Photo: Ammodramus · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Fairbury is healthier than 66%
Fairbury differs from Nebraska on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 16 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fairbury. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fairbury
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Fairbury
1 in 11 adults have COPD (8.9%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. 1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.3%), vs 3.1% across Nebraska. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.4%, vs 6.1% across Nebraska. In all, Fairbury runs above Nebraska on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (Nebraska 17%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Fairbury adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.8%), vs 24.3% across Nebraska. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Fairbury
56% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 64.3% across Nebraska. Among those 65 and older, 15.3% have lost all their teeth (Nebraska 12.4%). Checkups ↓
Fairbury is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Fairbury is healthier than 35%. Against the 6,780 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 66%. 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 Fairbury’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Fairbury’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fairbury is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, #54 of 57 in Nebraska. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 82% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 13%).
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). Fairbury’s median household income is $52,995; among the 6,780 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$66K), it’s healthier than 66%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most Nebraska towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Fairbury is healthier than 5% of graded towns, against 34% nationally.
Where Fairbury compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.9% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Fairbury adults…
Fairbury runs above NE on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Fairbury is an older town: 25% 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 Fairbury as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Nebraska
Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.
0.1 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Fairbury adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.
Care in and near Fairbury
1 hospital in Fairbury, 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 Fairbury; ≈ 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).
How Fairbury adults are doing
About the same as Nebraska on each measure.
1 in 3 Fairbury 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.
12.7% of Fairbury adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.
Fairbury and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbury | C | 38.8% | 14% | 17% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fairbury adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fairbury
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fairbury is better than Nebraska on 1 and worse on 16; on the rest, the Nebraska figure falls inside Fairbury’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fairbury | NE | U.S. | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.9%18–24.1 | 16.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.6–16.5 | 11.6% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%13.1–17 | 14.1% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.8%31.6–46.7 | 37.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14%12.1–16.2 | 10.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 37.9%33.8–42.4 | 32.6% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.9%31.7–40.5 | 33% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.6%27.2–34.2 | 24% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.5–10.9 | 9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.2%9.2–11.3 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.4%7.4–9.6 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.9%7.6–10.3 | 6.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.8–4.9 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.3%12.6–18.3 | 12.4% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17%14.5–19.9 | 13.2% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32.8%27.7–38.3 | 24.3% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.5%14.5–21 | 19.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%26.1–38.1 | 31.3% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.3%9.4–13.3 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.7%72.9–80.2 | 75.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 56%52.4–59.6 | 64.3% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.2%81.2–85.2 | 83.7% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.9%78.1–83.3 | 77.5% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.3%55.3–64.9 | 62.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.6%63.5–78.8 | 75% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.5%15.6–21.8 | 18.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.9%27–37.1 | 29.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.3%18.9–26.1 | 20.5% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.6%13–18.2 | 12.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.4%8.7–12.1 | 9.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.6%6.5–8.8 | 6.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8%6.9–9.1 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.7%10.6–15.1 | 8.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.5%29.9–39.4 | 27.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.1%14.6–19.8 | 12% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14%12.2–16 | 12.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 10%8.8–11.3 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.2–6.7 | 4.4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.2%8–10.6 | 6.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%3.9–5.1 | 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 Fairbury
Is Fairbury a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fairbury is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #54 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 Fairbury?
CDC estimates 38.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.6% and 46.7%, against 37.7% across Nebraska and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fairbury?
Jefferson Community Health & Life in Fairbury, 0.7 miles in a straight line from Fairbury’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Fairbury have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.4–13.3%), 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 Fairbury 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 Fairbury.
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.