Photo: Eric Ward from Provo, UT, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Highland is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns
Highland differs from Utah on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 23 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Highland. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Highland
Highland is an active town
Only 11.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 17.6% across Utah. The town has 18 miles of trails across 22 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Highland’s lead shrinks
Highland is healthier than 99% of U.S. towns, but 84% of the 1,225 towns with similar household incomes ($140K–$233K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Highland adults report less mental distress
Frequent mental distress (14.1% vs 17.3%), lack of emotional support (16.5% vs 20.6%) and depression (24.6% vs 27.3%) all run below Utah. Mind & connection ↓
Few Highland adults smoke
5% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 8.1% across Utah. Habits ↓
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 Utah figure falls outside Highland’s likely range.
What’s behind Highland’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Highland is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, #5 of 118 in Utah. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than almost every town); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 89%.
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). Highland’s median household income is $186,075; among the 1,225 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($140K–$233K), it’s healthier than 84%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Utah
Share of adults, with the Utah figure marked.
18 miles of trails across 22 parks and preserves
How Highland adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Highland does better than Utah.
1 in 3 Highland 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.
Out of every 100 Highland adults…
Highland runs below UT on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 9% of Highland residents are 65 or older, vs 12% across Utah. Heart disease, COPD and stroke run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Highland
No hospital or community health center in Highland 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 Highland; ≈ 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 Highland adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Utah.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
2.9% of Highland adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.1% across Utah.
Highland and the towns around it
Highland has the best Health Grade of the 6 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | A+ | 27.7% | 6.9% | 5% | CDC place |
| American Fork | A | 29.9% | 7.6% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| Alpine | A+ | 28.5% | 8.1% | 5.3% | CDC place |
| Lehi | A+ | 29.3% | 6% | 6.2% | CDC place |
| Cedar Hills | A+ | 29.2% | 7.5% | 5.9% | CDC place |
| Draper | A | 28.6% | 7.3% | 7.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Highland adults live with a disability (Utah 28.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Highland
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Highland is better than Utah on 23 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Utah figure falls inside Highland’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Highland | UT | U.S. | vs UT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 9.9%8.8–11.3 | 15.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.8%8.7–10.9 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.7–15.7 | 17.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.7%24.5–31 | 31% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 6.9%6.1–7.8 | 8.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 24.9%22.7–27 | 27.3% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30%27.6–32.6 | 30.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 20%18.2–21.8 | 21.7% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.6–10.7 | 10.8% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.2%7.5–8.9 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 4.7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.3%2.9–3.8 | 4.6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2%1.8–2.2 | 2.5% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5%4.1–6.2 | 9.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 5%4.2–6 | 8.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 11.2%9.7–13 | 17.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 8.8%7.5–10.3 | 12.4% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.9%26.8–33.2 | 33.8% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.7%4.9–6.7 | 10.5% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.2%69.6–74.8 | 70.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 79.8%77.8–81.7 | 70.3% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.1%82.3–85.7 | 80.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 64.5%61.4–67.5 | 65.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.9%62.3–69.3 | 63.1% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%68.8–79.8 | 72.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.6%22.2–27.2 | 27.3% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 31.6%28.8–34.3 | 34.1% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 16.5%14.6–18.4 | 20.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.1%5.2–7.2 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.8%5–6.8 | 10% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4%3.5–4.6 | 6.5% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.3%3.7–4.9 | 6.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 2.9%2.4–3.6 | 6.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 21.2%19–23.7 | 28.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7.3%6.4–8.3 | 10.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.3%10–12.7 | 15.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.8–5.9 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.9%4.3–5.6 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.9%1.8–2.2 | 2.7% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Utah figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Highland
Is Highland a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Highland is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #5 of 118 in Utah. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Highland?
CDC estimates 27.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.5% and 31%, against 31% across Utah and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Highland?
American Fork Hospital in American Fork, 3.5 miles in a straight line from Highland’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Highland have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.9–6.7%), against 10.5% across Utah.
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 Highland more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Highland.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Utah 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.