Health · Polson

Polson, MT health

On most measures Polson looks like Montana as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults who have had a stroke (4.2% vs 3.5%) and more adults with heart disease (7.7% vs 6.6%).

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

BHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Polson’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Polson is healthier than 60% of U.S. towns, and than 92% of towns with similar incomes.

B-Self-rated healthC+Physical distressB-Mental distressA-ObesityB+DiabetesBSmokingB+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 60%

Less healthyHealthier

Montana towns we grade (93)Healthier than 46%

Towns with similar incomes, $40K–$67K (6,380)Healthier than 92%

Better than its income would suggest. Polson is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is B.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Polson could be anywhere from C to A−.

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 Montana 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 Polson 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. Polson uses CDC’s own estimate for it. 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 Polson 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 Polson adults…

35 of every 100 Polson adults have high blood pressure

Montana: 32 in 100 · too close to call · margin 31.5–38.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Polson, betterPolson, worseToo close to callMontana

Get no exerciseshare of adults 22% Polson
MT 20.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 30.6% Polson
MT 31.4%

Binge drinkshare of adults 18.5% Polson
MT 20.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.7% Polson
MT 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Polson 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

Polson 9.6% · Montana 1 in 11 (9.3%)

Mind & connection

How Polson adults are doing

1 in 3Polson adults feel lonely

30.6% · Montana 30.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Polson adults have been diagnosed with depression

25% · Montana 24.9% · too close to call

1 in 5Polson adults lack social or emotional support

21.1% · Montana 21.2% · too close to call

1 in 6Polson adults are in frequent mental distress

17.1% · 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

Polson adults worry about having enough food

13% · MT 11.7% · about the same

1 in 10

Polson adults worry about keeping their housing

10.1% · MT 9.1% · about the same

1 in 14

Polson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7.3% · MT 6.5% · about the same

1 in 12

Polson adults lack reliable transportation

8.5% · MT 7.5% · about the same

9.3% of Polson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.3% across Montana.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.2%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.4%

Thinking or memory14.4%

Hearing9.8%

Errands alone8.9%

Vision5.5%

Dressing or bathing4.2%

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

Around Polson

Polson 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 Polson.

29.4%31.7%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#3 of 4towns on this map, healthiest first

Jette30.1%

Polson31.5%

Kerr31.7%

Care in and near Polson

1 hospital in Polson, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.

Providence St. Joseph Medical CenterPolson · 1.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

St. Luke Community HospitalRonan · 11.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Logan Health Medical CenterKalispell · 37.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Clark Fork Valley HospitalPlains · 38 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Ag Worker Health & ServicesPolson · 5.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Greater Valley Health Center - MainKalispell · 34.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

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

! Dental carePolson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lake County · need score 13 of 25

! Mental healthPolson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lake County · need score 19 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 Polson. 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 Polson

Measure	Polson	Margin	Montana
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	34.8%	31.5–38.6%	31.9%	about the same
High cholesterol	33%	29.6–36.8%	32.8%	about the same
Obesity	31.5%	26.6–37%	31.4%	about the same
Arthritis	32.1%	29.2–35.5%	28.4%	worse
Depression	25%	21.9–28.5%	24.9%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	11.8%	9.7–14.3%	12.3%	about the same
Asthma	11.9%	10.6–13.4%	11.1%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.5%	9.6–11.5%	9.3%	worse
Diabetes	11.1%	9.7–12.7%	9.9%	about the same
COPD	8%	7–9.2%	7%	about the same
Heart disease	7.7%	7–8.7%	6.6%	worse
Stroke	4.2%	3.8–4.6%	3.5%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.7%	11.7–15.8%	13.6%	about the same
Binge drink	18.5%	15.8–21.6%	20.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	22%	18.8–25.7%	20.6%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	30.6%	25.6–36.1%	31.4%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	74.9%	71.6–78.2%	72.4%	about the same
Dentist visit	62.5%	59–65.9%	63.3%	about the same
Cholesterol check	83.8%	82.1–85.5%	82.5%	about the same
Colon screening	67.2%	62.4–71.8%	63.8%	about the same
Mammogram	72.3%	64.5–79.4%	74.8%	about the same
Taking BP meds	76%	73.2–78.9%	73.4%	about the same
No health insurance	9.6%	8.2–11.2%	9.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.6%	26.1–35.3%	30.7%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.1%	17.8–24.5%	21.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.1%	15.2–19.1%	17.2%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.6%	17.2–22.3%	18.3%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.1%	13.4–17%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	13%	11–15.4%	11.7%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10.1%	8.5–11.9%	9.1%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	7.3%	6.3–8.5%	6.5%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8.5%	7.4–9.8%	7.5%	about the same
Receive SNAP	9.3%	7.7–11.1%	8.3%
Disability
Any disability	32.2%	28.6–36.2%	30.9%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.4%	13.5–17.5%	12.9%
Thinking or memory	14.4%	12.8–16.2%	14.3%
Hearing	9.8%	8.9–11%	8.6%
Vision	5.5%	4.9–6.1%	4.6%
Dressing or bathing	4.2%	3.7–4.6%	3.5%
Errands alone	8.9%	8–10%	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 Polson door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Polson 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.