Photo: Sam Beebe · CC BY 2.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Choteau is healthier than 90%
Choteau differs from Montana on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Choteau. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Choteau
Heart disease, stroke and cancer run high in Choteau
1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.3%), vs 6.6% across Montana. 1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.4%), vs 3.5% across Montana. Cancer is also above the state: 11.6%, vs 9.3% across Montana. In all, Choteau runs above Montana on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Montana 20%), and heart disease, stroke and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Choteau, and more people treating it
37.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Montana 31.9%), but 77.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 73.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Choteau is short on primary care and mental health care
Choteau’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Choteau is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Choteau is healthier than 56%. Against the 6,338 towns with similar household incomes ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 90%. 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 Montana figure falls outside Choteau’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.
What’s behind Choteau’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Choteau is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 79% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 30%).
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). Choteau’s median household income is $51,632; among the 6,338 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($39K–$65K), it’s healthier than 90%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Choteau adults…
Choteau runs below MT on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Choteau is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 20% across Montana. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Choteau as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Choteau adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Montana.
Care in and near Choteau
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Choteau, 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 Choteau; ≈ 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 Montana
Share of adults, with the Montana figure marked.
0.3 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Choteau adults are doing
About the same as Montana on each measure.
3 in 10 Choteau 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.3% of Choteau adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.3% across Montana.
Choteau and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choteau | B | 31.2% | 11.8% | 14.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Choteau adults live with a disability (Montana 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Choteau
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Choteau is better than Montana on 3 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Montana figure falls inside Choteau’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Choteau | MT | U.S. | vs MT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.1%16.7–24.1 | 18.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.2–17.9 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.4–18.8 | 17.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.2%24.5–38.7 | 31.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.8%9.9–13.8 | 9.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.2%32.9–41.5 | 31.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.8%33.4–42.2 | 32.8% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.6%29.8–37.3 | 28.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10–12.9 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.6%10.3–12.9 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.3%7.2–9.5 | 6.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.7%7.2–10.6 | 7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.8–5.1 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.4%7.7–11.5 | 12.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.2%11.3–17.4 | 13.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.5%19.8–30 | 20.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.1%14.1–20.3 | 20.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.8%23.5–34.5 | 31.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.2%6.9–12.1 | 9.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.8%69.7–77.5 | 72.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.1%57.4–64.6 | 63.3% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.1%82.6–87.3 | 82.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.5%74.1–80.4 | 73.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.2%55.8–66.3 | 63.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.3%63.4–78.6 | 74.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.2%19.7–26.9 | 24.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.6%24.9–35 | 30.7% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.8%18.2–25.8 | 21.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.5%9–14.4 | 11.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.7%7–10.5 | 9.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.2%5.1–7.3 | 6.5% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.2%6–8.4 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.3%6.3–10.6 | 8.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.1%30.1–40.4 | 30.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.3%13.5–19.5 | 12.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.5%12.3–16.9 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.5%9.1–11.9 | 8.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.2%4.4–6.1 | 4.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.8%7.4–10.4 | 8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.5–5 | 3.5% | 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 Montana figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Choteau
Is Choteau a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Choteau is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Choteau?
CDC estimates 31.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.5% and 38.7%, against 31.4% across Montana and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Choteau?
Benefis Teton Medical Center in Choteau, 0.6 miles in a straight line from Choteau’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Choteau have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.9–12.1%), against 9.3% across Montana.
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 Choteau more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Choteau.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Montana 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.