✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers West Alton itself
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 West Alton; ≈ 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).
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
Get no exercise29%MO 28.8%
Sleep under 7 hours41.2%MO 36.5%
Binge drink18.6%MO 16.3%
Smoke cigarettes18.6%MO 16%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
West Alton, betterWest Alton, worseAbout the sameMissouri
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Everyday needs
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
1 in 9
West Alton adults worry about having enough food
11.5% · MO 13.7%
About the same as MO
1 in 10
West Alton adults worry about keeping their housing
10.2% · MO 12.1%
About the same as MO
1 in 14
West Alton adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.2% · MO 9%
Better than MO
1 in 14
West Alton adults lack reliable transportation
7.2% · MO 8.4%
About the same as MO
8.3% of West Alton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Around town
West Alton and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Healthier than MONear MOLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#10 of 22 towns on this map, healthiest first
Godfrey37%
Elsah Township37.3%
West Alton39.4%
Chouteau Township39.5%
Wood River Township39.8%
Alton Township42.9%
Alton44.3%
MO36.6%
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
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Disability
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
37.8%
of West Alton adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs15.4%
Thinking or memory17.6%
Hearing9%
Errands alone8.6%
Vision4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.9%
Missouri
Questions about health in West Alton
Why doesn’t West Alton have a Health Grade?
Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for West Alton.
What hospital is closest to West Alton?
Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton, 3.4 miles in a straight line from West Alton’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
Where can I get low-cost care near West Alton?
9 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Sihf Healthcare - Alton in Alton, 3.4 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in West Alton.
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. 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.
Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0