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Waitsburg, Washington - 1Photo: DKRKaynor · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ B+Health Grade
Health in Waitsburg · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Waitsburg is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns

Waitsburg trails Washington on 6 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

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

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Waitsburg

Waitsburg is short on every kind of care federal data tracks

Waitsburg’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 ↓

COPD, cancer and stroke run high in Waitsburg

1 in 16 adults have COPD (6.4%), vs 5.1% across Washington. 1 in 10 adults have had cancer (9.9%), vs 7.9% across Washington. Stroke is also above the state: 3.6%, vs 2.9% across Washington. In all, Waitsburg runs above Washington on five of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Waitsburg is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Waitsburg is healthier than 71%. Against the 10,325 towns with similar household incomes ($51K–$85K), it’s healthier than 90%. 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 Waitsburg’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.

Health Grade

What’s behind Waitsburg’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waitsburg is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 92% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 43%).

BSelf-rated health17.9% · WA 16.3% · U.S. 19.4%
C+Physical distress14.6% · WA 12.4% · U.S. 13%
B−Mental distress16.9% · WA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.6% · WA 30.6% · U.S. 32.9%
A−Diabetes10.3% · WA 9.5% · U.S. 12%
A−Smoking11.6% smoke · WA 10.1% · U.S. 11.8%
AExercise17.9% · WA 17.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 71%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $51K–$85K (10,325)Healthier than 90%

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). Waitsburg’s median household income is $67,917; among the 10,325 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$85K), it’s healthier than 90%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Waitsburg could be anywhere from C+ to A. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

Getting care

Care in and near Waitsburg

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

HNearest ERDayton General HospitalDayton · 9.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyProvidence St. Mary Medical Center★★★★★ · 14.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careYakima Valley Farm Workers ClinicWalla Walla · 17.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.2 mi
Dayton General Hospital
Dayton · not rated
ERRural critical access
14 mi
Providence St. Mary Medical Center
Walla Walla · ★★★★★
ER
17.4 mi
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
3 sites · nearest in Walla Walla
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
29.7 mi
Garfield County Public Hospital District #1
Pomeroy · not rated
ERRural critical access
42.9 mi
Connell Clinic
Connell · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
45.1 mi
Lourdes Medical Center
Pasco · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Waitsburg itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Waitsburg itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Waitsburg 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 Waitsburg; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Waitsburg adults…

Waitsburg runs above WA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

6 of every 100 Waitsburg adults have COPD
Washington: 5 in 100 · worse · likely 5.3–7.7%
Better than WAWorseAbout the sameWashington
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Washington

Share of adults, with the Washington figure marked.

Get no exercise 17.9%WA 17.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 28.3%WA 31.8%
Binge drink 16.2%WA 16.6%
Smoke cigarettes 11.6%WA 10.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Waitsburg, betterWaitsburg, worseAbout the sameWashington
Where Waitsburg gets moving

0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

72%Yearly checkupWA 71%
67%Dentist visitWA 67%
84%Cholesterol checkWA 84%
68%Colon screeningWA 66%
76%MammogramWA 74%
74%Taking BP medsWA 71%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Waitsburg 7.5% · Washington 1 in 12 (8.4%)
Mind & connection

How Waitsburg adults are doing

About the same as Washington on each measure.

3 in 10Waitsburg adults lack social or emotional support
27.7% · WA 28% · About the same as WA
1 in 4Waitsburg adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.2% · WA 25.1% · About the same as WA
1 in 6Waitsburg adults are in frequent mental distress
16.9% · WA 16.4% · About the same as 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 10
Waitsburg adults worry about having enough food
9.9% · WA 10.2%
About the same as WA
1 in 11
Waitsburg adults worry about keeping their housing
9.5% · WA 9.9%
About the same as WA
1 in 19
Waitsburg adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.2% · WA 5.1%
About the same as WA
1 in 14
Waitsburg adults lack reliable transportation
7.3% · WA 7.2%
About the same as WA

11.4% of Waitsburg adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11% across Washington.

Around town

Waitsburg and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
WaitsburgB+33.6%10.3%11.6%CDC place

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

30.7%

of Waitsburg adults live with a disability (Washington 27.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.9%
Thinking or memory14.5%
Hearing8%
Errands alone7.8%
Vision4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.6%
Washington

Every CDC estimate for Waitsburg

Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Waitsburg is better than Washington on 0 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Washington figure falls inside Waitsburg’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…WaitsburgWAU.S.vs WA
Overall health
Fair or poor health17.9%15–21.116.3%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14.6%12.6–16.712.4%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.9%14.7–1916.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33.6%28.5–39.230.6%32.9%About the same
Diabetes10.3%8.9–11.99.5%12%About the same
High blood pressure32.9%29.6–36.430.5%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36.5%32.9–40.134.9%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.8%26–31.924.4%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.7%10.4–13.110.7%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.9%9–117.9%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease6.7%5.9–7.75.4%6.4%Worse
COPD6.4%5.3–7.75.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke3.6%3.1–4.12.9%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)9.3%7.5–11.29%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes11.6%9.2–1410.1%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work17.9%14.6–21.617.9%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking16.2%13.5–1916.6%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours28.3%24.1–32.731.8%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.5%5.8–9.58.4%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year71.9%68.3–75.470.7%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year67.3%64.3–70.367%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.1%81.8–86.584%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)73.7%70.6–76.870.7%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)68%63.7–7266.2%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)75.7%69–81.474.2%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26.2%22.9–29.725.1%20.6%About the same
Lack social and emotional support27.7%24.4–3128%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food9.9%8.8–11.110.2%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing9.5%8.3–10.69.9%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off5.2%4.6–5.95.1%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.3%6.6–87.2%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)11.4%10.1–12.711%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability30.7%26.6–34.927.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs12.9%10.8–15.310.9%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.5%12.3–16.713.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8%7.1–9.16.4%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty4.3%3.7–54.1%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.8%6.6–9.16.8%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.6%3–4.23.1%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 Waitsburg

Is Waitsburg a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waitsburg is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. 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 Waitsburg?

CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.5% and 39.2%, against 30.6% across Washington and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Waitsburg?

Dayton General Hospital in Dayton, 9.2 miles in a straight line from Waitsburg’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Waitsburg have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–9.5%), 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 Waitsburg 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 Waitsburg.

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. 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.