Health · Sterling

Sterling, NE health

Sterling differs from Nebraska on 7 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (9.4% vs 12.3%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (7.3% vs 9.5%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.1% vs 8.3%).

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

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 717 people are less certain, so we show Sterling's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Sterling 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 Sterling adults…

34 of every 100 Sterling adults have high blood pressure
Nebraska: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.3–38.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Sterling, betterSterling, worseToo close to callNebraska
Get no exerciseshare of adults 27.2% Sterling
NE 24.3%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 30.5% Sterling
NE 31.3%
Binge drinkshare of adults 20.5% Sterling
NE 19.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.2% Sterling
NE 13.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

76%
Yearly checkup
NE 76%
67%
Dentist visit
NE 64%
86%
Cholesterol check
NE 84%
64%
Colon screening
NE 62%
73%
Mammogram
NE 75%
81%
Taking BP meds
NE 78%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sterling 8.1% · Nebraska 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Sterling adults are doing

1 in 4Sterling adults feel lonely
27.8% · Nebraska 29.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Sterling adults have been diagnosed with depression
17% · Nebraska 18.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Sterling adults lack social or emotional support
19.7% · Nebraska 20.5% · too close to call
1 in 8Sterling 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 11
Sterling adults worry about having enough food
9.4% · NE 12.3% · better
1 in 14
Sterling adults worry about keeping their housing
7.3% · NE 9.5% · better
1 in 20
Sterling adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5% · NE 6.4% · better
1 in 19
Sterling adults lack reliable transportation
5.3% · NE 6.7% · better

6.5% of Sterling adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.5% across Nebraska.

Disability

Living with a disability

27.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.9%
Thinking or memory11.2%
Hearing8.2%
Errands alone6.6%
Vision4%
Dressing or bathing3.1%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Sterling

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

HNearest ERJohnson County HospitalTecumseh · 11 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBeatrice Community Hospital & Health Center★★★★★ · 22 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBluestem HealthLincoln · 28.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11 mi
Johnson County Hospital
Tecumseh · not rated
ERRural critical access
17 mi
Syracuse Area Health
Syracuse · not rated
Rural critical access
22 mi
Beatrice Community Hospital & Health Center
Beatrice · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
22.2 mi
Chi Health Nebraska Heart
Lincoln · ★★★★★
28.3 mi
Bluestem Health
4 sites · nearest in Lincoln
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
45.8 mi
Oneworld Community Health Centers
4 sites · nearest in Plattsmouth
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careSterling is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careSterling is not a shortage area
! Mental healthSterling'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 Sterling. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Sterling
MeasureSterlingMarginNebraska
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure34.3%30.3–38.4%32.6%about the same
High cholesterol35.8%31.6–39.9%33%about the same
Obesity35.8%28.7–42.8%37.7%about the same
Arthritis27.4%24.1–30.6%24%worse
Depression17%14.3–19.8%18.3%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12.9%10.4–15.7%12.4%about the same
Asthma9%7.9–10.1%9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.1%9–11.2%8.3%worse
Diabetes11%9.3–12.7%10.7%about the same
COPD6.7%5.5–8.1%6.1%about the same
Heart disease6.7%5.8–7.7%6.1%about the same
Stroke3.4%2.9–3.9%3.1%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.2%10.4–16%13.2%about the same
Binge drink20.5%17.2–24%19.7%about the same
Get no exercise27.2%22.5–32.5%24.3%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours30.5%24.2–37.1%31.3%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup75.9%72.2–79.3%75.9%about the same
Dentist visit66.9%63.2–70.5%64.3%about the same
Cholesterol check85.8%83.4–87.9%83.7%about the same
Colon screening64.2%58.8–69.3%62.3%about the same
Mammogram73.4%64.9–80.8%75%about the same
Taking BP meds80.8%77.9–83.3%77.5%better
No health insurance8.1%6.4–10.4%9.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely27.8%23.1–32.8%29.3%about the same
Lack emotional support19.7%16.3–23.3%20.5%about the same
Frequent mental distress13.1%11.3–14.9%14.1%about the same
Fair or poor health15.3%12.7–18.2%16.1%about the same
Frequent physical distress12%10.3–13.9%11.6%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity9.4%7.2–11.9%12.3%better
Housing insecurity7.3%5.9–9%9.5%better
Utility shut-off threat5%4.1–6.1%6.4%better
No reliable transportation5.3%4.4–6.3%6.7%better
Receive SNAP6.5%4.9–8.5%8.5%
Disability
Any disability27.5%23.4–32%27.4%
Walking or climbing stairs12.9%10.7–15.3%12%
Thinking or memory11.2%9.5–13%12.1%
Hearing8.2%7.1–9.3%7.3%
Vision4%3.4–4.7%4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.1%2.6–3.7%3.2%
Errands alone6.6%5.6–7.8%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 Sterling door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Nebraska figure falls inside it, we don't call Sterling better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Sterling 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