Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Rockaway Beach is healthier than 74%
Rockaway Beach differs from Oregon on 15 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rockaway Beach. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Rockaway Beach is healthier than 42%. Against the 7,080 towns with similar household incomes ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 74%. Health Grade ↓
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Rockaway Beach
1 in 9 adults have COPD (10.9%), vs 6.8% across Oregon. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.9%), vs 6.5% across Oregon. Stroke is also above the state: 5%, vs 3.3% across Oregon. In all, Rockaway Beach runs above Oregon on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Oregon 19%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Rockaway Beach is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Rockaway Beach’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care, dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
More high blood pressure in Rockaway Beach, and more people treating it
41.9% of adults have high blood pressure (Oregon 32.7%), but 79.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 71.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Rockaway Beach keeps up with checkups
It beats Oregon on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (78.2% vs 72.6%) and cholesterol checks (88.2% vs 84%). 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 Oregon figure falls outside Rockaway Beach’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Rockaway Beach’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rockaway Beach is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 72% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Rockaway Beach’s median household income is $53,872; among the 7,080 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($40K–$67K), it’s healthier than 74%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Rockaway Beach compares well: binge drinking, 12.6% (U.S. 15.4%).
Out of every 100 Rockaway Beach adults…
Rockaway Beach runs above OR on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Rockaway Beach is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Oregon. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Rockaway Beach as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Rockaway Beach
No hospital or community health center in Rockaway Beach 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 Rockaway Beach; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Rockaway Beach adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Oregon.
Everyday habits, side by side with Oregon
Share of adults, with the Oregon figure marked.
4.5 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
How Rockaway Beach adults are doing
About the same as Oregon on each measure.
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.
Rockaway Beach and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockaway Beach | C+ | 32.8% | 15.6% | 14.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rockaway Beach adults live with a disability (Oregon 30%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rockaway Beach
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rockaway Beach is better than Oregon on 5 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Oregon figure falls inside Rockaway Beach’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rockaway Beach | OR | U.S. | vs OR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.9%18.7–27.1 | 19% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.3%14.6–19.9 | 13.8% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.1–18.4 | 17.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.8%25.7–40.4 | 33.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.6%13.1–17.9 | 11.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.9%37.1–46.5 | 32.7% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.7%35.9–45.4 | 34.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 38.2%33.9–42.3 | 27.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.5%10.9–14 | 11.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.8%11.4–14.3 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.9%8.5–11.3 | 6.5% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.9%8.7–13 | 6.8% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5%4.3–5.8 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.4%13.2–20.1 | 12.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.6%11.4–17.6 | 12% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.5%18.6–28.4 | 20.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.6%10.2–15.1 | 15.4% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29%23.1–35.3 | 30.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.4%5.8–9.5 | 8.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.2%74.4–81.5 | 72.6% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.6%60.9–68.2 | 64.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.2%86.4–90 | 84% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.1%75.5–82.2 | 71.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.3%64–74.3 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.8%64–80.5 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.6%21.9–29.5 | 27.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.1%29.6–40.2 | 30% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.2%15.8–22.8 | 13% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.7%12.3–17.1 | 14.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.2%8.7–11.5 | 7.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.8%4.8–6.8 | 4.6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.4%7.8–11.1 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4–5.8 | 3.4% | 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 Rockaway Beach
Is Rockaway Beach a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rockaway Beach is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ 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 Rockaway Beach?
CDC estimates 32.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.7% and 40.4%, against 33.6% across Oregon and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rockaway Beach?
Adventist Health Tillamook in Tillamook, 11.8 miles in a straight line from Rockaway Beach’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rockaway Beach have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–9.5%), 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 Rockaway Beach 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 Rockaway Beach.
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.