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2013-09-19 12 59 58 View of downtown Tonopah, Nevada from the southwestPhoto: Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0
D−Health Grade
Health in Tonopah · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Tonopah is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns

Tonopah trails Nevada on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Tonopah

The nearest ER is 82 miles from Tonopah

The closest emergency room is Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, 81.6 miles away in a straight line. Getting care ↓

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Tonopah

1 in 8 adults have COPD (12.3%), vs 7.1% across Nevada. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.5%), vs 6.4% across Nevada. Stroke is also above the state: 5%, vs 3.4% across Nevada. In all, Tonopah runs above Nevada on ten of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 40% of residents are 65 or older (Nevada 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Tonopah is in the bottom 3% of U.S. towns for health

On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Tonopah is healthier than only 3% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on all of them. 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 Nevada figure falls outside Tonopah’s likely range.

Health Grade

What’s behind Tonopah’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tonopah is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns. All seven of Tonopah’s estimates fall in the lowest 12% of U.S. towns. The furthest from typical is smoking: 23.5% of adults, against 14.6% across Nevada and 11.8% nationally.

DSelf-rated health30.1% · NV 22.3% · U.S. 19.4%
D−Physical distress19.6% · NV 14.9% · U.S. 13%
D−Mental distress21.7% · NV 18.4% · U.S. 15.9%
D−Obesity44.7% · NV 31.3% · U.S. 32.9%
DDiabetes15.7% · NV 12% · U.S. 12%
D−Smoking23.5% smoke · NV 14.6% · U.S. 11.8%
DExercise33.7% · NV 26.2% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 3%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $35K–$59K (4,674)Healthier than 7%

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). Tonopah’s median household income is $47,031; among the 4,674 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 7%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Tonopah could be anywhere from D− to C−.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Getting care

Care in and near Tonopah

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

HNearest ERNorthern Inyo HospitalBishop · 81.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careValley Health TeamBishop · 81.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
81.2 mi
Valley Health Team
2 sites · nearest in Bishop
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
81.6 mi
Northern Inyo Hospital
Bishop · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
81.9 mi
Mount Grant General Hospital
Hawthorne · not rated
ERRural critical access
97.8 mi
Nevada Health Centers
2 sites · nearest in Austin
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
99.5 mi
Mammoth Hospital
Mammoth Lakes · not rated
ERRural critical access
111.6 mi
Southern Inyo Hospital
Lone Pine · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careTonopah is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Tonopah itself
✓ Mental healthTonopah is not a shortage area

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 Tonopah; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Tonopah adults…

Tonopah runs above NV on 11 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

12 of every 100 Tonopah adults have COPD
Nevada: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 10.7–14%
Better than NVWorseAbout the sameNevada
Why age matters here

Tonopah is an older town: 40% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Nevada. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Tonopah as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Tonopah40%
Nevada17%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Nevada

Share of adults, with the Nevada figure marked.

Get no exercise 33.7%NV 26.2%
Sleep under 7 hours 38.6%NV 39.8%
Binge drink 15%NV 15.7%
Smoke cigarettes 23.5%NV 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Tonopah, betterTonopah, worseAbout the sameNevada
Where Tonopah gets moving

71 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

72%Yearly checkupNV 74%
50%Dentist visitNV 58%
83%Cholesterol checkNV 85%
54%Colon screeningNV 59%
69%MammogramNV 69%
74%Taking BP medsNV 72%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Tonopah 12.4% · Nevada 1 in 7 (14.5%)
Mind & connection

How Tonopah adults are doing

On 2 of 4 measures, Tonopah runs above Nevada.

4 in 10Tonopah adults feel lonely
36.3% · NV 36.7% · About the same as NV
1 in 4Tonopah adults lack social or emotional support
25.3% · NV 27.3% · About the same as NV
1 in 4Tonopah adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.6% · NV 20.5% · Worse than NV
1 in 5Tonopah adults are in frequent mental distress
21.7% · NV 18.4% · Worse than NV
The one neighbors can help with

4 in 10 Tonopah 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 4
Tonopah adults worry about having enough food
23.1% · NV 18%
Worse than NV
1 in 6
Tonopah adults worry about keeping their housing
17% · NV 15.6%
About the same as NV
1 in 8
Tonopah adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
13.1% · NV 9.7%
Worse than NV
1 in 8
Tonopah adults lack reliable transportation
12.6% · NV 9.9%
Worse than NV

25.1% of Tonopah adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.1% across Nevada.

Around town

Tonopah and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
TonopahD−44.7%15.7%23.5%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

42.2%

of Tonopah adults live with a disability (Nevada 33.7%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs21.2%
Thinking or memory20%
Hearing10.5%
Errands alone12.2%
Vision8.1%
Dressing or bathing6.4%
Nevada

Every CDC estimate for Tonopah

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Tonopah is better than Nevada on 0 and worse on 20; on the rest, the Nevada figure falls inside Tonopah’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…TonopahNVU.S.vs NV
Overall health
Fair or poor health30.1%26.5–34.122.3%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)19.6%17.3–22.214.9%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)21.7%19–24.418.4%15.9%Worse
Conditions
Obesity44.7%36.7–52.531.3%32.9%Worse
Diabetes15.7%13.5–1812%12%Worse
High blood pressure40.6%36.3–45.234%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)41.8%37.1–46.438.1%37.1%About the same
Arthritis33.4%29.5–37.324.8%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.9%10.4–13.510.2%9.9%Worse
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.1%8.1–107.4%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease9.5%8.5–10.76.4%6.4%Worse
COPD12.3%10.7–147.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke5%4.5–5.63.4%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)24.5%20.3–29.211.6%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes23.5%20–27.314.6%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work33.7%28.6–39.326.2%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking15%12.1–18.215.7%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours38.6%32.3–4539.8%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)12.4%10.2–1514.5%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year71.6%67–75.973.9%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year50%45.7–5458.2%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years82.6%80.1–84.984.9%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)73.7%70.1–77.172.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)54%48.1–59.558.6%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)69.3%60.6–77.369.1%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression24.6%20.7–28.820.5%20.6%Worse
Feel lonely36.3%31.2–41.636.7%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support25.3%21.5–29.527.3%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food23.1%19.7–26.918%15%Worse
Worried about keeping housing17%14.6–19.715.6%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off13.1%11.3–15.19.7%7.6%Worse
Lack reliable transportation12.6%11–14.49.9%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)25.1%21.1–29.615.1%11.6%Higher
Disability
Any disability42.2%37.3–47.433.7%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs21.2%18.6–24.215.3%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering20%17.5–22.615.7%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty10.5%9.3–11.97.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty8.1%7.3–95.9%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone12.2%10.8–13.88.6%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing6.4%5.7–7.24.1%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 Nevada figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Tonopah

Is Tonopah a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tonopah is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns: D− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 7%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Tonopah?

CDC estimates 44.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 36.7% and 52.5%, against 31.3% across Nevada and 32.9% nationally.

How many people in Tonopah have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 12.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.2–15%), against 14.5% across Nevada.

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 Tonopah more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C−.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Tonopah.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Nevada 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.