Saturno-Breen Truck Garden · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Washington, College Place is healthier than 49% of graded towns
College Place trails Washington on 3 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for College Place. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in College Place
College Place is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
College Place’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 ↓
Washington sets a high bar
College Place is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns, but only 49% of the 285 Washington towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
College Place is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, College Place is healthier than 75%. Against the 9,379 towns with similar household incomes ($46K–$77K), it’s healthier than 95%. 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 Washington figure falls outside College Place’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind College Place’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, College Place is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns, #145 of 285 in Washington. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 90% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 40%).
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). College Place’s median household income is $61,914; among the 9,379 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($46K–$77K), it’s healthier than 95%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Care in and near College Place
No hospital or community health center in College Place 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 College Place; ≈ 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 College Place adults…
On every condition, College Place is about the same as Washington. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Washington
Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.
0.3 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of College Place adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
How College Place adults are doing
About the same as Washington 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
12.4% of College Place adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
College Place and the towns around it
College Place has the best Health Grade of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Place | B+ | 32.4% | 9.5% | 10% | CDC place |
| Garrett | B | 35.7% | 12.1% | 12.2% | CDC place |
| Walla Walla | B | 35% | 10.7% | 12.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of College Place adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for College Place
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, College Place is better than Washington on 0 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside College Place’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | College Place | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.2%15.9–20.7 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.7%12.1–15.4 | 12.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.6%15.7–19.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.4%27.4–37.4 | 30.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.5%8.3–10.8 | 9.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 29.2%26.3–32.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.2%30–36.4 | 34.9% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.4%22–26.9 | 24.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.2–12.8 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.3%7.6–9.1 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6%5.3–6.7 | 5.4% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.6%4.8–6.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.9–3.6 | 2.9% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.9%8.9–13.2 | 9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10%8.4–11.6 | 10.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.4%15.4–21.8 | 17.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.6%13.8–19.5 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.2%24–32.4 | 31.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10%8.2–11.9 | 8.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 69.6%65.7–73.2 | 70.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.4%61.3–67.4 | 67% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 79.6%77.2–81.9 | 84% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.6%68.8–74.1 | 70.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.7%64.4–72.5 | 66.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.2%66.5–79.2 | 74.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.8%22.7–29.2 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.2%25.1–31.5 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.6%10.4–12.9 | 10.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.8%9.6–12.1 | 9.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 5.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%8.2–9.8 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.4%11.1–13.7 | 11% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.1%27.5–35.1 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12%10.4–13.8 | 10.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.8%13.9–17.9 | 13.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.6–8.3 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.2–5.4 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.1–9.3 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%3–3.9 | 3.1% | 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 Washington figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in College Place
Is College Place a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, College Place is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns: B+ for health, #145 of 285 in Washington. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 95%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in College Place?
CDC estimates 32.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.4% and 37.4%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to College Place?
Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, 5.6 miles in a straight line from College Place’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in College Place have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.2–11.9%), against 8.4% across Washington.
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 College Place more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in College Place.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Washington 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.