Hanford B Reactor · Photo: Billatq · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Washington, Desert Aire is healthier than 8% of graded towns
Desert Aire trails Washington on 19 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Desert Aire. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Desert Aire
More Desert Aire adults go without health insurance
22.4% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 8.4% across Washington. Checkups ↓
More Desert Aire adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (27.7%), vs 17.9% across Washington. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Desert Aire
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (14.2%), vs 10.2% across Washington. Housing insecurity (13.1% vs 9.9%) and utility shut-off threats (6.6% vs 5.1%) are higher too. 14.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Desert Aire’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Desert Aire’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Desert Aire is healthier than 35% of U.S. towns, #263 of 285 in Washington. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 70% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 13%).
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). Desert Aire’s median household income is $85,960; among the 10,314 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$107K), it’s healthier than 22%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Keeping up with care
Share of Desert Aire adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
Everyday habits, side by side with Washington
Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.
7 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14.8% of Desert Aire adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
Out of every 100 Desert Aire adults…
Desert Aire runs above WA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Desert Aire
No hospital or community health center in Desert Aire 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 Desert Aire; ≈ 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).
How Desert Aire 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.
Desert Aire and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Aire | C+ | 39.5% | 12.6% | 12.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Desert Aire adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Desert Aire
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Desert Aire is better than Washington on 0 and worse on 19; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Desert Aire’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Desert Aire | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.9%21.7–30.3 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%13.7–18.4 | 12.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.6–18.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.5%34.5–44.9 | 30.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 12.6%10.9–14.5 | 9.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 34.1%31–37.5 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.6%32.3–39.2 | 34.9% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.5%24–29.3 | 24.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.4–11.9 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.5%6.8–8.3 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.1%6.2–8.2 | 5.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7%5.7–8.5 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.3–4.3 | 2.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.8%8.1–11.7 | 9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.7%10.2–15.4 | 10.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 27.7%23.1–32.5 | 17.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.4%13.9–19.2 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.8%26.9–34.9 | 31.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 22.4%17.4–27.9 | 8.4% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 70%66.7–73.6 | 70.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.2%55.2–61.2 | 67% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80.5%77.7–83.4 | 84% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.2%69.1–75.1 | 70.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.3%57–65.4 | 66.2% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.6%59.4–73.4 | 74.2% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.1%19.3–25.3 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 30%26.9–33.3 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.2%12.8–15.7 | 10.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.1%11.7–14.6 | 9.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.6%5.8–7.4 | 5.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%8.2–9.8 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.8%13.3–16.2 | 11% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.7%30.8–40.6 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.8%13.2–18.7 | 10.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.7%14.9–20.7 | 13.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.2%7.1–9.3 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.1%6–8.2 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.3%7.7–10.9 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4.1–5.7 | 3.1% | 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 Washington figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Desert Aire
Is Desert Aire a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Desert Aire is healthier than 35% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #263 of 285 in Washington. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 22%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Desert Aire?
CDC estimates 39.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.5% and 44.9%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Desert Aire?
Astria Sunnyside Hospital in Sunnyside, 26.0 miles in a straight line from Desert Aire’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Desert Aire have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 22.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 17.4–27.9%), 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 Desert Aire 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 Desert Aire.
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.