Health · Waterloo

Waterloo, KS health

Waterloo differs from Kansas on 14 of 40 measures. It has fewer uninsured adults (7.9% vs 9.9%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (9% vs 11.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.3% vs 8.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 66868, 66833, 66413, 66523
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 140 people are less certain, so we show Waterloo's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Waterloo 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 Waterloo adults…

40 of every 100 Waterloo adults have high blood pressure
Kansas: 34 in 100 · worse · margin 36–44.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Waterloo, betterWaterloo, worseToo close to callKansas
Get no exerciseshare of adults 27% Waterloo
KS 25.6%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.5% Waterloo
KS 34.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.9% Waterloo
KS 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.3% Waterloo
KS 14%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
KS 77%
63%
Dentist visit
KS 65%
87%
Cholesterol check
KS 84%
67%
Colon screening
KS 64%
74%
Mammogram
KS 75%
81%
Taking BP meds
KS 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Waterloo 7.9% · Kansas 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Waterloo adults are doing

1 in 4Waterloo adults feel lonely
28.5% · Kansas 30.9% · too close to call
1 in 5Waterloo adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.7% · Kansas 20.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Waterloo adults lack social or emotional support
20.6% · Kansas 21.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Waterloo adults are in frequent mental distress
15.5% · 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
Waterloo adults worry about having enough food
10.7% · KS 13% · better
1 in 11
Waterloo adults worry about keeping their housing
9% · KS 11.2% · better
1 in 14
Waterloo adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.9% · KS 8.2% · better
1 in 17
Waterloo adults lack reliable transportation
6% · KS 7.1% · better

6.2% of Waterloo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 7.4% across Kansas.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.7%
Thinking or memory14%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone7.9%
Vision4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.8%

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

Around Waterloo

Waterloo 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 Waterloo.

Ivy: 36.8% Wilmington: 35% Plumb: 33.9% Reading: 37.2% Dragoon: 42.6% Grant: 43% Agnes City: 37.2% Fremont: 38.2% Rock Creek: 35.4% Mill Creek: 35.5% Mission Creek: 35.3% Burlingame: 42.4% Barclay: 41.8% Jackson: 37.4% Arvonia: 37.7% Superior: 42.9% Scranton: 42.1% Osage City: 43.5% Waterloo: 38.5% Waterloo Ivy Wilmington Plumb Reading Dragoon Grant Newman Regional Health · Emporia · 21.6 mi · 2★ MedicareH Carearc · Emporia · 21.1 mi+
33.9%43.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#12 of 19towns on this map, healthiest first
Plumb33.9%
Wilmington35%
Ivy36.8%
Reading37.2%
Waterloo38.5%
Dragoon42.6%
Grant43%
6 places to get careNearest ER 21.6 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 Waterloo

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

HNearest ERNewman Regional HealthEmporia · 21.6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyVA Eastern Kansas Healthcare System★★★★★ · 28 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCarearcEmporia · 21.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
21.1 mi
Carearc
Emporia · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
21.6 mi
Newman Regional Health
Emporia · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
26.6 mi
Morris County Hospital
Council Grove · ★★★★★
Rural critical access
28 mi
VA Eastern Kansas Healthcare System
Topeka · ★★★★★
ERVA
29.8 mi
Gracemed Capitol Family Clinic
Topeka · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
30.2 mi
Stormont Vail Hospital
Topeka · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careWaterloo's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lyon County · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careWaterloo's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lyon County · need score 9 of 25
! Mental healthWaterloo'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 Waterloo. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Waterloo
MeasureWaterlooMarginKansas
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure40%36–44.1%34.4%worse
High cholesterol41.5%37.2–45.7%36.7%worse
Obesity38.5%32.1–45.3%36.5%about the same
Arthritis32.1%28.7–35.6%25.5%worse
Depression20.7%17.7–23.8%20.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.6%8.6–12.9%11.3%about the same
Asthma10%8.8–11.2%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.3%9.3–11.4%8.1%worse
Diabetes12.6%10.9–14.4%11.4%about the same
COPD8.3%7.1–9.5%6.7%worse
Heart disease8%7.1–9%6.4%worse
Stroke3.9%3.5–4.3%3.2%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.3%12.9–17.8%14%about the same
Binge drink14.9%12.3–17.7%16.3%about the same
Get no exercise27%22.8–31.5%25.6%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.5%28.4–38.9%34.3%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79%75.6–82%76.6%about the same
Dentist visit63.4%59.9–66.8%64.9%about the same
Cholesterol check86.8%85–88.5%84.1%better
Colon screening67.1%62.4–71.5%63.5%about the same
Mammogram73.7%66.4–80.1%74.6%about the same
Taking BP meds81.3%78.5–83.7%77.6%better
No health insurance7.9%6.5–9.6%9.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely28.5%24.4–33.2%30.9%about the same
Lack emotional support20.6%17.5–23.9%21.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress15.5%13.7–17.3%16%about the same
Fair or poor health19%16.3–21.8%18%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.6%11.8–15.4%12.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity10.7%8.8–12.9%13%better
Housing insecurity9%7.6–10.7%11.2%better
Utility shut-off threat6.9%5.9–8%8.2%better
No reliable transportation6%5.2–7%7.1%better
Receive SNAP6.2%5–7.7%7.4%
Disability
Any disability32.4%28.4–36.7%30.4%
Walking or climbing stairs15.7%13.5–18.1%13.4%
Thinking or memory14%12.3–15.9%14.4%
Hearing9.1%8.1–10.3%7.4%
Vision4.6%4–5.2%4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.8%3.3–4.3%3.5%
Errands alone7.9%6.8–8.9%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 Waterloo door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Kansas figure falls inside it, we don't call Waterloo better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Waterloo by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Waterloo 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