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Menter FarmsteadMenter Farmstead · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
–Not graded
Health in Big Springs · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Big Springs residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Big Springs, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Big Springs. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Big Springs

Heart disease, stroke and COPD run high in Big Springs

1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. 1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.3%), vs 3.1% across Nebraska. COPD is also above the state: 8.4%, vs 6.1% across Nebraska. In all, Big Springs runs above Nebraska on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (Nebraska 17%), and heart disease, stroke and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Big Springs, and more people treating it

40.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Nebraska 32.6%), but 82.7% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.5% statewide. Checkups ↓

Big Springs is short on primary care and mental health care

Big Springs’ 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 ↓

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 Nebraska figure falls outside Big Springs’ likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Big Springs adults…

Big Springs runs below NE on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Big Springs adults have heart disease
Nebraska: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 7.5–10.1%
Better than NEWorseAbout the sameNebraska
Why age matters here

Big Springs is an older town: 33% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Nebraska. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Big Springs as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Big Springs33%
Nebraska17%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Big Springs adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.

79%Yearly checkupNE 76%
66%Dentist visitNE 64%
87%Cholesterol checkNE 84%
66%Colon screeningNE 62%
74%MammogramNE 75%
83%Taking BP medsNE 78%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Big Springs 9% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Getting care

Care in and near Big Springs

No hospital or community health center in Big Springs itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERSedgwick County Memorial HospitalJulesburg · 11.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSalud Family HealthSterling · 67.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11.2 mi
Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital
Julesburg · not rated
ERRural critical access
19.5 mi
Ogallala Community Hospital
Ogallala · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.4 mi
Perkins County Health Services
Grant · not rated
ERRural critical access
29.3 mi
Garden County Health Services
Oshkosh · not rated
ERRural critical access
67.5 mi
Salud Family Health
2 sites · nearest in Sterling
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
98.3 mi
Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska
2 sites · nearest in Gering
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Big Springs itself
✓ Dental careBig Springs is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Big Springs 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 Big Springs; ≈ 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 Nebraska

Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.

Get no exercise 29.2%NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.7%NE 31.3%
Binge drink 17.6%NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettes 14.7%NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Big Springs, betterBig Springs, worseAbout the sameNebraska
Where Big Springs gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Mind & connection

How Big Springs adults are doing

About the same as Nebraska on each measure.

3 in 10Big Springs adults feel lonely
28.2% · NE 29.3% · About the same as NE
1 in 5Big Springs adults lack social or emotional support
19.6% · NE 20.5% · About the same as NE
1 in 6Big Springs adults have been diagnosed with depression
17.3% · NE 18.3% · About the same as NE
1 in 7Big Springs adults are in frequent mental distress
13.4% · NE 14.1% · About the same as NE
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Big Springs adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

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 8
Big Springs adults worry about having enough food
12.1% · NE 12.3%
About the same as NE
1 in 12
Big Springs adults worry about keeping their housing
8.6% · NE 9.5%
About the same as NE
1 in 16
Big Springs adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.1% · NE 6.4%
About the same as NE
1 in 16
Big Springs adults lack reliable transportation
6.4% · NE 6.7%
About the same as NE

8.9% of Big Springs adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Around town

Big Springs and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

32.3%

of Big Springs adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.3%
Thinking or memory12.1%
Hearing10.3%
Errands alone7.9%
Vision5.2%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Nebraska

Questions about health in Big Springs

Why doesn’t Big Springs have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Big Springs.

What hospital is closest to Big Springs?

Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital in Julesburg, 11.2 miles in a straight line from Big Springs’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. It has no Medicare star rating.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Big Springs.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Nebraska 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.