Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Washington, Kalama is healthier than 23% of graded towns
Kalama trails Washington on 13 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Kalama. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Kalama
Washington sets a high bar
Kalama is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, but only 23% of the 285 Washington towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Arthritis, COPD and obesity run high in Kalama
1 in 3 adults have arthritis (32.3%), vs 24.4% across Washington. 1 in 15 adults have COPD (6.6%), vs 5.1% across Washington. Obesity is also above the state: 39.4%, vs 30.6% across Washington. In all, Kalama runs above Washington on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Kalama’s lead shrinks
Kalama is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, but 34% of the 8,281 towns with similar household incomes ($77K–$128K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Kalama is short on primary care and mental health care
Kalama’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
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 Kalama’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Kalama’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kalama is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns, #219 of 285 in Washington. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 82% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 25%).
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). Kalama’s median household income is $102,026; among the 8,281 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 34%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Kalama adults…
Kalama runs above WA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Kalama
No hospital or community health center in Kalama 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 Kalama; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Washington
Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.
4 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Kalama adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
How Kalama 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.
13.9% of Kalama adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
Kalama and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalama | B | 39.4% | 10.4% | 12.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Kalama adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Kalama
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Kalama is better than Washington on 0 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Kalama’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Kalama | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.4%15.7–21.3 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.6%12.7–16.5 | 12.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16–20.3 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.4%35–44.2 | 30.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 10.4%9–12 | 9.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.9%31–37 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34%31.2–37.1 | 34.9% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.3%29.6–35.2 | 24.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.2%11–13.7 | 10.7% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.7–10.6 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.5%5.8–7.5 | 5.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.6%5.5–7.8 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.4%3–3.9 | 2.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.7%8.8–12.8 | 9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.2%9.9–14.5 | 10.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.2%17–23.5 | 17.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%14.6–19.5 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.6%31.9–39.6 | 31.8% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.9%6.3–9.8 | 8.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 71.7%68.5–74.9 | 70.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.7%58.8–64.6 | 67% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.3%82.1–86.3 | 84% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.4%69.5–75.2 | 70.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.5%64.9–72.1 | 66.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.3%72.2–82.1 | 74.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.4%24.5–30.6 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.7%25.1–30.5 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.6%10.5–12.8 | 10.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.1%9.9–12.3 | 9.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6%5.3–6.7 | 5.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.9%7.2–8.6 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.9%12.6–15.3 | 11% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.3%27.6–35 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.1%11.1–15.3 | 10.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.9%12.9–17 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.8–8.7 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.8–5 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%6.7–9 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.1–4.1 | 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 Kalama
Is Kalama a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kalama is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #219 of 285 in Washington. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 34%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Kalama?
CDC estimates 39.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 35% and 44.2%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Kalama?
Peacehealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, 9.2 miles in a straight line from Kalama’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Kalama have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–9.8%), 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 Kalama more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Kalama.
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.