Photo: Pete Forsyth · CC BY 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Puget Island is healthier than 76%
Puget Island differs from Washington on 19 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 14 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Puget Island. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Puget Island
Heart disease, COPD and stroke run high in Puget Island
1 in 9 adults have heart disease (10.8%), about twice the Washington rate. 1 in 10 adults have COPD (10%), about twice the Washington rate. Stroke is also above the state: 5.4%, vs 2.9% across Washington. In all, Puget Island runs above Washington on nine of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 37% of residents are 65 or older (Washington 17%), and heart disease, COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Puget Island, and more people treating it
45.3% of adults have high blood pressure (Washington 30.5%), but 79.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 70.7% statewide. Checkups ↓
In Puget Island, insurance isn’t the gap
Only 7.2% of working-age adults are uninsured (Washington 8.4%), yet 22.7% say their health is fair or poor, vs 16.3% across the state. Checkups ↓
The nearest ER is 21 miles from Puget Island
The closest emergency room is Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, 20.9 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Cowlitz Family Health Center is closer (2.1 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
Puget Island is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Puget Island is healthier than 37%. Against the 5,587 towns with similar household incomes ($37K–$62K), it’s healthier than 76%. Health Grade ↓
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 Puget Island’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Puget Island’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Puget Island is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 74% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Puget Island’s median household income is $49,438; among the 5,587 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($37K–$62K), it’s healthier than 76%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Puget Island compares well: binge drinking, 12.3% (U.S. 15.4%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 79.9% (U.S. 76.5%); worried about keeping housing, 8.4% (U.S. 12%).
Out of every 100 Puget Island adults…
Puget Island runs above WA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Puget Island is an older town: 37% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Washington. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Puget Island as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Puget Island adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
Care in and near Puget Island
No hospital or community health center in Puget Island 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 Puget Island; ≈ 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.
1.1 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
How Puget Island 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.
12.3% of Puget Island adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
Puget Island and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Island | C+ | 40% | 15.6% | 13.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Puget Island adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Puget Island
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Puget Island is better than Washington on 5 and worse on 14; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Puget Island’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Puget Island | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.7%19.1–27 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.7%15.2–20.3 | 12.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.6%13.7–17.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40%33.4–46.7 | 30.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 15.6%13.5–18 | 9.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 45.3%41.2–49.7 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 45.1%40.9–49.4 | 34.9% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 42.2%38.5–46.2 | 24.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.9%10.5–13.4 | 10.7% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.7%12.3–15.1 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 10.8%9.4–12.4 | 5.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10%8.3–12.1 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.4%4.7–6.2 | 2.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.8%10.5–15.3 | 9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.9%11.1–16.9 | 10.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 22.1%17.9–26.9 | 17.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.3%10.2–14.7 | 16.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.7%26.5–37.2 | 31.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.2%5.5–9.2 | 8.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.2%73.7–80.4 | 70.7% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.2%57.7–64.6 | 67% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.7%86.9–90.3 | 84% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.9%76.9–82.8 | 70.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.1%64.6–73.1 | 66.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 68.7%60.9–75.9 | 74.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.6%22.3–29.3 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.8%21.7–28.3 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.7%8.6–10.9 | 10.2% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.4%7.3–9.5 | 9.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.9%4.3–5.6 | 5.1% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.7%6.1–7.4 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.3%10.9–13.8 | 11% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.7%32.8–42.9 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.4%16.3–22.8 | 10.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.5%12.4–16.9 | 13.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.8%10.3–13.3 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6%5.1–7 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.4%7.9–11 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.1%4.3–6.1 | 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 Puget Island
Is Puget Island a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Puget Island is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Puget Island?
CDC estimates 40% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.4% and 46.7%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Puget Island?
Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, 20.9 miles in a straight line from Puget Island’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Puget Island have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–9.2%), 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 Puget Island 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 Puget Island.
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.