Hendee Hotel · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Cozad is healthier than 71%
Cozad trails Nebraska on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cozad. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cozad
More Cozad adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.6%), vs 24.3% across Nebraska. Habits ↓
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Cozad
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.3%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. 1 in 25 adults have had a stroke (4%), vs 3.1% across Nebraska. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.8%, vs 6.1% across Nebraska. In all, Cozad runs above Nebraska on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Nebraska 17%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Cozad
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.4%), vs 13.2% across Nebraska. Habits ↓
Cozad is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Cozad is healthier than 40%. Against the 7,258 towns with similar household incomes ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 71%. 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 Nebraska figure falls outside Cozad’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Cozad’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cozad is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns, #50 of 57 in Nebraska. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 86% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 17%).
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). Cozad’s median household income is $54,471; among the 7,258 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($41K–$68K), it’s healthier than 71%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most Nebraska towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Cozad is healthier than 12% of graded towns, against 40% nationally.
Everyday habits, side by side with Nebraska
Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.
0.3 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Cozad adults…
Cozad runs above NE on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Cozad is an older town: 26% 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 Cozad as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Cozad
1 hospital in Cozad, 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 Cozad; ≈ 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 Cozad adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.
How Cozad adults are doing
About the same as Nebraska on each measure.
3 in 10 Cozad 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.
11.5% of Cozad adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.
Cozad and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cozad | C+ | 40.4% | 13.3% | 16.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cozad adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cozad
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cozad is better than Nebraska on 0 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Nebraska figure falls inside Cozad’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cozad | NE | U.S. | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20%16.8–23.5 | 16.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%11.9–15.9 | 11.6% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.6–16.3 | 14.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.4%33.7–47.3 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.3%11.5–15.3 | 10.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 36.9%33–40.9 | 32.6% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.8%30–37.9 | 33% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.5%24.5–30.7 | 24% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9%8.1–10 | 8.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.8%6.9–8.9 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.3%6.9–9.8 | 6.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4%3.5–4.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.6%11.2–16.5 | 12.4% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.4%13.5–19.6 | 13.2% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.6%26.8–37.2 | 24.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 18.1%15.1–21.4 | 19.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.3%25.2–36.1 | 31.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.7%10.3–15.4 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.5%70.7–78 | 75.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.3%57.9–64.9 | 64.3% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.4%79.9–84.7 | 83.7% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80%77.3–82.3 | 77.5% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.6%55.7–65.4 | 62.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.4%68–82 | 75% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.3%14.6–20.2 | 18.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.6%25.8–35.7 | 29.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.9%18.4–25.7 | 20.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.7%12.7–18.9 | 12.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.2%9.1–13.2 | 9.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.5%6.2–8.7 | 6.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.9%6.7–9.2 | 6.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.5%9.1–14.3 | 8.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.5%27.2–36.3 | 27.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.4%12.9–18 | 12% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.6%11.7–15.7 | 12.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8.2–10.6 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%4.9–6.6 | 4.4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.6%7.3–9.9 | 6.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.6–4.8 | 3.2% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Cozad
Is Cozad a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cozad is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #50 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 Cozad?
CDC estimates 40.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.7% and 47.3%, against 37.7% across Nebraska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cozad?
Cozad Community Hospital in Cozad, 0.2 miles in a straight line from Cozad’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Cozad have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.3–15.4%), 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 Cozad more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cozad.
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.