Health · Plains

Plains, MT health

Plains differs from Montana on 11 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (77.9% vs 73.4%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (9.6% vs 7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Plains

Report card

How Plains compares with Montana

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 Plains adults…

37 of every 100 Plains adults have high blood pressure

Montana: 32 in 100 · worse · margin 32.9–41.2%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Plains, betterPlains, worseToo close to callMontana

Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.6% Plains
MT 20.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.9% Plains
MT 31.4%

Binge drinkshare of adults 17.8% Plains
MT 20.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.6% Plains
MT 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

MT 72%

Dentist visit

MT 63%

Cholesterol check

MT 83%

Colon screening

MT 64%

Mammogram

MT 75%

Taking BP meds

MT 73%

1 in 10

working-age adults has no health insurance

Plains 10.2% · Montana 1 in 11 (9.3%)

Mind & connection

How Plains adults are doing

1 in 3Plains adults feel lonely

29.1% · Montana 30.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Plains adults have been diagnosed with depression

23.7% · Montana 24.9% · too close to call

1 in 5Plains adults lack social or emotional support

21.4% · Montana 21.2% · too close to call

1 in 6Plains adults are in frequent mental distress

16.9% · Montana 17.2% · 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 8

Plains adults worry about having enough food

12.7% · MT 11.7% · about the same

1 in 11

Plains adults worry about keeping their housing

9.3% · MT 9.1% · about the same

1 in 15

Plains adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

6.8% · MT 6.5% · about the same

1 in 13

Plains adults lack reliable transportation

7.7% · MT 7.5% · about the same

9.6% of Plains adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.3% across Montana.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.6%

of Plains adults live with a disability (Montana 30.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17.3%

Thinking or memory15.2%

Hearing11%

Errands alone9.6%

Vision5.8%

Dressing or bathing4.7%

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

Around Plains

Plains and the towns around it

Care nearby

Clark Fork Valley HospitalPlains · 0.7 mi · ER · rural critical access

Mineral Community HospitalSuperior · 19 mi · ER · rural critical access

St. Luke Community HospitalRonan · 36.6 mi · ER · rural critical access

Providence St. Joseph Medical CenterPolson · 37 mi · ER · rural critical access

Ag Worker Health & ServicesPolson · 43.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees

Greater Valley Health Center - MainKalispell · 56.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees

! Primary carePlains's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Sanders County · need score 16 of 25

! Dental carePlains's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Sanders County · need score 17 of 25

! Mental healthPlains's county is a federal shortage area.Sanders County · 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 Plains. 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 Plains

Measure	Plains	Margin	Montana
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	37.1%	32.9–41.2%	31.9%	worse
High cholesterol	36.1%	32.1–40.3%	32.8%	about the same
Obesity	33.7%	27.4–40.3%	31.4%	about the same
Arthritis	34.2%	30.6–37.8%	28.4%	worse
Depression	23.7%	20.3–27.2%	24.9%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	16%	13–19.1%	12.3%	worse
Asthma	11.2%	9.9–12.7%	11.1%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	11.4%	10.3–12.7%	9.3%	worse
Diabetes	11.9%	10.1–13.9%	9.9%	worse
COPD	9.6%	7.9–11.4%	7%	worse
Heart disease	9%	7.8–10.3%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	4.7%	4.1–5.4%	3.5%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.6%	12.5–18.7%	13.6%	about the same
Binge drink	17.8%	14.9–21%	20.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	24.6%	19.9–29.5%	20.6%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	32.9%	27.1–38.7%	31.4%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	72.1%	68.2–76%	72.4%	about the same
Dentist visit	56.9%	53.1–60.5%	63.3%	worse
Cholesterol check	84.3%	82.1–86.4%	82.5%	about the same
Colon screening	61.1%	55.5–66.1%	63.8%	about the same
Mammogram	74.4%	66.4–80.7%	74.8%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77.9%	74.6–80.9%	73.4%	better
No health insurance	10.2%	7.8–13.2%	9.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	29.1%	24.7–34%	30.7%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.4%	18.2–25.2%	21.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.9%	14.7–19.1%	17.2%	about the same
Fair or poor health	21.7%	18.2–25.5%	18.3%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	16.6%	14.2–18.9%	14%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.7%	10.1–16%	11.7%	about the same
Housing insecurity	9.3%	7.5–11.4%	9.1%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	6.8%	5.7–8.2%	6.5%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.7%	6.5–9.2%	7.5%	about the same
Receive SNAP	9.6%	7.5–12.2%	8.3%
Disability
Any disability	35.6%	30.4–40.3%	30.9%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.3%	14.4–20.3%	12.9%
Thinking or memory	15.2%	12.8–17.5%	14.3%
Hearing	11%	9.6–12.5%	8.6%
Vision	5.8%	4.9–6.7%	4.6%
Dressing or bathing	4.7%	4–5.5%	3.5%
Errands alone	9.6%	8–11.2%	8%

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 Plains door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Plains directly, so these are its own figures.

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