Photo: Rowen Hansen · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Sugar Creek is healthier than 8% of U.S. towns
Sugar Creek trails Missouri on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sugar Creek. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sugar Creek
Sugar Creek is in the bottom 8% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Sugar Creek is healthier than only 8% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on five of the seven. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Sugar Creek
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (19.8%), vs 13.7% across Missouri. Housing insecurity (16.3% vs 12.1%) and utility shut-off threats (12% vs 9%) are higher too. 15.7% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Sugar Creek
1 in 9 adults have COPD (11.1%), vs 8% across Missouri. 1 in 22 adults have had a stroke (4.5%), vs 3.6% across Missouri. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.3%, vs 6.8% across Missouri. In all, Sugar Creek runs above Missouri on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
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 Sugar Creek’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
What’s behind Sugar Creek’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sugar Creek is healthier than 8% of U.S. towns, #205 of 247 in Missouri. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 31% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 4%).
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). Sugar Creek’s median household income is $62,165; among the 9,457 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 8%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15.7% of Sugar Creek adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Out of every 100 Sugar Creek adults…
Sugar Creek runs above MO on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Sugar Creek
No hospital or community health center in Sugar Creek 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 Sugar Creek; ≈ 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 Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
8.1 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Sugar Creek adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
How Sugar Creek adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Sugar Creek runs above Missouri.
1 in 3 Sugar Creek 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.
Sugar Creek and the towns around it
Sugar Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Creek | D | 38.6% | 14% | 21.6% | CDC place |
| Independence | C− | 37.3% | 12.9% | 18.4% | CDC place |
| Kansas City | C+ | 38.5% | 12% | 15.6% | CDC place |
| River Bend | — | — | — | — |
River Bend: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sugar Creek adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sugar Creek
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sugar Creek is better than Missouri on 0 and worse on 19; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Sugar Creek’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sugar Creek | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.2%24–31.2 | 20.5% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.8%15.7–20.1 | 14.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 21%18.8–23.4 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.6%34.5–42.8 | 36.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14%12.4–15.8 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38.6%35.7–41.6 | 36.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.7%39.5–45.8 | 37.5% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 31.2%28.6–34 | 28.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.9–12.4 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.6%7.7–9.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.3%7.4–9.4 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.1%9.5–12.9 | 8% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4–5.1 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.3%16.1–22.7 | 15.8% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 21.6%18.3–25 | 16% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 36.1%32.1–40.6 | 28.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%14.7–19.3 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.7%32–39.6 | 36.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.2%9.9–14.9 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 76%73.1–78.8 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 51.7%48.4–55 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.5%80.2–84.7 | 84.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.3%73.6–79 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61%56.7–65.1 | 64% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.6%59.8–73 | 74.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.3%25.4–31.6 | 24.3% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 33.3%29.6–37.2 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23%19.9–26.4 | 20.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 19.8%16.5–23.4 | 13.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16.3%13.9–18.9 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12%10.3–13.8 | 9% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.2%9.6–12.9 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.7%12.7–18.9 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 43.1%39.1–47.4 | 36.2% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.9%18.3–23.8 | 15.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 21.4%19–24.2 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.9%8.9–11.2 | 8.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.1%6.2–8.1 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.4%10.8–14.2 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.6%4.9–6.5 | 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 Sugar Creek
Is Sugar Creek a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sugar Creek is healthier than 8% of U.S. towns: D for health, #205 of 247 in Missouri. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 8%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sugar Creek?
CDC estimates 38.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.5% and 42.8%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sugar Creek?
Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, 7.3 miles in a straight line from Sugar Creek’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sugar Creek have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.9–14.9%), 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 Sugar Creek 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 Sugar Creek.
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.