Health · Sparks

Sparks, NV health

Sparks differs from Nevada on 8 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults with diabetes (9.8% vs 12%) and fewer adults with high blood pressure (28.6% vs 34%). Where it trails the state: more binge drinkers (18.7% vs 15.7%).

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

Sparks’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Sparks is healthier than 63% of U.S. towns and 74% of Nevada towns.

C+Self-rated healthB-Physical distressCMental distressAObesityA-DiabetesB+SmokingB+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 63%
Less healthyHealthier
Nevada towns we grade (67)Healthier than 74%
Towns with similar incomes, $67K–$111K (9,259)Healthier than 58%

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

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

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 Sparks adults…

29 of every 100 Sparks adults have high blood pressure
Nevada: 34 in 100 · better · margin 25.7–31.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Sparks, betterSparks, worseToo close to callNevada
Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.4% Sparks
NV 26.2%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 38.6% Sparks
NV 39.8%
Binge drinkshare of adults 18.7% Sparks
NV 15.7%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 12.9% Sparks
NV 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

74%
Yearly checkup
NV 74%
60%
Dentist visit
NV 58%
84%
Cholesterol check
NV 85%
63%
Colon screening
NV 59%
71%
Mammogram
NV 69%
70%
Taking BP meds
NV 72%
1 in 7
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sparks 13.8% · Nevada 1 in 7 (14.5%)
Mind & connection

How Sparks adults are doing

1 in 3Sparks adults feel lonely
38.7% · Nevada 36.7% · too close to call
1 in 5Sparks adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.3% · Nevada 20.5% · too close to call
1 in 4Sparks adults lack social or emotional support
26.3% · Nevada 27.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Sparks adults are in frequent mental distress
18.1% · Nevada 18.4% · 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
Sparks adults worry about having enough food
16.4% · NV 18% · about the same
1 in 7
Sparks adults worry about keeping their housing
14.1% · NV 15.6% · about the same
1 in 12
Sparks adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.4% · NV 9.7% · better
1 in 11
Sparks adults lack reliable transportation
9.1% · NV 9.9% · about the same

12.6% of Sparks adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.1% across Nevada.

Disability

Living with a disability

31.1%

of Sparks adults live with a disability (Nevada 33.7%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13%
Thinking or memory15.7%
Hearing7%
Errands alone8%
Vision5.3%
Dressing or bathing3.6%

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

Around Sparks

Sparks and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.

Spanish Springs: 27.5% Reno: 28.4% Sun Valley: 33.2% Verdi: 27.7% Lemmon Valley: 29.2% Mogul: 26.3% Cold Springs: 29.8% Golden Valley: 27.5% Sparks: 28.6% Sparks Spanish Springs Reno Sun Valley Northern Nevada Medical Center · Sparks · 2.4 mi · 3★ MedicareH Renown Regional Medical Center · Reno · 5.5 mi · 3★ MedicareH VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System · Reno · 6 mi · 5★ MedicareH Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center · Reno · 6.2 mi · 4★ MedicareH Sun Valley Health Center (New) · Sun Valley · 3.5 mi+ Sparks Health Center · Sparks · 3.6 mi+
26.3%33.2%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#6 of 9towns on this map, healthiest first
Spanish Springs27.5%
Reno28.4%
Sparks28.6%
Sun Valley33.2%

Care nearby

Northern Nevada Medical CenterSparks · 2.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Renown Regional Medical CenterReno · 5.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare SystemReno · 6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · VA DirectionsMedicare profile
Saint Mary's Regional Medical CenterReno · 6.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER DirectionsMedicare profile
Sun Valley Health Center (New)Sun Valley · 3.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
Sparks Health CenterSparks · 3.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions
✓ Primary careSparks is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careSparks is not a shortage area
! Mental healthPart of Sparks is a federal shortage area for some residents.Washoe - Reno Area · need score 14 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 Sparks. 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 Sparks
MeasureSparksMarginNevada
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure28.6%25.7–31.7%34%better
High cholesterol36.2%32.8–39.7%38.1%about the same
Obesity28.6%24.2–33.4%31.3%about the same
Arthritis24.3%21.9–26.8%24.8%about the same
Depression21.3%18.3–24.3%20.5%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)11.9%9.9–14.3%11.6%about the same
Asthma10.5%9.3–11.8%10.2%about the same
Cancer (not skin)7.7%7–8.4%7.4%about the same
Diabetes9.8%8.6–11.1%12%better
COPD6.4%5.8–7.1%7.1%about the same
Heart disease5.6%5.1–6.2%6.4%better
Stroke3.1%2.9–3.3%3.4%better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes12.9%11.3–14.6%14.6%about the same
Binge drink18.7%16–21.6%15.7%worse
Get no exercise22.4%19.3–25.7%26.2%better
Sleep under 7 hours38.6%34.2–43.3%39.8%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup73.7%70.1–77.1%73.9%about the same
Dentist visit60.3%56.9–63.8%58.2%about the same
Cholesterol check83.8%81.7–85.6%84.9%about the same
Colon screening63.4%59.2–67.6%58.6%better
Mammogram71.1%64.7–77.3%69.1%about the same
Taking BP meds70.4%67.1–73.5%72.2%about the same
No health insurance13.8%12–15.5%14.5%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely38.7%34.9–42.9%36.7%about the same
Lack emotional support26.3%23.4–29.8%27.3%about the same
Frequent mental distress18.1%16.3–20.1%18.4%about the same
Fair or poor health21.5%19.3–23.7%22.3%about the same
Frequent physical distress14.2%12.7–15.7%14.9%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity16.4%14.6–18.5%18%about the same
Housing insecurity14.1%12.5–16%15.6%about the same
Utility shut-off threat8.4%7.4–9.5%9.7%better
No reliable transportation9.1%8.2–10.2%9.9%about the same
Receive SNAP12.6%11–14.4%15.1%
Disability
Any disability31.1%27.8–34.4%33.7%
Walking or climbing stairs13%11.5–14.5%15.3%
Thinking or memory15.7%14.1–17.4%15.7%
Hearing7%6.3–7.8%7.3%
Vision5.3%4.9–5.7%5.9%
Dressing or bathing3.6%3.3–3.8%4.1%
Errands alone8%7.3–8.8%8.6%
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 Sparks door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Nevada figure falls inside it, we don't call Sparks better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Sparks directly, so these are its own figures.

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

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01