Jonas and Maria Lovisa Erickson Farmstead · Photo: Dog Walking Girl · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Washington, Rochester is healthier than 14% of graded towns
Rochester trails Washington on 22 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rochester. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rochester
COPD, arthritis and stroke run high in Rochester
1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.3%), vs 5.1% across Washington. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (31.4%), vs 24.4% across Washington. Stroke is also above the state: 3.7%, vs 2.9% across Washington. In all, Rochester runs above Washington on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Depression is more common in Rochester
3 in 10 adults have been diagnosed with depression (29.7%), vs 25.1% across Washington. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 19.3%, vs 16.4% across Washington. Mind & connection ↓
Rochester trails towns with similar incomes
Rochester is healthier than 45% of U.S. towns, and only 22% of the 8,713 towns with similar household incomes ($74K–$124K), so income alone doesn’t explain its grade. 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 Rochester’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Rochester’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rochester is healthier than 45% of U.S. towns, #246 of 285 in Washington. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 81% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 15%).
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). Rochester’s median household income is $99,286; among the 8,713 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($74K–$124K), it’s healthier than 22%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Rochester adults…
Rochester runs above WA on 12 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
How Rochester adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Rochester 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.
Care in and near Rochester
No hospital or community health center in Rochester 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 Rochester; ≈ 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.
0.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Rochester adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
15% of Rochester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.
Rochester and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | B− | 35% | 11.9% | 14.3% | CDC place |
| Grand Mound | B− | 34.9% | 11.4% | 14% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rochester adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rochester
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rochester is better than Washington on 0 and worse on 22; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Rochester’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rochester | WA | U.S. | vs WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.9%18.4–23.5 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.6–18.1 | 12.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.3%17.4–21.3 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35%31.3–38.8 | 30.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10.6–13.3 | 9.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 37.4%34.7–40 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.8%35.1–40.5 | 34.9% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 31.4%29.1–33.7 | 24.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.9–13.3 | 10.7% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.9%8.2–9.8 | 7.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.8%6.1–7.5 | 5.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.3%6.3–8.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.4–4.1 | 2.9% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.9%10.6–15.3 | 9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.3%12.1–16.4 | 10.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 20.5%17.7–23.4 | 17.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.6%12.7–16.6 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.8%33.3–40.4 | 31.8% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.8%7.4–10.4 | 8.4% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 68%65–70.8 | 70.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 61.2%58.3–64 | 67% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.1%80.2–84 | 84% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.2%68.4–73.9 | 70.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.5%64–70.9 | 66.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.6%65.8–76.7 | 74.2% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 29.7%27–32.4 | 25.1% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.4%26.7–32.4 | 28% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.8%10.6–13.2 | 10.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.7%10.4–13.1 | 9.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.7–7.3 | 5.1% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.5%7.8–9.3 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15%13.6–16.7 | 11% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34%30.7–37.2 | 27.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.2%12.5–16 | 10.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17%15–18.9 | 13.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%7.1–8.7 | 6.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.1%4.6–5.7 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.2%8.2–10.4 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 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 Rochester
Is Rochester a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rochester is healthier than 45% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #246 of 285 in Washington. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 22%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Rochester?
CDC estimates 35% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.3% and 38.8%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rochester?
Providence Centralia Hospital in Centralia, 8.3 miles in a straight line from Rochester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rochester have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.4–10.4%), 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 Rochester 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 Rochester.
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.