Photo: brewbooks · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Oak Harbor is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns
Oak Harbor differs from Washington on 14 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Oak Harbor. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Oak Harbor
Oak Harbor is short on every kind of care federal data tracks
Oak Harbor’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 ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Oak Harbor
1 in 15 adults were threatened with a utility shut-off (6.6%), vs 5.1% across Washington. No reliable transportation (9.1% vs 7.2%) and housing insecurity (12.1% vs 9.9%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Oak Harbor has a community health center but no hospital
Sea Mar Community Health Centers is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Whidbeyhealth Medical Center in Coupeville, 6.1 miles away. 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 Oak Harbor’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Oak Harbor’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Oak Harbor is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns, #123 of 285 in Washington. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 95% of U.S. towns); mental distress 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). Oak Harbor’s median household income is $76,084; among the 10,827 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($57K–$95K), it’s healthier than 90%, about where its income would put it.
Most Washington towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Oak Harbor is healthier than 57% of graded towns, against 78% nationally.
Care in and near Oak Harbor
1 community health center in Oak Harbor, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Oak Harbor; ≈ 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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.6% of Oak Harbor adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
Out of every 100 Oak Harbor adults…
Oak Harbor runs below WA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Oak Harbor residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Washington. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Washington
Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.
4 miles of trails across 26 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Oak Harbor adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
How Oak Harbor adults are doing
On 1 of 3 measures, Oak Harbor 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.
Oak Harbor and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Harbor | A− | 32.5% | 8.4% | 11.2% | CDC place |
| Whidbey Island Station | A | 26% | 2% | 7.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Oak Harbor adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Oak Harbor
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Oak Harbor is better than Washington on 6 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Oak Harbor’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Oak Harbor | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.4%14.4–18.4 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11–13.8 | 12.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.5%16.5–20.5 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.5%27.7–37.2 | 30.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.4%7.3–9.4 | 9.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 27.7%24.9–30.3 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 29.9%27–32.8 | 34.9% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 21.4%19.3–23.4 | 24.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11%9.8–12.2 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.6%6–7.2 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.8%4.3–5.3 | 5.4% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.9%4.3–5.4 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.7%2.5–2.9 | 2.9% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.5%7.9–11.7 | 9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.2%9.6–12.8 | 10.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 17.2%14.5–19.9 | 17.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.7%14–19.4 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.2%29.2–38.4 | 31.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.2%7.9–10.4 | 8.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 67.8%64.1–71.3 | 70.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.1%60.2–66.5 | 67% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 79.3%77.2–81.3 | 84% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 66.4%63.7–69 | 70.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.4%60.6–69 | 66.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 70.9%64.9–77.6 | 74.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.4%22.4–28.5 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29%25.7–32.4 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.1%10.8–13.5 | 10.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.1%10.7–13.5 | 9.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.6%5.8–7.4 | 5.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.1%8.2–9.9 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.6%12.2–15.1 | 11% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.6%25.3–31.8 | 27.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.6%9.2–11.8 | 10.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.8%14.1–17.5 | 13.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.9%5.3–6.5 | 6.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.9–4.7 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.8–8.4 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.3 | 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 Oak Harbor
Is Oak Harbor a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Oak Harbor is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #123 of 285 in Washington. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 90%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Oak Harbor?
CDC estimates 32.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.7% and 37.2%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Oak Harbor?
Whidbeyhealth Medical Center in Coupeville, 6.1 miles in a straight line from Oak Harbor’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Oak Harbor have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.9–10.4%), 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 Oak Harbor 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 Oak Harbor.
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.