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Twanoh State ParkTwanoh State Park · Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Union · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Union residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Union, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Union. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Union

Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Union

1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.6%), vs 7.9% across Washington. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.2%), vs 5.4% across Washington. Arthritis is also above the state: 36.6%, vs 24.4% across Washington. In all, Union runs above Washington on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 73% of residents are 65 or older (Washington 17%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Union is short on every kind of care federal data tracks

Union’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 ↓

More high blood pressure in Union, and more people treating it

39.3% of adults have high blood pressure (Washington 30.5%), but 80.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 70.7% statewide. Checkups ↓

Union keeps up with checkups

It beats Washington on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (77.3% vs 70.7%) and cholesterol checks (89.3% vs 84%). Checkups ↓

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 Union’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Union adults…

Union runs above WA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

14 of every 100 Union adults have had cancer
Washington: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 12.2–15%
Better than WAWorseAbout the sameWashington
Why age matters here

Union is an older town: 73% 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 Union as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Union73%
Washington17%
Getting care

Care in and near Union

No hospital or community health center in Union itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERMason General Hospital & Family of ClinicsShelton · 8.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMason General Hospital & Family of Clinics★★★★★ · 8.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePeninsula Community Health ServicesShelton · 9.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.4 mi
Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics
Shelton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
9.2 mi
Peninsula Community Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Shelton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
16.4 mi
Key Peninsula Health Center
Lakebay · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
22.2 mi
Capital Medical Center
Olympia · ★★★★★
ER
22.5 mi
St. Anthony Hospital
Gig Harbor · ★★★★★
ER
23.5 mi
Providence St. Peter Hospital
Olympia · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Union itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Union itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Union itself

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 Union; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Union adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Washington.

77%Yearly checkupWA 71%
68%Dentist visitWA 67%
89%Cholesterol checkWA 84%
76%Colon screeningWA 66%
76%MammogramWA 74%
80%Taking BP medsWA 71%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Union 6.4% · Washington 1 in 12 (8.4%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Washington

Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.

Get no exercise 18%WA 17.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.3%WA 31.8%
Binge drink 13.8%WA 16.6%
Smoke cigarettes 9.4%WA 10.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Union, betterUnion, worseAbout the sameWashington
Where Union gets moving

0.5 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Union adults are doing

On 2 of 3 measures, Union does better than Washington.

1 in 4Union adults lack social or emotional support
23.7% · WA 28% · Better than WA
1 in 4Union adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.4% · WA 25.1% · About the same as WA
1 in 7Union adults are in frequent mental distress
13.7% · WA 16.4% · Better than WA
The one neighbors can help with

A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 14
Union adults worry about having enough food
6.9% · WA 10.2%
Better than WA
1 in 16
Union adults worry about keeping their housing
6.2% · WA 9.9%
Better than WA
1 in 29
Union adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
3.5% · WA 5.1%
Better than WA
1 in 20
Union adults lack reliable transportation
5% · WA 7.2%
Better than WA

7.4% of Union adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.

Around town

Union and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

31%

of Union adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.5%
Thinking or memory11.4%
Hearing9.5%
Errands alone6.7%
Vision3.9%
Dressing or bathing3.3%
Washington

Questions about health in Union

Why doesn’t Union have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Union.

What hospital is closest to Union?

Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics in Shelton, 8.4 miles in a straight line from Union’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Union?

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Peninsula Community Health Services - Franklin Street in Shelton, 9.2 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Union.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.