kearney 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 Kearney adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Kearney
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Kearney is better than Missouri on 15 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Kearney’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Kearney | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.4%13.4–17.8 | 20.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.1%10.7–13.7 | 14.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14.5–18.4 | 17.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.4%29.9–41.4 | 36.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.5%8.2–11 | 12.1% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 33%29.6–36.7 | 36.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.1%32.4–40.2 | 37.5% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.1%24.2–30.2 | 28.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.7 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.6%7.9–9.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6%5.2–6.9 | 8% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.4%9.2–13.7 | 15.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.3%11.2–15.6 | 16% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 22.2%19–26 | 28.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.8%14.1–19.9 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.7%28.3–37.1 | 36.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.5%5.4–7.7 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.9%73.6–80.3 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65%61.7–68 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.9%84.2–87.8 | 84.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.7%71.8–77.8 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.6%61.1–69.6 | 64% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.9%73.7–84.8 | 74.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.2%21–27.8 | 24.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.3%28.1–36.6 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17.9%15.2–20.8 | 20.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.4%7–10.1 | 13.7% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.7%7.3–10.2 | 12.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6%5.2–7 | 9% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.9%5.2–6.8 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.9%4.9–7.1 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.3%27.8–35.3 | 36.2% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.4%10.7–14.1 | 15.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.8%13.1–16.8 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.3%6.5–8.2 | 8.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.2–4 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.2%6.3–8.1 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 3.9% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Kearney
Is Kearney a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kearney is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: ≈ A− for health, #45 of 247 in Missouri. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 63%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Kearney?
CDC estimates 35.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.9% and 41.4%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Kearney?
Excelsior Springs Hospital in Excelsior Springs, 6.5 miles in a straight line from Kearney’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Kearney have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–7.7%), 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 Kearney more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Kearney.
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.