Health · Colby
Colby, KS health
On every measure CDC estimates, Colby looks like Kansas as a whole: no difference is outside the margin of error.
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for ColbyTownTapestry Health GradeNew
B+
Colby’s Health Grade: B+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Colby is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns, and than 90% of towns with similar incomes.
B+Self-rated healthA-Physical distressB-Mental distressBObesityA-DiabetesBSmokingB-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 67%
Less healthyHealthier
Kansas towns we grade (377)Healthier than 72%
Towns with similar incomes, $48K–$79K (8,791)Healthier than 90%
Better than its income would suggest. Colby is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is B+.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Colby could be anywhere from C to A.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Kansas ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Colby with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Colby uses CDC’s own estimate for it. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card
How Colby compares with Kansas
Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.
Chronic conditions
35.6% have obesity
0 better12 close0 worse
Habits
25.4% get no exercise
0 better4 close0 worse
Care & screenings
75% had a checkup
0 better7 close0 worse
Mind & connection
30.6% feel lonely
0 better5 close0 worse
Everyday needs
11.3% face food insecurity
0 better5 close0 worse
Disability
30% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Colby adults…
32 of every 100 Colby adults have high blood pressure
Kansas: 34 in 100 · too close to call · margin 27.5–36.4%
Bars show Colby; the black tick is Kansas. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Colby, betterColby, worseToo close to callKansas
Get no exerciseshare of adults
25.4% Colby
KS 25.6%
KS 25.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
35.2% Colby
KS 34.3%
KS 34.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults
16.8% Colby
KS 16.3%
KS 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
13.4% Colby
KS 14%
KS 14%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Colby adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Kansas.
Yearly checkup
KS 77%Dentist visit
KS 65%Cholesterol check
KS 84%Colon screening
KS 64%Mammogram
KS 75%Taking BP meds
KS 78%1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Colby 8.7% · Kansas 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection
How Colby adults are doing
1 in 3Colby adults feel lonely
30.6% · Kansas 30.9% · too close to call
1 in 5Colby adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.7% · Kansas 20.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Colby adults lack social or emotional support
19.8% · Kansas 21.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Colby adults are in frequent mental distress
17.2% · Kansas 16% · too close to call
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 9
Colby adults worry about having enough food
11.3% · KS 13% · about the same
1 in 10
Colby adults worry about keeping their housing
9.8% · KS 11.2% · about the same
1 in 14
Colby adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.3% · KS 8.2% · about the same
1 in 15
Colby adults lack reliable transportation
6.8% · KS 7.1% · about the same
6.4% of Colby adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.
Disability
Living with a disability
30%
of Colby adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs12.7%
Thinking or memory14.7%
Hearing7.4%
Errands alone7.8%
Vision4.2%
Dressing or bathing3.2%
Black tick: Kansas. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Getting care
Care in and near Colby
1 hospital in Colby, plus the nearest just outside it.
HNearest ERCitizens Medical CenterColby · 0.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSheridan County HospitalOakley · 20.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
20.3 mi
Sheridan County Hospital
4 sites · nearest in Oakley
Hoxie Medical Clinic-Logan Behavioral HealthOakley · 20.3 mi
Selden Community ClinicSelden · 27.7 mi
Hoxie Dental ClinicHoxie · 32.3 mi
Hoxie Medical ClinicHoxie · 32.8 mi
97 mi
United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries
3 sites · nearest in Garden City
Garden City Dental ClinicGarden City · 97 mi
Genesis Family Health Care Center & Medical ClinicGarden City · 98.2 mi
Garden City Community CollegeGarden City · 98.3 mi
Nothing matches.
✓ Primary careColby is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careColby is not a shortage area
! Mental healthColby's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 23 · need score 17 of 25
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 Colby. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Colby
| Measure | Colby | Margin | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 31.9% | 27.5–36.4% | 34.4% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 33.6% | 28.9–38.3% | 36.7% | about the same |
| Obesity | 35.6% | 27.3–44.3% | 36.5% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 25% | 21.6–28.5% | 25.5% | about the same |
| Depression | 21.7% | 17.8–25.9% | 20.8% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 12.7% | 10.2–15.5% | 11.3% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10.2% | 8.8–11.7% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 8.2% | 7.3–9.2% | 8.1% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 9.9% | 8.2–11.7% | 11.4% | about the same |
| COPD | 6.6% | 5.3–8.1% | 6.7% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 6.1% | 5.2–7.1% | 6.4% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3% | 2.6–3.5% | 3.2% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.4% | 10.4–16.3% | 14% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 16.8% | 13.5–20.8% | 16.3% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 25.4% | 19.9–30.7% | 25.6% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.2% | 29–41.6% | 34.3% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 75% | 70.6–79.3% | 76.6% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 64.8% | 61–68.1% | 64.9% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 82.9% | 80.1–85.6% | 84.1% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 63.9% | 58.7–68.6% | 63.5% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 73.1% | 65–80.1% | 74.6% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 76.9% | 73.8–79.8% | 77.6% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 8.7% | 6.7–11.2% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 30.6% | 25.7–35.5% | 30.9% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 19.8% | 16.4–23.3% | 21.1% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.2% | 14.5–19.9% | 16% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 16.7% | 13.6–20.2% | 18% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 12.1% | 10.2–14.3% | 12.3% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 11.3% | 8.7–14.3% | 13% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 9.8% | 7.9–11.9% | 11.2% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 7.3% | 6.1–8.7% | 8.2% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 6.8% | 5.6–8.1% | 7.1% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 6.4% | 4.8–8.4% | 7.4% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30% | 24.7–35.3% | 30.4% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 12.7% | 10.4–15.4% | 13.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 14.7% | 12.1–17.3% | 14.4% | |
| Hearing | 7.4% | 6.3–8.6% | 7.4% | |
| Vision | 4.2% | 3.5–4.9% | 4.6% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.2% | 2.7–3.9% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 7.8% | 6.4–9.3% | 7.7% | |
About these numbers
How CDC estimates town health
They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Colby door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Kansas figure falls inside it, we don't call Colby better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Colby directly, so these are its own figures.
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Kansas figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.