Health · Shelby

Shelby, MT health

Shelby differs from Montana on 15 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (8% vs 9.3%). Where it trails the state: more smokers (20.2% vs 13.6%).

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

CHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Shelby’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Shelby is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, and than 57% of towns with similar incomes.

CSelf-rated healthCPhysical distressC-Mental distressBObesityB+DiabetesDSmokingB-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 34%

Less healthyHealthier

Montana towns we grade (93)Healthier than 21%

Towns with similar incomes, $44K–$73K (7,801)Healthier than 57%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Shelby could be anywhere from D to B+.

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 Shelby 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. Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby adults…

33 of every 100 Shelby adults have high blood pressure

Montana: 32 in 100 · too close to call · margin 29.2–37.5%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Shelby, betterShelby, worseToo close to callMontana

Get no exerciseshare of adults 26.2% Shelby
MT 20.6%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31.5% Shelby
MT 31.4%

Binge drinkshare of adults 22% Shelby
MT 20.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 20.2% Shelby
MT 13.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Shelby 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 7

working-age adults has no health insurance

Shelby 13.7% · Montana 1 in 11 (9.3%)

Mind & connection

How Shelby adults are doing

1 in 3Shelby adults feel lonely

31.9% · Montana 30.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Shelby adults have been diagnosed with depression

22.6% · Montana 24.9% · too close to call

1 in 4Shelby adults lack social or emotional support

25.7% · Montana 21.2% · worse

1 in 5Shelby adults are in frequent mental distress

18.7% · 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 6

Shelby adults worry about having enough food

17.1% · MT 11.7% · worse

1 in 8

Shelby adults worry about keeping their housing

13% · MT 9.1% · worse

1 in 11

Shelby adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

9.4% · MT 6.5% · worse

1 in 10

Shelby adults lack reliable transportation

10.1% · MT 7.5% · worse

12.9% of Shelby adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.3% across Montana.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.5%

of Shelby adults live with a disability (Montana 30.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.8%

Thinking or memory16.9%

Hearing9.3%

Errands alone9.3%

Vision5.8%

Dressing or bathing4.4%

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

Around Shelby

Shelby and the towns around it

Care nearby

Logan Health - ShelbyShelby · 0.7 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Northern Rockies Medical CenterCut Bank · 23 mi · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Pondera Medical CenterConrad · 23.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Logan Health - ChesterChester · 40.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Marias Healthcare Services - DentistryShelby · 0.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Marias Healthcare Service Inc - ShelbyShelby · 1.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careShelby's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Toole County · need score 15 of 25

! Dental careShelby's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.AI/AN-Toole County · need score 5 of 25

! Mental healthShelby's county is a federal shortage area.North-Central Montana · need score 21 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 Shelby. 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 Shelby

Measure	Shelby	Margin	Montana
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	33.4%	29.2–37.5%	31.9%	about the same
High cholesterol	32.5%	28.6–36.6%	32.8%	about the same
Obesity	35.5%	28.2–43.1%	31.4%	about the same
Arthritis	27.1%	23.8–30.3%	28.4%	about the same
Depression	22.6%	19.2–26.3%	24.9%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	13.5%	11–16.3%	12.3%	about the same
Asthma	10.9%	9.6–12.3%	11.1%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8%	7.1–8.8%	9.3%	better
Diabetes	11%	9.3–12.7%	9.9%	about the same
COPD	8.1%	6.8–9.5%	7%	about the same
Heart disease	7%	6.1–8%	6.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.8%	3.4–4.3%	3.5%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	20.2%	17–23.6%	13.6%	worse
Binge drink	22%	18.3–25.8%	20.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	26.2%	21.7–31.3%	20.6%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	31.5%	25.6–37.7%	31.4%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	67.2%	62.7–71.4%	72.4%	worse
Dentist visit	57.2%	53.5–60.8%	63.3%	worse
Cholesterol check	77.9%	75.2–80.6%	82.5%	worse
Colon screening	58%	52.4–63.1%	63.8%	worse
Mammogram	70.1%	61–77.8%	74.8%	about the same
Taking BP meds	69.7%	66.2–73%	73.4%	worse
No health insurance	13.7%	11.3–16.4%	9.3%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.9%	27.2–37.1%	30.7%	about the same
Lack emotional support	25.7%	22–29.8%	21.2%	worse
Frequent mental distress	18.7%	16.4–21.1%	17.2%	about the same
Fair or poor health	22.5%	19.2–26.1%	18.3%	worse
Frequent physical distress	15.5%	13.3–17.7%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	17.1%	14–20.3%	11.7%	worse
Housing insecurity	13%	10.9–15.3%	9.1%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	9.4%	8–10.9%	6.5%	worse
No reliable transportation	10.1%	8.7–11.7%	7.5%	worse
Receive SNAP	12.9%	10.4–15.6%	8.3%
Disability
Any disability	34.5%	29.7–39.5%	30.9%
Walking or climbing stairs	14.8%	12.4–17.2%	12.9%
Thinking or memory	16.9%	14.7–19.4%	14.3%
Hearing	9.3%	8.2–10.5%	8.6%
Vision	5.8%	5.1–6.6%	4.6%
Dressing or bathing	4.4%	3.7–5%	3.5%
Errands alone	9.3%	8.1–10.8%	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 Shelby door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Shelby 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.