Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Broken Bow is healthier than 78%
Broken Bow trails Nebraska on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Broken Bow. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Broken Bow
Broken Bow is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Broken Bow is healthier than 52%. Against the 8,948 towns with similar household incomes ($45K–$75K), it’s healthier than 78%. Health Grade ↓
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Broken Bow
1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.8%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.7%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. Stroke is also above the state: 3.9%, vs 3.1% across Nebraska. In all, Broken Bow runs above Nebraska on four of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
More Broken Bow adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.2%), vs 24.3% across Nebraska. Habits ↓
Broken Bow has a top-rated hospital
Jennie M Melham Memorial Medical Center is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. 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 Broken Bow’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Broken Bow’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Broken Bow is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns, #38 of 57 in Nebraska. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 85% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 18%).
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). Broken Bow’s median household income is $60,129; among the 8,948 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($45K–$75K), it’s healthier than 78%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most Nebraska towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Broken Bow is healthier than 34% of graded towns, against 52% nationally.
Out of every 100 Broken Bow adults…
Broken Bow runs above NE on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Nebraska
Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.
0.5 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Care in and near Broken Bow
1 hospital in Broken Bow, 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 Broken Bow; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Broken Bow adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.
How Broken Bow adults are doing
About the same as Nebraska on each measure.
3 in 10 Broken Bow 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.
9.7% of Broken Bow adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.
Broken Bow and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Bow | B− | 40.5% | 12% | 15% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Broken Bow adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Broken Bow
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Broken Bow is better than Nebraska on 0 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Nebraska figure falls inside Broken Bow’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Broken Bow | NE | U.S. | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.4%14.5–20.4 | 16.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.2–14.8 | 11.6% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%12.8–16.5 | 14.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.5%35–46.4 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.4–13.8 | 10.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37%33.5–40.5 | 32.6% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.1%29.6–36.6 | 33% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.5%24.7–30.4 | 24% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.4%8.4–10.6 | 9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.8%8.8–10.9 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.7%6.7–8.8 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.8%6.5–9.3 | 6.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.3–4.5 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.1%10.5–15.9 | 12.4% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15%12.1–17.9 | 13.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 30.2%25.4–34.9 | 24.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 19.2%16.2–22.4 | 19.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.4%28–39.1 | 31.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.6%7.6–12.3 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.8%72.2–79.2 | 75.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.9%54.1–61.4 | 64.3% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.2%80.6–85.6 | 83.7% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.2%77.5–82.5 | 77.5% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.9%54.8–64.8 | 62.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.6%60.3–75.9 | 75% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.3%14.9–20.1 | 18.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.6%26.1–35.8 | 29.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17.3–24.3 | 20.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.8%9.9–16 | 12.3% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.5%7.5–11.6 | 9.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.6%5.4–7.9 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.9%5.7–8.2 | 6.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.7%7.2–12.5 | 8.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.6%26.6–34.9 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.5%12–17.1 | 12% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.1%11.1–15.2 | 12.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.5%8.3–10.8 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.3–6 | 4.4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.3%7–9.7 | 6.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.2–4.5 | 3.2% | 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 Nebraska figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Broken Bow
Is Broken Bow a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Broken Bow is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #38 of 57 in Nebraska. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Broken Bow?
CDC estimates 40.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 35% and 46.4%, against 37.7% across Nebraska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Broken Bow?
Jennie M Melham Memorial Medical Center in Broken Bow, 0.5 miles in a straight line from Broken Bow’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Broken Bow have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.6–12.3%), against 9.9% across Nebraska.
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 Broken Bow 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 Broken Bow.
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. 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.