Pawnee Agency and Boarding School Historic District · Photo: Steven C. Price · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Pawnee is healthier than 58%
Pawnee trails Oklahoma on 5 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Pawnee. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Pawnee
Stroke, heart disease and diabetes run high in Pawnee
1 in 22 adults have had a stroke (4.6%), vs 3.7% across Oklahoma. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 7.3% across Oklahoma. Diabetes is also above the state: 15%, vs 12.8% across Oklahoma. In all, Pawnee runs above Oklahoma on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Pawnee is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Pawnee is healthier than 15%. Against the 2,837 towns with similar household incomes ($31K–$52K), it’s healthier than 58%. 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 Oklahoma figure falls outside Pawnee’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.
What’s behind Pawnee’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Pawnee is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 28% 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). Pawnee’s median household income is $41,471; among the 2,837 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($31K–$52K), it’s healthier than 58%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Pawnee adults…
Pawnee runs above OK on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Pawnee
No hospital or community health center in Pawnee itself. These are the nearest.
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 Pawnee; ≈ 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 Oklahoma
Share of adults, with the Oklahoma figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Pawnee adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Oklahoma.
How Pawnee adults are doing
About the same as Oklahoma on each measure.
1 in 3 Pawnee 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.
16% of Pawnee adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.1% across Oklahoma.
Pawnee and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee | D | 39.3% | 15% | 18.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Pawnee adults live with a disability (Oklahoma 38.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Pawnee
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Pawnee is better than Oklahoma on 0 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Oklahoma figure falls inside Pawnee’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Pawnee | OK | U.S. | vs OK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.6%20.2–27.3 | 21.2% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.2%14.1–18.4 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.3%16.1–20.7 | 18% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.3%31.2–47.6 | 38.9% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15%12.9–17.1 | 12.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.9%37.5–46.2 | 38.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.8%35.4–44.1 | 37.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32%28.5–35.4 | 27.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.6%11.1–14.1 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.1%8.2–10.1 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.8–9.9 | 7.3% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.5%8–11 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.6%4.1–5.1 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.1%13.3–19.2 | 16.4% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.8%15.8–21.9 | 16.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 32.7%27.4–38.3 | 31.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.8%10.3–15.5 | 14% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.5%32.4–46.9 | 36.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.4%8.4–12.8 | 11.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.6%76.1–82.9 | 77.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 54%49.8–58 | 57.1% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.2%83.1–87.2 | 84.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.5%75.7–81 | 76.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.7%59.2–70 | 59.7% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.6%59.4–76.6 | 70.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.4%21.7–29.3 | 25.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.6%28.3–39.4 | 33.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.7%22.6–31.2 | 25.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.3%17.1–23.8 | 18.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.6%12.3–17.1 | 14.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.6%9–12.3 | 10.3% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.8%9.3–12.4 | 9.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16%13.1–19 | 15.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 42.4%37.3–47.7 | 38.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.3%17.4–23.2 | 17.1% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18%15.7–20.6 | 17.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.5%10.2–12.9 | 9.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7%6.2–8 | 6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.8%9.3–12.4 | 9.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.1–5.4 | 4.3% | 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 Oklahoma figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Pawnee
Is Pawnee a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Pawnee is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns: ≈ D for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Pawnee?
CDC estimates 39.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.2% and 47.6%, against 38.9% across Oklahoma and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Pawnee?
Rural Wellness Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, 15.5 miles in a straight line from Pawnee’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Pawnee have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.4–12.8%), against 11.3% across Oklahoma.
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 Pawnee 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 Pawnee.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Oklahoma 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.