On CDC estimates, The Plains is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns
The Plains trails Ohio on 4 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for The Plains. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in The Plains
The Plains is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, The Plains is healthier than 30%. Against the 8,828 towns with similar household incomes ($45K–$75K), it’s healthier than 48%. Health Grade ↓
Heart disease and cancer run high in The Plains
1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.3%), vs 7.1% across Ohio. 1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.1%), vs 8.7% across Ohio. Age is part of it: 37% of residents are 65 or older (Ohio 18%), and heart disease and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
The Plains has a community health center but no hospital
Hopewell Health Centers is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Ohiohealth O'bleness Hospital in Athens, 2.7 miles away. Getting care ↓
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 Ohio figure falls outside The Plains’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind The Plains’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, The Plains is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns, #581 of 993 in Ohio. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 41% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 15%).
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). The Plains’ median household income is $59,688; among the 8,828 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($45K–$75K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 The Plains adults…
The Plains runs above OH on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
The Plains is an older town: 37% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Ohio. Heart disease and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in The Plains as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near The Plains
1 community health center in The Plains, 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 The Plains; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Ohio
Share of adults, with the Ohio figure marked.
0.2 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of The Plains adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Ohio.
How The Plains adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, The Plains runs above Ohio.
1 in 3 The Plains 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.
14.2% of The Plains adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.
The Plains and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Plains | C | 37.3% | 15% | 15.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of The Plains adults live with a disability (Ohio 29.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for The Plains
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, The Plains is better than Ohio on 0 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Ohio figure falls inside The Plains’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | The Plains | OH | U.S. | vs OH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.6%18.1–25.6 | 19.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%12.8–17.4 | 13.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.3%15.9–20.8 | 17.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.3%32.3–42.6 | 37.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15%13.1–17.1 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 41.3%37.9–45 | 37.2% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.3%34.9–41.9 | 36.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.5%29.6–35.5 | 29.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.7%10.3–13.2 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.1%9.1–11.1 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.3%7.2–9.6 | 7.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.7%7.9–11.9 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.6–4.9 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.7%13.9–19.9 | 15.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.9%12.5–19.6 | 15.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 27%22.3–32 | 26.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.3%14.7–20.1 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.6%32.7–42.7 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.6%5.4–10.4 | 8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.9%76.9–82.7 | 79.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.5%57.9–64.8 | 62.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.2%82.7–87.5 | 86.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.9%76.4–81.1 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.7%61.2–70.1 | 65.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.6%66.4–79.7 | 76% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 29.1%25.7–32.9 | 25.4% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 34.1%29.3–39.3 | 35% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.5%16.1–23.3 | 21.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.7%11.1–19.1 | 14.1% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.1%8.6–13.8 | 11.3% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.1%7.3–11 | 8.3% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.4%6.8–10.3 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.2%10.5–18.7 | 11.7% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.7%27.2–36.4 | 29.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16%13.2–19 | 13.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.8%12.4–17.5 | 13.9% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7–9.3 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%4.8–6.9 | 4.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%7.9–11.4 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.6%3.8–5.5 | 3.8% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Ohio figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in The Plains
Is The Plains a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, The Plains is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #581 of 993 in Ohio. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in The Plains?
CDC estimates 37.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.3% and 42.6%, against 37.1% across Ohio and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to The Plains?
Ohiohealth O'bleness Hospital in Athens, 2.7 miles in a straight line from The Plains’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in The Plains have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–10.4%), against 8% across Ohio.
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 The Plains 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 The Plains.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Ohio 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.