Health · Howard

Howard, MO health

Howard differs from Missouri on 13 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (81.7% vs 77.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (11.6% vs 8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 64441, 64402, 64471

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 60 people are less certain, so we show Howard's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Howard 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 Howard adults…

44 of every 100 Howard adults have high blood pressure

Missouri: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 39.8–47.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Howard, betterHoward, worseToo close to callMissouri

Get no exerciseshare of adults 34.2% Howard
MO 28.8%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 37.8% Howard
MO 36.5%

Binge drinkshare of adults 13.8% Howard
MO 16.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 18.9% Howard
MO 16%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

MO 78%

Dentist visit

MO 60%

Cholesterol check

MO 85%

Colon screening

MO 64%

Mammogram

MO 75%

Taking BP meds

MO 77%

1 in 11

working-age adults has no health insurance

Howard 9.1% · Missouri 1 in 11 (8.7%)

Mind & connection

How Howard adults are doing

1 in 3Howard adults feel lonely

29.4% · Missouri 31.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Howard adults have been diagnosed with depression

24.2% · Missouri 24.3% · too close to call

1 in 5Howard adults lack social or emotional support

18.6% · Missouri 20.1% · too close to call

1 in 6Howard adults are in frequent mental distress

16.9% · 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

Howard adults worry about having enough food

13.8% · MO 13.7% · about the same

1 in 9

Howard adults worry about keeping their housing

10.7% · MO 12.1% · about the same

1 in 12

Howard adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.3% · MO 9% · about the same

1 in 13

Howard adults lack reliable transportation

8% · MO 8.4% · about the same

11.8% of Howard adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.

Disability

Living with a disability

41.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs21.1%

Thinking or memory17.8%

Hearing11.5%

Errands alone10.7%

Vision6.1%

Dressing or bathing4.9%

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

Around Howard

Howard 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 Howard.

37.8%40.9%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 12towns on this map, healthiest first

Dallas38.1%

Athens40.6%

Howard40.9%

Bogle40.9%

Care nearby

Mosaic Medical Center AlbanyAlbany · 6.6 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Harrison County Community HospitalBethany · 14.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Ringgold County HospitalMount Ayr · 23.6 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Mosaic Medical Center - MaryvilleMaryville · 31.4 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

King City ClinicKing City · 23.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Mount Ayr OfficeMount Ayr · 25.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careHoward's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Gentry County · need score 12 of 25

! Dental careHoward's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Gentry and Nodaway Counties · need score 18 of 25

! Mental healthHoward's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, St. Joseph MHCA #1 · need score 18 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Howard. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Howard

Measure	Howard	Margin	Missouri
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	43.8%	39.8–47.8%	36.5%	worse
High cholesterol	42.8%	38.6–47%	37.5%	worse
Obesity	40.9%	33.4–48.7%	36.6%	about the same
Arthritis	36.7%	33.3–40.2%	28.8%	worse
Depression	24.2%	20.9–27.7%	24.3%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	16.9%	14.1–19.8%	15.8%	about the same
Asthma	10.7%	9.5–12%	10.6%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	11.4%	10.3–12.5%	8.6%	worse
Diabetes	15.4%	13.4–17.5%	12.1%	worse
COPD	11.6%	9.9–13.5%	8%	worse
Heart disease	9.7%	8.6–10.8%	6.8%	worse
Stroke	4.9%	4.3–5.5%	3.6%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	18.9%	15.8–22.3%	16%	about the same
Binge drink	13.8%	11.4–16.3%	16.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	34.2%	29.1–39.8%	28.8%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	37.8%	31.9–43.8%	36.5%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.4%	77.2–83.3%	78.4%	about the same
Dentist visit	56.6%	53.1–60%	60.4%	worse
Cholesterol check	86.1%	84.2–87.9%	84.5%	about the same
Colon screening	67.3%	62.7–71.6%	64%	about the same
Mammogram	72%	64.8–78.5%	74.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	81.7%	79.3–84%	77.2%	better
No health insurance	9.1%	7.2–11.4%	8.7%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	29.4%	24.9–34%	31.7%	about the same
Lack emotional support	18.6%	15.7–21.8%	20.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.9%	14.9–19.1%	17.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	24.5%	21.2–28.3%	20.5%	worse
Frequent physical distress	17.1%	15.1–19.5%	14.2%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	13.8%	11.2–16.6%	13.7%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10.7%	8.9–12.6%	12.1%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.3%	7–9.6%	9%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8%	6.9–9.3%	8.4%	about the same
Receive SNAP	11.8%	9.5–14.4%	10.8%
Disability
Any disability	41.7%	36.8–46.7%	36.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	21.1%	18.3–24.1%	15.8%
Thinking or memory	17.8%	15.5–20.3%	17.2%
Hearing	11.5%	10.2–12.8%	8.3%
Vision	6.1%	5.3–7%	5.1%
Dressing or bathing	4.9%	4.3–5.7%	3.9%
Errands alone	10.7%	9.2–12.2%	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 Howard door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Missouri figure falls inside it, we don't call Howard better or worse.

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Howard by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Howard 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.