Health · Spencer

Spencer, NE health

Spencer differs from Nebraska on 15 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (8.4% vs 12.4%) and more adults treating high blood pressure (84.6% vs 77.5%). Where it trails the state: more adults with heart disease (9.8% vs 6.1%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 312 people are less certain, so we show Spencer's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Spencer 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 Spencer adults…

43 of every 100 Spencer adults have high blood pressure
Nebraska: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 38.7–47.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Spencer, betterSpencer, worseToo close to callNebraska
Get no exerciseshare of adults 30.4% Spencer
NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 27.5% Spencer
NE 31.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.6% Spencer
NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.3% Spencer
NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
NE 76%
65%
Dentist visit
NE 64%
87%
Cholesterol check
NE 84%
67%
Colon screening
NE 62%
72%
Mammogram
NE 75%
85%
Taking BP meds
NE 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Spencer 7.9% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Spencer adults are doing

1 in 4Spencer adults feel lonely
27.8% · Nebraska 29.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Spencer adults have been diagnosed with depression
16.6% · Nebraska 18.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Spencer adults lack social or emotional support
19.2% · Nebraska 20.5% · too close to call
1 in 8Spencer adults are in frequent mental distress
13.1% · 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
Spencer adults worry about having enough food
11.5% · NE 12.3% · about the same
1 in 13
Spencer adults worry about keeping their housing
7.9% · NE 9.5% · about the same
1 in 17
Spencer adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.9% · NE 6.4% · about the same
1 in 16
Spencer adults lack reliable transportation
6.2% · NE 6.7% · about the same

9.2% of Spencer adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.2%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.8%
Thinking or memory12%
Hearing11.4%
Errands alone8.3%
Vision5.4%
Dressing or bathing4.3%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Spencer

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

HNearest ERNiobrara Valley HospitalLynch · 14.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAvera St. Anthony's Hospital★★★★★ · 28.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careMidtown Health Center - O'neillOneill · 29 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
14.1 mi
Niobrara Valley Hospital
Lynch · not rated
ERRural critical access
24.6 mi
Wagner Community Memorial Hospital - Cah
Wagner · not rated
ERRural critical access
27.9 mi
West Holt Memorial Hospital
Atkinson · not rated
ERRural critical access
28.8 mi
Avera St. Anthony's Hospital
O' Neill · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
29 mi
Midtown Health Center - O'neill
Oneill · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
58.9 mi
Horizon Health Care
5 sites · nearest in Plankinton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careSpencer's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Greater Sandhills · need score 13 of 25
✓ Dental careSpencer is not a shortage area
! Mental healthSpencer's county is a federal shortage area.Catchment Area 4 · need score 17 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 Spencer. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Spencer
MeasureSpencerMarginNebraska
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure43.3%38.7–47.8%32.6%worse
High cholesterol38.9%34.5–43.6%33%worse
Obesity38.7%30.7–47.2%37.7%about the same
Arthritis34.1%30.3–37.9%24%worse
Depression16.6%13.9–19.5%18.3%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)8.4%6.8–10.5%12.4%better
Asthma9.4%8.3–10.6%9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)12.4%11.1–13.7%8.3%worse
Diabetes14.9%12.7–17.2%10.7%worse
COPD9.6%8–11.3%6.1%worse
Heart disease9.8%8.5–11.1%6.1%worse
Stroke4.8%4.2–5.6%3.1%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.3%12.4–18.5%13.2%about the same
Binge drink16.6%13.8–19.9%19.7%about the same
Get no exercise30.4%25.2–36.1%24.3%worse
Sleep under 7 hours27.5%22–33.7%31.3%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.9%76.5–83%75.9%better
Dentist visit65.4%61.8–69%64.3%about the same
Cholesterol check87.1%85.3–88.8%83.7%better
Colon screening67.1%61.9–72.3%62.3%about the same
Mammogram72.4%64.2–80%75%about the same
Taking BP meds84.6%82.1–86.8%77.5%better
No health insurance7.9%6.2–10%9.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely27.8%22.9–33%29.3%about the same
Lack emotional support19.2%15.7–22.8%20.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress13.1%11.3–14.9%14.1%about the same
Fair or poor health19.3%16.2–22.7%16.1%worse
Frequent physical distress14.5%12.5–16.7%11.6%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity11.5%8.8–14.4%12.3%about the same
Housing insecurity7.9%6.3–9.7%9.5%about the same
Utility shut-off threat5.9%4.8–7.1%6.4%about the same
No reliable transportation6.2%5.1–7.3%6.7%about the same
Receive SNAP9.2%6.9–11.7%8.5%
Disability
Any disability34.2%29.4–39.2%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs17.8%15–20.9%12%
Thinking or memory12%10.2–13.9%12.1%
Hearing11.4%9.9–12.8%7.3%
Vision5.4%4.7–6.3%4.4%
Dressing or bathing4.3%3.7–5%3.2%
Errands alone8.3%7.1–9.7%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 Spencer door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Nebraska figure falls inside it, we don't call Spencer better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Spencer 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