Health · Falls

Falls, KS health

Falls differs from Kansas on 9 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (14.9% vs 11.3%) and more adults with COPD (8.8% vs 6.7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 66845, 66850
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Falls’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Falls is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns, and than 73% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthB-Physical distressB+Mental distressCObesityCDiabetesCSmokingCExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 37%
Less healthyHealthier
Kansas towns we grade (377)Healthier than 27%
Towns with similar incomes, $39K–$64K (5,908)Healthier than 73%

Better than its income would suggest. Falls is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Falls could be anywhere from D to B+.
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 Falls 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. Falls’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. 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 Falls 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

Out of every 100 Falls adults…

38 of every 100 Falls adults have high blood pressure
Kansas: 34 in 100 · too close to call · margin 34.1–42.9%

Bars show Falls; the black tick is Kansas. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Falls, betterFalls, worseToo close to callKansas
Get no exerciseshare of adults 29.5% Falls
KS 25.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.5% Falls
KS 34.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.2% Falls
KS 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.3% Falls
KS 14%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%
Yearly checkup
KS 77%
59%
Dentist visit
KS 65%
84%
Cholesterol check
KS 84%
63%
Colon screening
KS 64%
72%
Mammogram
KS 75%
80%
Taking BP meds
KS 78%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Falls 12.3% · Kansas 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Falls adults are doing

1 in 3Falls adults feel lonely
29.4% · Kansas 30.9% · too close to call
1 in 5Falls adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.2% · Kansas 20.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Falls adults lack social or emotional support
20.7% · Kansas 21.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Falls adults are in frequent mental distress
16% · 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 7
Falls adults worry about having enough food
14.7% · KS 13% · about the same
1 in 8
Falls adults worry about keeping their housing
11.9% · KS 11.2% · about the same
1 in 11
Falls adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
9.2% · KS 8.2% · about the same
1 in 13
Falls adults lack reliable transportation
7.9% · KS 7.1% · about the same

9.1% of Falls adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.6%

of Falls adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.8%
Thinking or memory15.3%
Hearing9.4%
Errands alone8.8%
Vision5.6%
Dressing or bathing4.3%

Black tick: Kansas. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Falls

Falls and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Falls.

Bazaar: 38.4% Toledo: 38.6% Strong: 39.3% Diamond Creek: 39.3% Cottonwood: 39.1% Matfield: 37.4% Center: 37.5% Homestead: 38.9% Pike: 38.7% Clear Creek: 40% Grant: 39.1% Cedar: 38.8% Doyle: 40% Falls: 38.8% Falls Bazaar Toledo Strong Diamond Creek Cottonwood Newman Regional Health · Emporia · 19.4 mi · 2★ MedicareH St. Luke Hospital & Living Center · Marion · 25.3 miH Carearc · Emporia · 20 mi+
37.4%40%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#6 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first
Bazaar38.4%
Toledo38.6%
Falls38.8%
Cottonwood39.1%
Strong39.3%
Diamond Creek39.3%
6 places to get careNearest ER 19.4 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Falls

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

HNearest ERNewman Regional HealthEmporia · 19.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMorris County Hospital★★★★★ · 22.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCarearcEmporia · 20 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
19.4 mi
Newman Regional Health
Emporia · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
20 mi
Carearc
Emporia · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
22.2 mi
Morris County Hospital
Council Grove · ★★★★★
Rural critical access
25.3 mi
St. Luke Hospital & Living Center
Marion · not rated
ERRural critical access
35 mi
Hillsboro Community Hospital
Hillsboro · not rated
Rural critical access
48.2 mi
Health Ministries Clinic
5 sites · nearest in Newton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careFalls's county is a federal shortage area.Chase County · need score 13 of 25
! Dental careFalls's county is a federal shortage area.Chase County · need score 8 of 25
! Mental healthFalls's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 12 · need score 16 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 Falls. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Falls
MeasureFallsMarginKansas
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure38.4%34.1–42.9%34.4%about the same
High cholesterol38.3%34–42.9%36.7%about the same
Obesity38.8%30.6–47.5%36.5%about the same
Arthritis29.8%26.4–33.4%25.5%worse
Depression20.2%17.1–23.6%20.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)14.9%12.3–18%11.3%worse
Asthma9.9%8.7–11.2%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.4%8.4–10.4%8.1%worse
Diabetes13.5%11.6–15.6%11.4%worse
COPD8.8%7.4–10.2%6.7%worse
Heart disease8.3%7.3–9.3%6.4%worse
Stroke4.1%3.6–4.6%3.2%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.3%13.4–19.3%14%about the same
Binge drink15.2%12.4–18.3%16.3%about the same
Get no exercise29.5%24.6–34.7%25.6%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.5%28.1–41.4%34.3%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup77.2%73.4–80.6%76.6%about the same
Dentist visit58.8%55–62.5%64.9%worse
Cholesterol check83.9%81.6–85.9%84.1%about the same
Colon screening62.6%57.4–67.6%63.5%about the same
Mammogram71.5%63.2–78.9%74.6%about the same
Taking BP meds80.1%77.4–82.5%77.6%about the same
No health insurance12.3%9.9–15.1%9.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely29.4%24.4–34.6%30.9%about the same
Lack emotional support20.7%17.3–24.1%21.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress16%14–18%16%about the same
Fair or poor health21.2%18.1–24.5%18%worse
Frequent physical distress14.2%12.3–16.2%12.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity14.7%12–17.7%13%about the same
Housing insecurity11.9%9.8–14.2%11.2%about the same
Utility shut-off threat9.2%7.7–10.7%8.2%about the same
No reliable transportation7.9%6.7–9.1%7.1%about the same
Receive SNAP9.1%7.3–11.3%7.4%
Disability
Any disability34.6%30–39.5%30.4%
Walking or climbing stairs16.8%14.4–19.3%13.4%
Thinking or memory15.3%13.2–17.5%14.4%
Hearing9.4%8.3–10.5%7.4%
Vision5.6%4.9–6.3%4.6%
Dressing or bathing4.3%3.8–4.9%3.5%
Errands alone8.8%7.6–10.1%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 Falls door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Kansas figure falls inside it, we don't call Falls better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Falls by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Falls by how much of its land each one covers.

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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01