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BakermainstreetPhoto: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0
≈ B−Health Grade
Health in Baker City · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Baker City is healthier than 75%

Baker City trails Oregon on 5 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Baker City

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Baker City

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.4%), vs 6.8% across Oregon. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (8%), vs 6.5% across Oregon. Stroke is also above the state: 4%, vs 3.3% across Oregon. In all, Baker City runs above Oregon on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Baker City is short on primary care and mental health care

Baker City’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 ↓

Baker City is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Baker City is healthier than 51%. Against the 9,300 towns with similar household incomes ($46K–$77K), it’s healthier than 75%. 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 Oregon figure falls outside Baker City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Baker City’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Baker City is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns, #76 of 142 in Oregon. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 82% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 35%).

B−Self-rated health20.1% · OR 19% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.1% · OR 13.8% · U.S. 13%
B−Mental distress17.3% · OR 17.5% · U.S. 15.9%
C+Obesity37.2% · OR 33.6% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes12.4% · OR 11.2% · U.S. 12%
BSmoking13.6% smoke · OR 12% · U.S. 11.8%
A−Exercise20.4% · OR 20.1% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 51%
Less healthyHealthier
Oregon towns we grade (142)Healthier than 47%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $46K–$77K (9,300)Healthier than 75%

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). Baker City’s median household income is $61,580; among the 9,300 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($46K–$77K), it’s healthier than 75%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Baker City could be anywhere from C− to A−. The letter shows with “≈”.
A note on the data.property crimes reported to the FBI went from 241 in 2022 to 116 in 2023

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Baker City adults…

Baker City runs above OR on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Baker City adults have COPD
Oregon: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 7.4–9.6%
Better than ORWorseAbout the sameOregon
Getting care

Care in and near Baker City

1 hospital in Baker City, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERSt. Alphonsus Medical Center - Baker CityBaker City · 1.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySt. Alphonsus Medical Center - Baker City★★★★★ · 1.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careWinding Waters Medical ClinicJoseph · 49.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.7 mi
St. Alphonsus Medical Center - Baker City
Baker City · ★★★★★
ERRural critical accessIn Baker City
39.9 mi
Grande Ronde Hospital
La Grande · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
49.7 mi
Winding Waters Medical Clinic
5 sites · nearest in Joseph
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
52.7 mi
Wallowa Memorial Hospital
Enterprise · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
56.2 mi
Weiser Memorial Hospital
Weiser · not rated
ERRural critical access
61.9 mi
Valley Family Health Care
3 sites · nearest in Vale
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Baker City itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Baker City itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Baker City 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 Baker City; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Oregon

Share of adults, with the Oregon figure marked.

Get no exercise 20.4%OR 20.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.6%OR 30.6%
Binge drink 15%OR 15.4%
Smoke cigarettes 13.6%OR 12%
0%10%20%30%40%
Baker City, betterBaker City, worseAbout the sameOregon
Where Baker City gets moving

2.2 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Baker City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Oregon.

75%Yearly checkupOR 73%
63%Dentist visitOR 65%
85%Cholesterol checkOR 84%
66%Colon screeningOR 63%
76%MammogramOR 78%
75%Taking BP medsOR 71%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Baker City 7.6% · Oregon 1 in 12 (8.5%)
Mind & connection

How Baker City adults are doing

About the same as Oregon on each measure.

1 in 4Baker City adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.4% · OR 27.1% · About the same as OR
1 in 6Baker City adults are in frequent mental distress
17.3% · OR 17.5% · About the same as OR
The one neighbors can help with

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.

Around town

Baker City and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Baker CityB−37.2%12.4%13.6%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

33%

of Baker City adults live with a disability (Oregon 30%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.7%
Thinking or memory15.1%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone8.8%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing4%
Oregon

Every CDC estimate for Baker City

Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Baker City is better than Oregon on 0 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Oregon figure falls inside Baker City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Baker CityORU.S.vs OR
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.1%17.4–22.819%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.1%13.3–1713.8%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.3%15.4–19.417.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity37.2%29.6–45.533.6%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.4%10.6–14.211.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure36%31.7–40.332.7%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36.1%31.8–40.634.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis32.5%28.9–36.127.4%25.3%Worse
Asthma12.1%10.7–13.611.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.6%9.6–11.78.9%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8%7.1–8.96.5%6.4%Worse
COPD8.4%7.4–9.66.8%6.3%Worse
Stroke4%3.6–4.43.3%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)12.8%10.4–15.712.5%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.6%11.6–15.712%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work20.4%16.8–24.420.1%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking15%12.4–1815.4%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours31.6%25.9–37.930.6%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.6%6.2–8.98.5%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year74.8%71–78.472.6%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year63.4%59.7–67.164.7%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.7%82.7–86.684%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)74.7%71.2–77.771.4%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)65.9%60.9–70.863.4%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)75.8%68.1–82.277.6%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26.4%22.6–30.427.1%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability33%28.6–37.430%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.7%13.6–17.913%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering15.1%13.3–16.914.6%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.7%7.7–9.87.1%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5%4.5–5.64.6%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.8%7.7–9.97.9%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4%3.6–4.43.4%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 Oregon figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Baker City

Is Baker City a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Baker City is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #76 of 142 in Oregon. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Baker City?

CDC estimates 37.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.6% and 45.5%, against 33.6% across Oregon and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Baker City?

St. Alphonsus Medical Center - Baker City in Baker City, 1.7 miles in a straight line from Baker City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.

How many people in Baker City have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.2–8.9%), against 8.5% across Oregon.

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

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Baker City.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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