On CDC estimates, Oakland is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns
Oakland differs from Missouri on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 19 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Oakland. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Oakland
Cancer and arthritis run high in Oakland
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.7%), vs 8.6% across Missouri. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (34.6%), vs 28.8% across Missouri. Age is part of it: 39% of residents are 65 or older (Missouri 18%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Oakland keeps up with checkups
It beats Missouri on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (82.8% vs 78.4%) and dentist visits (75.7% vs 60.4%). Checkups ↓
Oakland adults report less mental distress
Frequent mental distress (12.5% vs 17.5%), lack of emotional support (15.9% vs 20.1%) and depression (21.1% vs 24.3%) all run below Missouri. Mind & connection ↓
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 Oakland’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
What’s behind Oakland’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Oakland is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 96% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 67%.
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). Oakland’s median household income is $114,861; among the 6,464 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($86K–$144K), it’s healthier than 76%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Oakland adults…
Oakland runs below MO on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Oakland is an older town: 39% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Missouri. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Oakland as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Oakland adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
How Oakland adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Oakland does better than Missouri.
3 in 10 Oakland 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.
Care in and near Oakland
No hospital or community health center in Oakland 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 Oakland; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
0.1 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
3.9% of Oakland adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Oakland and the towns around it
Oakland’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | A | 25.8% | 11% | 9.5% | CDC place |
| Crestwood | A | 28.3% | 9.8% | 11.6% | CDC place |
| Glendale | A+ | 25.8% | 7.8% | 7.8% | CDC place |
| Kirkwood | A | 27.7% | 9.4% | 10% | CDC place |
| Webster Groves | A+ | 26.5% | 8.6% | 9.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Oakland adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Oakland
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Oakland is better than Missouri on 19 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Oakland’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Oakland | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.1%12.2–18.7 | 20.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.3%10.3–14.5 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.5%10.8–14.4 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.8%22.5–29.5 | 36.6% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11%9.3–12.7 | 12.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.8%36.5–43 | 36.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.3%38.1–44.6 | 37.5% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.6%31.4–37.7 | 28.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.5–10.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.7%12.3–15.4 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.7%6.6–9.2 | 6.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.7%5.1–8.6 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.1–4.6 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.3%6.6–10.3 | 15.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.5%7.1–12 | 16% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 22.7%18.5–27.3 | 28.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 14.6%12.7–16.7 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 26.2%22.9–29.9 | 36.5% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.8%3.6–6.5 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.8%80.5–85.1 | 78.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 75.7%73–78.4 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91%89.5–92.4 | 84.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.3%82.1–86.4 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.6%70.8–78.2 | 64% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.6%72.2–84.3 | 74.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.1%18.6–23.9 | 24.3% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 28.9%25.6–32.6 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 15.9%13.3–18.7 | 20.1% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.7%4.3–7.6 | 13.7% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.6%4.4–7 | 12.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.1%3.3–5 | 9% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.2%3.4–5.2 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.9%2.8–5.3 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.7%29.4–38.1 | 36.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15%12.1–18.7 | 15.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.6%9.5–13.9 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.1%8.7–11.8 | 8.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3–5 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.1%5.6–9.2 | 9.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.3–3.7 | 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 Oakland
Is Oakland a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Oakland is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 76%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Oakland?
CDC estimates 25.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.5% and 29.5%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Oakland?
Mercy Hospital South in Saint Louis, 4.6 miles in a straight line from Oakland’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Oakland have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.6–6.5%), 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 Oakland more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Oakland.
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.