On CDC estimates, Fife Heights is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns
Fife Heights trails Washington on 23 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fife Heights. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fife Heights
Every town around Fife Heights scores healthier
All three graded neighbors are ahead of Fife Heights’ C, from Tacoma (B) to Fife (B+). Around town ↓
COPD, diabetes and stroke run high in Fife Heights
1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.4%), vs 5.1% across Washington. 1 in 7 adults have diabetes (13.4%), vs 9.5% across Washington. Stroke is also above the state: 3.9%, vs 2.9% across Washington. In all, Fife Heights runs above Washington on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Fife Heights
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (13.7%), vs 10.2% across Washington. Utility shut-off threats (6.8% vs 5.1%) and no reliable transportation (9.1% vs 7.2%) are higher too. 15.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Fife Heights adults live with a disability
36.2% of adults live with a disability, vs 27.1% across Washington. The biggest difference is trouble walking: 15.8% vs 10.9%. Disability ↓
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 Fife Heights’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Fife Heights’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fife Heights is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 66% of U.S. towns); mental distress 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). Fife Heights’ median household income is $157,292; among the 2,329 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($118K–$197K), it’s healthier than 1%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Fife Heights and the towns around it
Fife Heights’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fife Heights | C | 40.2% | 13.4% | 15.4% | CDC place |
| Fife | B+ | 37.4% | 9.8% | 12% | CDC place |
| Tacoma | B | 37.3% | 10.9% | 11.9% | CDC place |
| Milton | B | 35% | 10.7% | 12% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Fife Heights adults…
Fife Heights runs above WA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Fife Heights residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Washington. Age-related conditions run low partly because the town is young.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15.5% of Fife Heights adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fife Heights adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Care in and near Fife Heights
No hospital or community health center in Fife Heights 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 Fife Heights; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Washington
Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Fife Heights adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
How Fife Heights adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Fife Heights 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.
Every CDC estimate for Fife Heights
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fife Heights is better than Washington on 0 and worse on 23; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Fife Heights’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fife Heights | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22%19.8–24.3 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%15.1–18.4 | 12.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.7%18–21.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.2%36.9–43.3 | 30.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 13.4%12.1–14.8 | 9.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 37%34.7–39.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.2%36–40.4 | 34.9% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 29.8%27.9–31.7 | 24.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.5–12.7 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.8%7.2–8.5 | 7.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.8%6.1–7.5 | 5.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.4%6.4–8.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.2 | 2.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.6%13.3–18.1 | 9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.4%13.3–17.5 | 10.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 23.2%20.7–25.9 | 17.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.7%14–17.4 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.7%35.8–41.6 | 31.8% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.4%7.9–11 | 8.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 71.1%68.7–73.5 | 70.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.8%57.4–62.1 | 67% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.3%80.4–84 | 84% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.2%69.6–74.5 | 70.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 58.5%55.5–61.2 | 66.2% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.8%64.1–73.3 | 74.2% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28%25.8–30.3 | 25.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.9%27.8–32.2 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.7%12.5–15 | 10.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.4%11.3–13.6 | 9.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%6.1–7.6 | 5.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.1%8.3–9.8 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.5%14.1–16.9 | 11% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.2%33.3–38.9 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.8%14.1–17.5 | 10.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.2%16.4–20 | 13.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.2%7.4–9 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.3–6.5 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.6–10.7 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.1–5.2 | 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 Fife Heights
Is Fife Heights a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fife Heights is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 1%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Fife Heights?
CDC estimates 40.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 36.9% and 43.3%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fife Heights?
St. Francis Community Hospital in Federal Way, 2.5 miles in a straight line from Fife Heights’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fife Heights have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.9–11%), 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 Fife Heights 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 Fife Heights.
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.