Health · Salem

Salem, NE health

Salem differs from Nebraska on 16 of 40 measures. It has fewer binge drinkers (16.7% vs 19.7%) and more adults screened for colon cancer (69.2% vs 62.3%). Where it trails the state: more adults with heart disease (9.5% vs 6.1%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 102 people are less certain, so we show Salem's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Salem 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 Salem adults…

44 of every 100 Salem adults have high blood pressure
Nebraska: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 39.4–47.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Salem, betterSalem, worseToo close to callNebraska
Get no exerciseshare of adults 32.1% Salem
NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 29.2% Salem
NE 31.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.7% Salem
NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.4% Salem
NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%
Yearly checkup
NE 76%
59%
Dentist visit
NE 64%
87%
Cholesterol check
NE 84%
69%
Colon screening
NE 62%
73%
Mammogram
NE 75%
83%
Taking BP meds
NE 78%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Salem 8.4% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Salem adults are doing

1 in 4Salem adults feel lonely
28.5% · Nebraska 29.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Salem adults have been diagnosed with depression
17% · Nebraska 18.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Salem adults lack social or emotional support
20.2% · Nebraska 20.5% · too close to call
1 in 8Salem adults are in frequent mental distress
13% · 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 9
Salem adults worry about having enough food
11.4% · NE 12.3% · about the same
1 in 13
Salem adults worry about keeping their housing
8% · NE 9.5% · about the same
1 in 17
Salem adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.8% · NE 6.4% · about the same
1 in 17
Salem adults lack reliable transportation
6% · NE 6.7% · about the same

8.8% of Salem adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17%
Thinking or memory12.1%
Hearing11.2%
Errands alone8.3%
Vision5.3%
Dressing or bathing4.2%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Salem

No hospital or community health center in Salem itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERCommunity Medical CenterFalls City · 8.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyHiawatha Community Hospital★★★★★ · 18.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNorthwest Health ServicesMound City · 26.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.8 mi
Community Medical Center
Falls City · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
13 mi
Great Plains of Sabetha
Sabetha · not rated
ERRural critical access
18.8 mi
Hiawatha Community Hospital
Hiawatha · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
21.5 mi
Nemaha County Hospital
Auburn · not rated
ERRural critical access
26.3 mi
Northwest Health Services
6 sites · nearest in Mound City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
47.4 mi
Atchison Community Health Clinic
2 sites · nearest in Atchison
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careSalem's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Richardson County · need score 14 of 25
✓ Dental careSalem is not a shortage area
! Mental healthSalem's county is a federal shortage area.Mental Health Catchment Area 5 · 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 Salem. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Salem
MeasureSalemMarginNebraska
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure43.7%39.4–47.7%32.6%worse
High cholesterol38.2%34.2–42.1%33%worse
Obesity45.6%39.3–52%37.7%worse
Arthritis33.1%29.4–36.7%24%worse
Depression17%14.5–19.9%18.3%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)14.9%12.1–18.1%12.4%about the same
Asthma9%8–10.3%9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.4%10.2–12.7%8.3%worse
Diabetes14.9%12.6–17.4%10.7%worse
COPD9.1%7.1–11.3%6.1%worse
Heart disease9.5%8.1–11%6.1%worse
Stroke4.6%3.8–5.4%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.4%12.4–20.7%13.2%about the same
Binge drink16.7%14–19.5%19.7%better
Get no exercise32.1%26.4–38.3%24.3%worse
Sleep under 7 hours29.2%23.8–35%31.3%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup77.6%74–80.9%75.9%about the same
Dentist visit59.4%55.5–63.1%64.3%worse
Cholesterol check86.8%84.5–89%83.7%better
Colon screening69.2%63.8–74.1%62.3%better
Mammogram72.8%64.9–79.7%75%about the same
Taking BP meds82.8%80.3–85.2%77.5%better
No health insurance8.4%5.9–11.6%9.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely28.5%23.6–33.9%29.3%about the same
Lack emotional support20.2%16.3–24.3%20.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress13%11.2–15%14.1%about the same
Fair or poor health19.6%15.9–24.2%16.1%about the same
Frequent physical distress14.4%12.2–17%11.6%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity11.4%8.5–14.8%12.3%about the same
Housing insecurity8%6.2–10.1%9.5%about the same
Utility shut-off threat5.8%4.6–7.1%6.4%about the same
No reliable transportation6%4.9–7.3%6.7%about the same
Receive SNAP8.8%6.4–11.5%8.5%
Disability
Any disability32.8%27.8–38.2%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs17%13.6–20.7%12%
Thinking or memory12.1%9.9–14.6%12.1%
Hearing11.2%9.6–12.8%7.3%
Vision5.3%4.2–6.5%4.4%
Dressing or bathing4.2%3.4–5.2%3.2%
Errands alone8.3%6.7–10.3%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 Salem door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Nebraska figure falls inside it, we don't call Salem better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Salem 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01