Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Vandalia is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns
Vandalia differs from Missouri on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Vandalia. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Vandalia
Making ends meet is harder in Vandalia
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (19.1%), vs 13.7% across Missouri. Housing insecurity (16.6% vs 12.1%) and utility shut-off threats (11.8% vs 9%) are higher too. 16.4% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Mental distress runs high in Vandalia
1 in 4 adults are in frequent mental distress (22.7%), vs 17.5% across Missouri. Depression is above the state too: 29.9%, vs 24.3% across Missouri. Mind & connection ↓
Dental care lags in Vandalia
54.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 60.4% across Missouri. Among those 65 and older, 22.7% have lost all their teeth (Missouri 15.8%). Checkups ↓
Vandalia is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Vandalia is healthier than 18%. Against the 5,904 towns with similar household incomes ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 43%. Health Grade ↓
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 Vandalia’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Vandalia’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vandalia is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns, #160 of 247 in Missouri. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 70% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).
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). Vandalia’s median household income is $50,313; among the 5,904 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($38K–$63K), it’s healthier than 43%, 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 Vandalia is healthier than 35% of graded towns, against 18% nationally.
Where Vandalia compares well: high cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years), 32.2% (U.S. 37.1%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 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.
16.4% of Vandalia adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
How Vandalia adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Vandalia runs above Missouri.
1 in 3 Vandalia 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.
Keeping up with care
Share of Vandalia adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
Out of every 100 Vandalia adults…
Vandalia runs below MO on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Vandalia
No hospital or community health center in Vandalia 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 Vandalia; ≈ 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.
0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Vandalia and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandalia | C− | 39.7% | 10.8% | 20.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Vandalia adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Vandalia
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Vandalia is better than Missouri on 3 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Vandalia’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Vandalia | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.3%19.4–27.4 | 20.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%13.7–18.4 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 22.7%19.8–25.6 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.7%31.6–48.1 | 36.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.8%9.2–12.4 | 12.1% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.5%28.5–36.6 | 36.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.2%28–36.2 | 37.5% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 27.3%24–30.7 | 28.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 12.8%11.1–14.4 | 10.6% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7%6.3–7.8 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 8.7%7.4–10.2 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.4%3–3.8 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 22.7%18.8–27.2 | 15.8% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.2%16.5–24.3 | 16% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 33.7%27.9–40 | 28.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16%13–19.3 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 41.6%34.7–49 | 36.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.4%7.9–13.5 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.3%73.3–81 | 78.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 54.3%50.4–58.4 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.5%78.5–84.5 | 84.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74%70.9–76.9 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.4%54.9–65.8 | 64% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74%65.7–81.4 | 74.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 29.9%25.4–34.5 | 24.3% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 35.5%30.2–41 | 31.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.9%18.4–25.7 | 20.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 19.1%15.3–23.3 | 13.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16.6%13.6–19.6 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11.8%9.9–13.7 | 9% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.9%9.2–12.8 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16.4%13.1–20.3 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.1%33.5–45 | 36.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16%13.6–18.7 | 15.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 22.2%19–25.8 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.3%6.4–8.1 | 8.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%4.9–6.5 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.7%9.9–13.7 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.6–4.9 | 3.9% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Vandalia
Is Vandalia a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vandalia is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #160 of 247 in Missouri. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 43%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Vandalia?
CDC estimates 39.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.6% and 48.1%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Vandalia?
Pike County Memorial Hospital in Louisiana, 24.5 miles in a straight line from Vandalia’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Vandalia have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.9–13.5%), 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 Vandalia more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Vandalia.
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.