Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5On CDC estimates, St. Joseph is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns
St. Joseph trails Missouri on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. Joseph. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in St. Joseph
Making ends meet is harder in St. Joseph
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (17.6%), vs 13.7% across Missouri. No reliable transportation (10.3% vs 8.4%) and utility shut-off threats (10.9% vs 9%) are higher too. 15.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD and obesity run high in St. Joseph
1 in 10 adults have COPD (9.6%), vs 8% across Missouri. 42.9% of adults have obesity, vs 36.6% across Missouri. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in St. Joseph
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.3%), vs 16% across Missouri. Habits ↓
St. Joseph has a top-rated hospital
Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 St. Joseph’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind St. Joseph’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Joseph is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns, #175 of 247 in Missouri. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 36% of U.S. towns); obesity 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). St. Joseph’s median household income is $57,956; among the 8,326 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 20%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Few Missouri towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state St. Joseph is healthier than 29% of graded towns, against 13% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15.1% of St. Joseph adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Out of every 100 St. Joseph adults…
St. Joseph runs above MO on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
41 miles of trails across 35 parks and preserves
Care in and near St. Joseph
1 hospital and 2 community health centers in St. Joseph, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 St. Joseph; ≈ 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 St. Joseph adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
How St. Joseph adults are doing
About the same as Missouri on each measure.
1 in 3 St. Joseph 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.
St. Joseph 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.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | D | 42.9% | 13% | 19.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of St. Joseph adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for St. Joseph
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. Joseph is better than Missouri on 0 and worse on 16; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside St. Joseph’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | St. Joseph | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.1%21.6–26.8 | 20.5% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.3–17.8 | 14.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19%17–21.1 | 17.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.9%36.8–48.9 | 36.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 13%11.4–14.7 | 12.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.5%33.9–41.1 | 36.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.7%34.8–42.4 | 37.5% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.3%26.4–32.3 | 28.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.8–12.5 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.4%7.6–9.1 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.9–8.4 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.6%8.7–10.6 | 8% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.7–4.3 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.1%15.9–22.6 | 15.8% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.3%17.1–21.7 | 16% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 33.1%29.1–37.3 | 28.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13.1–18.7 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.7%34.4–45.2 | 36.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.1%9.5–12.6 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.6%74–80.7 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56.6%53–60 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82%79.9–83.9 | 84.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.9%74.1–79.4 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62%57.1–66.6 | 64% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.1%65.5–79.7 | 74.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.3%21.9–28.7 | 24.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31%26.5–35.9 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.9%16.9–23.1 | 20.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 17.6%15.3–20.1 | 13.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.3%12.4–16.3 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.9%9.6–12.4 | 9% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.3%9.2–11.6 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.1%13.3–17.1 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.7%35.9–43.7 | 36.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.9%16–19.9 | 15.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.8%17.8–21.8 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 8.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.3%5.8–6.8 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.9%9.9–12 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.8%4.4–5.2 | 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 St. Joseph
Is St. Joseph a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Joseph is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns: D for health, #175 of 247 in Missouri. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 20%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in St. Joseph?
CDC estimates 42.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 36.8% and 48.9%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to St. Joseph?
Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph in Saint Joseph, 2.7 miles in a straight line from St. Joseph’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in St. Joseph have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.5–12.6%), 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 St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph.
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.