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Clarkson, Nebraska E side of Pine StreetPhoto: Ammodramus · Public domain
–Not graded
Health in Clarkson · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Clarkson residents get care

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

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Clarkson

Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Clarkson

1 in 8 adults have had cancer (11.9%), vs 8.3% across Nebraska. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.7%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. Stroke is also above the state: 4.2%, vs 3.1% across Nebraska. In all, Clarkson runs above Nebraska on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Nebraska 17%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Clarkson is short on primary care and mental health care

Clarkson’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 ↓

More high blood pressure in Clarkson, and more people treating it

37.1% of adults have high blood pressure (Nebraska 32.6%), but 83.4% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.5% statewide. Checkups ↓

Fewer Clarkson adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Nebraska. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓

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 Clarkson’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Clarkson adults…

Clarkson runs below NE on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 9. Tap one to see it as people.

12 of every 100 Clarkson adults have had cancer
Nebraska: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 10.6–13.3%
Better than NEWorseAbout the sameNebraska
Why age matters here

Clarkson is an older town: 31% 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 Clarkson as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Clarkson31%
Nebraska17%
Getting care

Care in and near Clarkson

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

HNearest ERCHI Health SchuylerSchuyler · 18.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careMidtown Health CenterMadison · 18.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
18.6 mi
Midtown Health Center
7 sites · nearest in Madison
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
18.8 mi
CHI Health Schuyler
Schuyler · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.6 mi
East Central District Health Department/Good Neighbor Community Health Center
Columbus · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
22.9 mi
St. Francis Memorial Hospital
West Point · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
23.1 mi
Columbus Community Hospital
Columbus · ★★★★★
ER
27.3 mi
Faith Health
Norfolk · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Clarkson itself
✓ Dental careClarkson is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Clarkson 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 Clarkson; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%Yearly checkupNE 76%
63%Dentist visitNE 64%
87%Cholesterol checkNE 84%
68%Colon screeningNE 62%
75%MammogramNE 75%
83%Taking BP medsNE 78%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Clarkson 8.2% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
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 11
Clarkson adults worry about having enough food
9.5% · NE 12.3%
Better than NE
1 in 14
Clarkson adults worry about keeping their housing
7.1% · NE 9.5%
Better than NE
1 in 20
Clarkson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5% · NE 6.4%
Better than NE
1 in 19
Clarkson adults lack reliable transportation
5.4% · NE 6.7%
Better than NE

6.8% of Clarkson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Nebraska

Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.

Get no exercise 27%NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.4%NE 31.3%
Binge drink 17%NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettes 12.6%NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Clarkson, betterClarkson, worseAbout the sameNebraska
Where Clarkson gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Mind & connection

How Clarkson adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Clarkson does better than Nebraska.

1 in 4Clarkson adults feel lonely
27.4% · NE 29.3% · About the same as NE
1 in 5Clarkson adults lack social or emotional support
18.8% · NE 20.5% · About the same as NE
1 in 6Clarkson adults have been diagnosed with depression
15.4% · NE 18.3% · Better than NE
1 in 8Clarkson adults are in frequent mental distress
12.4% · NE 14.1% · About the same as NE
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 4 Clarkson 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.

Around town

Clarkson 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.

30.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.3%
Thinking or memory11.1%
Hearing10.8%
Errands alone7.4%
Vision4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.6%
Nebraska

Questions about health in Clarkson

Why doesn’t Clarkson have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Clarkson?

CHI Health Schuyler in Schuyler, 18.8 miles in a straight line from Clarkson’s 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 Clarkson.

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.