Health · Alma

Alma, NE health

Alma differs from Nebraska on 13 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (6.8% vs 12.4%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (7.4% vs 9.5%). Where it trails the state: more adults with heart disease (9.1% vs 6.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Alma
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Alma’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Alma is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns.

BSelf-rated healthBPhysical distressA+Mental distressBObesityCDiabetesBSmokingC-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 58%
Less healthyHealthier
Nebraska towns we grade (138)Healthier than 47%
Towns with similar incomes, $57K–$95K (9,882)Healthier than 66%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Alma 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 Nebraska 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 Alma 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. Alma 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 Alma compares with Nebraska

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 Alma adults…

41 of every 100 Alma adults have high blood pressure
Nebraska: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 35.5–45.6%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Alma, betterAlma, worseToo close to callNebraska
Get no exerciseshare of adults 30.5% Alma
NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 29.8% Alma
NE 31.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.6% Alma
NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.3% Alma
NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
NE 76%
66%
Dentist visit
NE 64%
87%
Cholesterol check
NE 84%
65%
Colon screening
NE 62%
72%
Mammogram
NE 75%
84%
Taking BP meds
NE 78%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Alma 8.4% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Alma adults are doing

1 in 3Alma adults feel lonely
28.6% · Nebraska 29.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Alma adults have been diagnosed with depression
16.5% · Nebraska 18.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Alma adults lack social or emotional support
19.8% · Nebraska 20.5% · too close to call
1 in 8Alma adults are in frequent mental distress
12.8% · Nebraska 14.1% · 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 10
Alma adults worry about having enough food
10.3% · NE 12.3% · about the same
1 in 14
Alma adults worry about keeping their housing
7.4% · NE 9.5% · better
1 in 20
Alma adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.1% · NE 6.4% · better
1 in 18
Alma adults lack reliable transportation
5.6% · NE 6.7% · about the same

7.4% of Alma adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Disability

Living with a disability

33.5%

of Alma adults live with a disability (Nebraska 27.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.7%
Thinking or memory11.7%
Hearing11%
Errands alone7.9%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing3.9%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Alma

1 hospital in Alma, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERFranklin County Memorial HospitalFranklin · 21.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyPhelps Memorial Health Center★★★★★ · 23.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHeartland Health CenterHastings · 62.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.2 mi
Harlan County Health System
Alma · not rated
Rural critical accessIn Alma
21.7 mi
Franklin County Memorial Hospital
Franklin · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.8 mi
Phelps Memorial Health Center
Holdrege · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
24.2 mi
Phillips County Hospital
Phillipsburg · not rated
ERRural critical access
62.3 mi
Heartland Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Hastings
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
74.7 mi
Sheridan County Hospital
3 sites · nearest in Selden
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careAlma is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careAlma is not a shortage area
! Mental healthAlma's county is a federal shortage area.Mental Health Catchment Area 3 · need score 12 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 Alma. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Alma
MeasureAlmaMarginNebraska
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure40.7%35.5–45.6%32.6%worse
High cholesterol39.2%34–44.5%33%worse
Obesity34.7%25.7–44%37.7%about the same
Arthritis32.3%28.1–36.5%24%worse
Depression16.5%13.5–19.8%18.3%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)6.8%5.5–8.5%12.4%better
Asthma9.2%7.9–10.5%9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)12.3%11–13.7%8.3%worse
Diabetes13.3%11.1–15.7%10.7%worse
COPD8.4%6.6–10.3%6.1%worse
Heart disease9.1%7.7–10.7%6.1%worse
Stroke4.4%3.7–5.2%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.3%10.2–16.5%13.2%about the same
Binge drink16.6%13.3–20.2%19.7%about the same
Get no exercise30.5%24.2–37%24.3%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours29.8%23.9–36.2%31.3%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.4%75.5–82.9%75.9%about the same
Dentist visit66.2%62.9–69.7%64.3%about the same
Cholesterol check87.3%85.2–89.2%83.7%better
Colon screening65.4%60.4–70%62.3%about the same
Mammogram72.4%64.2–79.7%75%about the same
Taking BP meds83.8%81.2–86.3%77.5%better
No health insurance8.4%6.3–11.1%9.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely28.6%23.4–34.4%29.3%about the same
Lack emotional support19.8%16.2–23.9%20.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress12.8%10.9–14.8%14.1%about the same
Fair or poor health17.9%14.3–21.9%16.1%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.7%11.4–16.2%11.6%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity10.3%7.7–13.2%12.3%about the same
Housing insecurity7.4%5.8–9.1%9.5%better
Utility shut-off threat5.1%4.1–6.1%6.4%better
No reliable transportation5.6%4.6–6.8%6.7%about the same
Receive SNAP7.4%5.4–9.7%8.5%
Disability
Any disability33.5%27.8–39.2%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs16.7%13.3–20.3%12%
Thinking or memory11.7%9.6–13.9%12.1%
Hearing11%9.4–12.8%7.3%
Vision5%4.1–6.1%4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.9%3.1–4.7%3.2%
Errands alone7.9%6.4–9.6%6.9%
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 Alma door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Nebraska figure falls inside it, we don't call Alma better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Alma directly, so these are its own figures.

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