Health · Clay

Clay, MO health

Clay differs from Missouri on 7 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (10.4% vs 8%) and more adults with heart disease (8.3% vs 6.8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 64653, 64659, 64688
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Clay’s Health Grade: D−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Clay is healthier than 4% of U.S. towns.

DSelf-rated healthD-Physical distressC-Mental distressD-ObesityDDiabetesD-SmokingD-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 4%
Less healthyHealthier
Missouri towns we grade (428)Healthier than 11%
Towns with similar incomes, $38K–$63K (5,288)Healthier than 9%

About what its income would suggest. Clay does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Clay could be anywhere from D− to C−.
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 Missouri 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 Clay 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. Clay’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 Clay compares with Missouri

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 Clay adults…

39 of every 100 Clay adults have high blood pressure
Missouri: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35.1–43.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Clay, betterClay, worseToo close to callMissouri
Get no exerciseshare of adults 31.9% Clay
MO 28.8%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 37.5% Clay
MO 36.5%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.6% Clay
MO 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 19.3% Clay
MO 16%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
MO 78%
58%
Dentist visit
MO 60%
85%
Cholesterol check
MO 85%
65%
Colon screening
MO 64%
75%
Mammogram
MO 75%
79%
Taking BP meds
MO 77%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Clay 9% · Missouri 1 in 11 (8.7%)
Mind & connection

How Clay adults are doing

1 in 3Clay adults feel lonely
30.4% · Missouri 31.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Clay adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.1% · Missouri 24.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Clay adults lack social or emotional support
19.6% · Missouri 20.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Clay adults are in frequent mental distress
17.9% · Missouri 17.5% · 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
Clay adults worry about having enough food
13.6% · MO 13.7% · about the same
1 in 9
Clay adults worry about keeping their housing
11.1% · MO 12.1% · about the same
1 in 12
Clay adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.2% · MO 9% · about the same
1 in 12
Clay adults lack reliable transportation
8.1% · MO 8.4% · about the same

11% of Clay adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.

Disability

Living with a disability

39.3%

of Clay adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.7%
Thinking or memory18.7%
Hearing10%
Errands alone10.2%
Vision5.6%
Dressing or bathing4.6%

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

Around Clay

Clay 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 Clay.

Jackson: 36% Parson Creek: 35.6% Locust Creek: 35.5% Wheeling: 38.8% Jefferson: 35.6% Benton: 35.2% Wilson: 39.8% Medicine: 38% Grand River: 38.2% Cunningham: 37.5% Grantsville: 35.3% Brookfield: 35.5% Yellow Creek: 35.4% Rich Hill: 39.5% Chillicothe: 39.5% Clay: 36.2% Clay Jackson Parson Creek Locust Creek Wheeling Jefferson Pershing Memorial Hospital · Brookfield · 13.7 mi · 3★ MedicareH Hedrick Medical Center · Chillicothe · 14.3 mi · 4★ MedicareH Northwest Health Services - Chillicothe · Chillicothe · 15.1 mi+
35.2%39.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#9 of 16towns on this map, healthiest first
Locust Creek35.5%
Parson Creek35.6%
Jefferson35.6%
Jackson36%
Clay36.2%
Wheeling38.8%
6 places to get careNearest ER 13.7 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 Clay

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

HNearest ERPershing Memorial HospitalBrookfield · 13.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyHedrick Medical Center★★★★★ · 14.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNorthwest Health ServicesChillicothe · 15.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
13.7 mi
Pershing Memorial Hospital
Brookfield · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
14.3 mi
Hedrick Medical Center
Chillicothe · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
15.1 mi
Northwest Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Chillicothe
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
20.4 mi
Wright Memorial Hospital
Trenton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
21.1 mi
Compass Health
2 sites · nearest in Marceline
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
24.2 mi
Sullivan County Memorial Hospital
Milan · not rated
ERRural critical access
! Primary careClay's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Macon/Linn Counties · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careClay's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Chariton and Linn Counties · need score 16 of 25
! Mental healthClay's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 13 - Chillicothe Service Area · need score 19 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 Clay. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Clay
MeasureClayMarginMissouri
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure39.4%35.1–43.7%36.5%about the same
High cholesterol40.7%36.2–45.1%37.5%about the same
Obesity36.2%28.7–44.2%36.6%about the same
Arthritis33%29.5–36.7%28.8%worse
Depression25.1%21.5–29%24.3%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)16.5%13.5–19.8%15.8%about the same
Asthma10.8%9.5–12.2%10.6%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10%9.1–11%8.6%worse
Diabetes13.3%11.5–15.4%12.1%about the same
COPD10.4%9–12%8%worse
Heart disease8.3%7.3–9.3%6.8%worse
Stroke4.2%3.8–4.7%3.6%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes19.3%16.3–22.5%16%worse
Binge drink15.6%12.9–18.6%16.3%about the same
Get no exercise31.9%27–37.2%28.8%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.5%31.1–44.3%36.5%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup78.9%75.3–82.1%78.4%about the same
Dentist visit58.1%54.4–61.8%60.4%about the same
Cholesterol check84.5%82.5–86.5%84.5%about the same
Colon screening65.2%60.1–70.2%64%about the same
Mammogram75.4%67.9–82%74.7%about the same
Taking BP meds79.3%76.4–82%77.2%about the same
No health insurance9%7.2–11%8.7%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.4%25.8–35.4%31.7%about the same
Lack emotional support19.6%16.6–23%20.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.9%15.8–20.1%17.5%about the same
Fair or poor health23.5%20.3–27%20.5%about the same
Frequent physical distress16.5%14.5–18.7%14.2%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity13.6%11.3–16.3%13.7%about the same
Housing insecurity11.1%9.3–13%12.1%about the same
Utility shut-off threat8.2%7–9.5%9%about the same
No reliable transportation8.1%7–9.3%8.4%about the same
Receive SNAP11%9–13.3%10.8%
Disability
Any disability39.3%34.5–44.3%36.2%
Walking or climbing stairs18.7%16.2–21.5%15.8%
Thinking or memory18.7%16.4–21.1%17.2%
Hearing10%8.9–11.3%8.3%
Vision5.6%4.9–6.4%5.1%
Dressing or bathing4.6%4–5.3%3.9%
Errands alone10.2%8.9–11.7%9.2%
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 Clay door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Missouri figure falls inside it, we don't call Clay better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Clay by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Clay by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Missouri 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