Health · Reading

Reading, KS health

On most measures Reading looks like Kansas as a whole. It has fewer uninsured adults (7.2% vs 9.9%) and more adults seeing a dentist (68.5% vs 64.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Reading
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 198 people are less certain, so we show Reading's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Reading 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 Reading adults…

34 of every 100 Reading adults have high blood pressure
Kansas: 34 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.5–38.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Reading, betterReading, worseToo close to callKansas
Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.2% Reading
KS 25.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.5% Reading
KS 34.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults 17.3% Reading
KS 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.5% Reading
KS 14%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

77%
Yearly checkup
KS 77%
69%
Dentist visit
KS 65%
85%
Cholesterol check
KS 84%
62%
Colon screening
KS 64%
73%
Mammogram
KS 75%
77%
Taking BP meds
KS 78%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Reading 7.2% · Kansas 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Reading adults are doing

1 in 3Reading adults feel lonely
29.9% · Kansas 30.9% · too close to call
1 in 4Reading adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.3% · Kansas 20.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Reading adults lack social or emotional support
21% · Kansas 21.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Reading adults are in frequent mental distress
16.9% · 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 10
Reading adults worry about having enough food
10.4% · KS 13% · about the same
1 in 11
Reading adults worry about keeping their housing
9.4% · KS 11.2% · about the same
1 in 14
Reading adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.3% · KS 8.2% · about the same
1 in 16
Reading adults lack reliable transportation
6.2% · KS 7.1% · about the same

5.9% of Reading adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.

Disability

Living with a disability

28.3%

of Reading adults live with a disability (Kansas 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.5%
Thinking or memory14.5%
Hearing6.8%
Errands alone7.4%
Vision4%
Dressing or bathing3.3%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Reading

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

HNearest ERNewman Regional HealthEmporia · 14.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCoffey County Hospital★★★★★ · 25 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCarearcEmporia · 14.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
14.2 mi
Carearc
Emporia · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
14.8 mi
Newman Regional Health
Emporia · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
25 mi
Coffey County Hospital
Burlington · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
31 mi
Morris County Hospital
Council Grove · ★★★★★
Rural critical access
37.3 mi
VA Eastern Kansas Healthcare System
Topeka · ★★★★★
ERVA
37.8 mi
Health Partnership Clinic
Ottawa · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
! Primary careReading's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lyon County · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careReading's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lyon County · need score 9 of 25
! Mental healthReading'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 Reading. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Reading
MeasureReadingMarginKansas
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure34.3%30.5–38.6%34.4%about the same
High cholesterol37.1%33–41.3%36.7%about the same
Obesity37.7%31.5–44.9%36.5%about the same
Arthritis26.9%23.8–30.3%25.5%about the same
Depression22.3%19.1–26%20.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.5%8.3–12.8%11.3%about the same
Asthma10.4%9.1–11.8%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)7.9%7–8.8%8.1%about the same
Diabetes10.1%8.6–11.9%11.4%about the same
COPD6.7%5.4–8.2%6.7%about the same
Heart disease5.8%4.9–6.6%6.4%about the same
Stroke3%2.6–3.4%3.2%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.5%11.9–19.3%14%about the same
Binge drink17.3%14.2–20.7%16.3%about the same
Get no exercise24.2%19.4–29.3%25.6%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.5%28.2–38.9%34.3%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup76.5%72.6–80.1%76.6%about the same
Dentist visit68.5%65.1–71.6%64.9%better
Cholesterol check84.8%82–87.3%84.1%about the same
Colon screening61.6%56.7–66.4%63.5%about the same
Mammogram73.3%65.7–80.1%74.6%about the same
Taking BP meds76.7%73.2–79.9%77.6%about the same
No health insurance7.2%5.1–9.8%9.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely29.9%25.2–35%30.9%about the same
Lack emotional support21%17.3–25%21.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress16.9%14.5–19.5%16%about the same
Fair or poor health16.9%13.7–20.8%18%about the same
Frequent physical distress12.3%10.3–14.5%12.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity10.4%7.7–13.7%13%about the same
Housing insecurity9.4%7.3–12%11.2%about the same
Utility shut-off threat7.3%5.8–8.9%8.2%about the same
No reliable transportation6.2%4.9–7.6%7.1%about the same
Receive SNAP5.9%4.2–8%7.4%
Disability
Any disability28.3%23.7–33.2%30.4%
Walking or climbing stairs12.5%10.2–15.1%13.4%
Thinking or memory14.5%12–17.3%14.4%
Hearing6.8%5.9–7.7%7.4%
Vision4%3.3–4.8%4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.3%2.7–4.1%3.5%
Errands alone7.4%6–8.9%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 Reading door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Kansas figure falls inside it, we don't call Reading better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Reading 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.

We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Reading, KSView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Reading is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01