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Willow Creek BridgeWillow Creek Bridge · Photo: Ammodramus · Public domain
–Not graded
Health in Foster · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Foster residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 68765. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Foster

Heart disease, COPD and stroke run high in Foster

1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.1%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. 1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.9%), vs 6.1% across Nebraska. Stroke is also above the state: 4%, vs 3.1% across Nebraska. In all, Foster runs above Nebraska on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More Foster adults get no exercise

3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.6%), vs 24.3% across Nebraska. Habits ↓

Foster is short on primary care and mental health care

Foster’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 Foster, and more people treating it

37% of adults have high blood pressure (Nebraska 32.6%), but 81.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.5% statewide. Checkups ↓

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 Foster’s likely range; Foster’s figures come from ZIP code 68765, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Foster adults…

Foster runs above NE on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Foster adults have heart disease
Nebraska: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 7.2–9.1%
Better than NEWorseAbout the sameNebraska
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Nebraska

Share of adults, with the Nebraska figure marked.

Get no exercise 29.6%NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.5%NE 31.3%
Binge drink 18.2%NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettes 14.9%NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Foster, betterFoster, worseAbout the sameNebraska
Where Foster gets moving

Walk with neighbors

The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.

Getting care

Care in and near Foster

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

HNearest EROsmond General HospitalOsmond · 5.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careMidtown Health CenterNorfolk · 20.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.4 mi
Osmond General Hospital
Osmond · not rated
ERRural critical access
8.4 mi
CHI Health Plainview Hospital
Plainview · not rated
ERRural critical access
18.4 mi
Avera Creighton Hospital
Creighton · not rated
ERRural critical access
20 mi
Faith Health
Norfolk · ★★★★★
ER
20.9 mi
Midtown Health Center
8 sites · nearest in Norfolk
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Foster itself
✓ Dental careFoster is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Foster 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 Foster; ≈ 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 Foster adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Nebraska.

77%Yearly checkupNE 76%
62%Dentist visitNE 64%
85%Cholesterol checkNE 84%
61%Colon screeningNE 62%
74%MammogramNE 75%
82%Taking BP medsNE 78%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Foster 8.3% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Foster adults are doing

About the same as Nebraska on each measure.

3 in 10Foster adults feel lonely
29.3% · NE 29.3% · About the same as NE
1 in 5Foster adults lack social or emotional support
20.3% · NE 20.5% · About the same as NE
1 in 6Foster adults have been diagnosed with depression
17.2% · NE 18.3% · About the same as NE
1 in 7Foster adults are in frequent mental distress
14% · NE 14.1% · About the same as NE
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Foster 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 9
Foster adults worry about having enough food
11.4% · NE 12.3%
About the same as NE
1 in 12
Foster adults worry about keeping their housing
8.3% · NE 9.5%
About the same as NE
1 in 17
Foster adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.9% · NE 6.4%
About the same as NE
1 in 16
Foster adults lack reliable transportation
6.3% · NE 6.7%
About the same as NE

8.3% of Foster adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Around town

Foster 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.

30.6%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.1%
Thinking or memory12.4%
Hearing9.8%
Errands alone7.9%
Vision4.9%
Dressing or bathing3.8%
Nebraska

Questions about health in Foster

Why doesn’t Foster have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Foster?

Osmond General Hospital in Osmond, 5.4 miles in a straight line from Foster’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 Foster.

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.