Within Washington, Elk Plain is healthier than 18% of graded towns
Elk Plain trails Washington on 16 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Elk Plain. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Elk Plain
Washington sets a high bar
Elk Plain is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns, but only 18% of the 285 Washington towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Elk Plain
1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food (12.6%), vs 10.2% across Washington. Utility shut-off threats (6.5% vs 5.1%) and housing insecurity (12.4% vs 9.9%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Mental distress runs high in Elk Plain
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (19.4%), vs 16.4% across Washington. Depression is above the state too: 28%, vs 25.1% across Washington. Mind & connection ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Elk Plain’s lead shrinks
Elk Plain is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns, but 21% of the 7,570 towns with similar household incomes ($80K–$134K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Smoking is more common in Elk Plain
1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (13.5%), vs 10.1% across Washington. COPD, which smoking drives, is high too: 6%, vs 5.1% across Washington. 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 Washington figure falls outside Elk Plain’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to B+.
What’s behind Elk Plain’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elk Plain is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns, #234 of 285 in Washington. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 83% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 14%).
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). Elk Plain’s median household income is $107,313; among the 7,570 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($80K–$134K), it’s healthier than 21%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.7% of Elk Plain adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
How Elk Plain adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Elk Plain runs above Washington.
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.
Everyday habits, side by side with Washington
Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.
6 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Out of every 100 Elk Plain adults…
Elk Plain runs above WA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Elk Plain
No hospital or community health center in Elk Plain 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 Elk Plain; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Elk Plain adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
Elk Plain and the towns around it
Elk Plain’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Plain | B− | 38.6% | 11.2% | 13.5% | CDC place |
| Graham | B | 37.5% | 10% | 12.5% | CDC place |
| Spanaway | C+ | 39.5% | 11.5% | 13.6% | CDC place |
| South Creek | C+ | 38.6% | 12% | 14% | CDC place |
| Frederickson | B | 37.7% | 9.5% | 12.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Elk Plain adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Elk Plain
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Elk Plain is better than Washington on 0 and worse on 16; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Elk Plain’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Elk Plain | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.5%16.8–20.3 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.6–16.3 | 12.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.4%17.7–20.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.6%35.3–41.6 | 30.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 11.2%10.1–12.3 | 9.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 33.5%31.4–35.5 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.5%34.2–38.5 | 34.9% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.5%25.6–29.2 | 24.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.3–12.4 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%7–8.2 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%5.1–6.2 | 5.4% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6%5.4–6.7 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.9–3.4 | 2.9% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.5%8.9–12.3 | 9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.5%11.9–15.1 | 10.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 20%17.9–22 | 17.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.5%15.8–19.4 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.8%35–40.6 | 31.8% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.6%7.6–9.8 | 8.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 70%67.7–72.3 | 70.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.1%61.7–66.3 | 67% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.7%81.1–84.1 | 84% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.5%67.9–72.7 | 70.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.6%61.8–67.2 | 66.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.4%68.2–76.4 | 74.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28%25.7–30.1 | 25.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.9%27.7–32.2 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.6%11.5–13.8 | 10.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.4%11.3–13.6 | 9.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.5%5.8–7.3 | 5.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.7%7.9–9.4 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.7%12.4–14.9 | 11% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.7%30.2–35.1 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.9%11.7–14.2 | 10.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.9%15.4–18.5 | 13.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.9%6.2–7.6 | 6.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4.2–5 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%7.3–8.9 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.3–4 | 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 Elk Plain
Is Elk Plain a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elk Plain is healthier than 50% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #234 of 285 in Washington. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 21%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Elk Plain?
CDC estimates 38.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.3% and 41.6%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Elk Plain?
Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, 10.0 miles in a straight line from Elk Plain’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Elk Plain have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.6–9.8%), 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 Elk Plain 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 Elk Plain.
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.