On CDC estimates, Lamar is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Lamar differs from Texas on 21 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lamar. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lamar
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Lamar
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.6%), more than twice the Texas rate. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.8%), vs 5.6% across Texas. Arthritis is also above the state: 36.6%, vs 21.6% across Texas. In all, Lamar runs above Texas on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 38% of residents are 65 or older (Texas 13%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Lamar is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Lamar’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 Lamar, and more people treating it
47% of adults have high blood pressure (Texas 33.1%), but 84.3% of them take medicine for it, vs 74.1% statewide. Checkups ↓
The nearest ER is 21 miles from Lamar
The closest emergency room is Refugio County Memorial Hospital in Refugio, 21.1 miles away in a straight line. Getting care ↓
Lamar keeps up with checkups
It beats Texas on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (82% vs 73.8%) and dentist visits (59.2% vs 54.6%). 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 Texas figure falls outside Lamar’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Lamar’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lamar is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 92% of U.S. towns); diabetes 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). Lamar’s median household income is $86,851; among the 10,257 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($65K–$109K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Lamar adults…
Lamar runs above TX on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Lamar is an older town: 38% of residents are 65 or older, vs 13% across Texas. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Lamar as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Lamar
No hospital or community health center in Lamar 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 Lamar; ≈ 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 Lamar adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Texas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Texas
Share of adults, with the Texas figure marked.
1.8 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Lamar adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Lamar does better than Texas.
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.
11.5% of Lamar adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.6% across Texas.
Lamar and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar | B | 33.6% | 15.7% | 11.8% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lamar adults live with a disability (Texas 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lamar
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lamar is better than Texas on 13 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Texas figure falls inside Lamar’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lamar | TX | U.S. | vs TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.6%17.2–24.7 | 21.8% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%12.6–17.3 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.5%11.7–15.5 | 16.9% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.6%26.4–41.5 | 35.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.7%13.4–18.3 | 12.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 47%42.3–51.8 | 33.1% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 47.4%42.7–52.3 | 35.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.6%32.6–40.9 | 21.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.7–11.2 | 9.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.6%12.2–15 | 6.1% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.8%8.4–11.3 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9%7.2–11 | 5.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.7%4–5.5 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.8%8.6–13 | 12.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.8%9–14.9 | 12.5% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.3%20.6–30.8 | 27.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.3%10.9–16 | 17% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.3%28.3–41.9 | 38.2% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.1%7.2–11.6 | 19.1% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82%78.9–84.9 | 73.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.2%55.3–62.8 | 54.6% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.3%91.1–93.5 | 84.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.3%81.5–86.8 | 74.1% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%60.7–70.8 | 57.9% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.5%56.6–74.6 | 74.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.6%18.4–25.2 | 21.2% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.7%19.3–26.2 | 28.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.2%11.7–14.9 | 19.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10%8.7–11.3 | 16.4% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.4%6.5–8.4 | 10.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.4%6.7–8.2 | 10.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.5%10.1–12.9 | 14.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.7%28.6–39 | 30.9% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.1%14.9–21.6 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.5%9.7–13.7 | 15.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.5%9–12 | 6.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.3–6 | 6.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.3–9.2 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.4–5 | 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 Texas figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Lamar
Is Lamar a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lamar is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 49%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lamar?
CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.4% and 41.5%, against 35.6% across Texas and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lamar?
Refugio County Memorial Hospital in Refugio, 21.1 miles in a straight line from Lamar’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Lamar have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.2–11.6%), against 19.1% across Texas.
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 Lamar 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 Lamar.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Texas 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.