Cox-Williams House · Photo: Ian Poellet (User:Werewombat) · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, St. Helens is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns
St. Helens differs from Oregon on 4 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. Helens. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in St. Helens
Smoking is more common in St. Helens
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (15.6%), vs 12% across Oregon. Habits ↓
St. Helens is short on primary care and mental health care
St. Helens’ 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 ↓
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 St. Helens’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind St. Helens’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Helens is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns, #83 of 142 in Oregon. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 72% of U.S. towns); mental 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). St. Helens’ median household income is $82,865; among the 10,553 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($62K–$104K), it’s healthier than 42%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Everyday habits, side by side with Oregon
Share of adults, with the Oregon figure marked.
6.8 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves
Care in and near St. Helens
No hospital or community health center in St. Helens 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 St. Helens; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 St. Helens adults…
St. Helens runs below OR on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of St. Helens adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Oregon.
How St. Helens adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, St. Helens runs above Oregon.
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.
St. Helens and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helens | B− | 34.1% | 11% | 15.6% | CDC place |
| Columbia City | B− | 33% | 13.2% | 13.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of St. Helens adults live with a disability (Oregon 30%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for St. Helens
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. Helens is better than Oregon on 1 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Oregon figure falls inside St. Helens’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | St. Helens | OR | U.S. | vs OR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.5%18.4–22.7 | 19% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%13.6–16.3 | 13.8% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.8%18.2–21.6 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.1%29.3–39 | 33.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11%9.8–12.2 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.8%29.1–34.6 | 32.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.8%29–34.5 | 34.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.3%25.9–30.6 | 27.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 12.7%11.6–13.8 | 11.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.1%7.5–8.8 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.2%5.7–6.8 | 6.5% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.5%6.8–8.4 | 6.8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.3%3.1–3.6 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.3%12.5–18.6 | 12.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.6%13.7–17.6 | 12% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 22.3%19.5–25.4 | 20.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.6%14.5–18.8 | 15.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.9%28.1–40.2 | 30.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.8%7.5–10.3 | 8.5% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 69.7%66.6–72.6 | 72.6% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62%58.4–65.7 | 64.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.4%79.6–83.2 | 84% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 69.1%66.4–71.5 | 71.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.3%56.1–66.3 | 63.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.8%66–80.9 | 77.6% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.9%26–31.8 | 27.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.3%27.3–33.4 | 30% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.5%12.1–14.9 | 13% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17%15.4–18.6 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.7%6.1–7.4 | 7.1% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.4–5.3 | 4.6% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.9%8.1–9.8 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.4–4.1 | 3.4% | 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 Oregon figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in St. Helens
Is St. Helens a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Helens is healthier than 48% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #83 of 142 in Oregon. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 42%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in St. Helens?
CDC estimates 34.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.3% and 39%, against 33.6% across Oregon and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to St. Helens?
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, 12.4 miles in a straight line from St. Helens’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in St. Helens have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–10.3%), 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 St. Helens more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in St. Helens.
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.