Health · Howe

Howe, OK health

Howe differs from Oklahoma on 15 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more smokers (23.8% vs 16.3%) and more adults with COPD (11.2% vs 8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Howe

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 791 people are less certain, so we show Howe's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Howe compares with Oklahoma

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 Howe adults…

41 of every 100 Howe adults have high blood pressure

Oklahoma: 39 in 100 · too close to call · margin 36.4–44.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Howe, betterHowe, worseToo close to callOklahoma

Get no exerciseshare of adults 39.7% Howe
OK 31.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 39.1% Howe
OK 36.8%

Binge drinkshare of adults 13.7% Howe
OK 14%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 23.8% Howe
OK 16.3%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

OK 78%

Dentist visit

OK 57%

Cholesterol check

OK 84%

Colon screening

OK 60%

Mammogram

OK 70%

Taking BP meds

OK 76%

1 in 7

working-age adults has no health insurance

Howe 14.1% · Oklahoma 1 in 9 (11.3%)

Mind & connection

How Howe adults are doing

1 in 3Howe adults feel lonely

36% · Oklahoma 33.1% · too close to call

1 in 4Howe adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.8% · Oklahoma 25.5% · too close to call

1 in 4Howe adults lack social or emotional support

27.8% · Oklahoma 25.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Howe adults are in frequent mental distress

21.7% · Oklahoma 18% · worse

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 4

Howe adults worry about having enough food

25.9% · OK 18.5% · worse

1 in 6

Howe adults worry about keeping their housing

17.8% · OK 14.1% · worse

1 in 7

Howe adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

13.6% · OK 10.3% · worse

1 in 8

Howe adults lack reliable transportation

13.1% · OK 9.6% · worse

24% of Howe adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.1% across Oklahoma.

Disability

Living with a disability

45.7%

of Howe adults live with a disability (Oklahoma 38.9%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs21.7%

Thinking or memory22.5%

Hearing10.8%

Errands alone13.1%

Vision8.3%

Dressing or bathing5.9%

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

Around Howe

Howe and the towns around it

Care nearby

Eastern Oklahoma Medical CenterPoteau · 6.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Choctaw Nation Health Services AuthorityTalihina · 25 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mercy Hospital WaldronWaldron · 30.5 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Baptist Health - Fort SmithFort Smith · 31.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Hwc - PoteauPoteau · 9.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Bonanza Wellness CenterBonanza · 23.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careHowe's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Le Flore County · need score 18 of 25

! Dental careHowe's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Le Flore County · need score 17 of 25

! Mental healthHowe's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 21 · need score 19 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 Howe. 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 Howe

Measure	Howe	Margin	Oklahoma
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	40.6%	36.4–44.7%	38.5%	about the same
High cholesterol	39.5%	35.1–43.8%	37.7%	about the same
Obesity	40.6%	33–48.3%	38.9%	about the same
Arthritis	29.9%	26.6–33.2%	27.8%	about the same
Depression	27.8%	23.8–31.9%	25.5%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	20.3%	16.8–24.2%	16.4%	worse
Asthma	12.8%	11.2–14.5%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	7.6%	6.9–8.5%	7.8%	about the same
Diabetes	14.5%	12.6–16.6%	12.8%	about the same
COPD	11.2%	9.5–12.9%	8%	worse
Heart disease	8.8%	7.8–9.9%	7.3%	worse
Stroke	4.6%	4–5.1%	3.7%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	23.8%	20.2–27.3%	16.3%	worse
Binge drink	13.7%	11.1–16.6%	14%	about the same
Get no exercise	39.7%	34–45.2%	31.1%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	39.1%	33.1–45.4%	36.8%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	77%	73.1–80.6%	77.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	45%	41.2–48.8%	57.1%	worse
Cholesterol check	80.3%	77.6–82.8%	84.3%	worse
Colon screening	55.5%	50.3–60.7%	59.7%	about the same
Mammogram	62.4%	53.5–70.8%	70.4%	about the same
Taking BP meds	75.9%	73.1–78.6%	76.3%	about the same
No health insurance	14.1%	11.3–17.5%	11.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	36%	30.4–41.9%	33.1%	about the same
Lack emotional support	27.8%	23.4–32.3%	25.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	21.7%	19.1–24.3%	18%	worse
Fair or poor health	27.9%	23.9–31.8%	21.2%	worse
Frequent physical distress	18%	15.7–20.4%	14.3%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	25.9%	21.5–30.5%	18.5%	worse
Housing insecurity	17.8%	14.8–20.8%	14.1%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	13.6%	11.5–15.7%	10.3%	worse
No reliable transportation	13.1%	11.1–15.1%	9.6%	worse
Receive SNAP	24%	19.7–28.3%	15.1%
Disability
Any disability	45.7%	40.2–50.9%	38.9%
Walking or climbing stairs	21.7%	18.8–24.6%	17.1%
Thinking or memory	22.5%	19.5–25.5%	17.3%
Hearing	10.8%	9.6–12.1%	9.1%
Vision	8.3%	7.3–9.3%	6%
Dressing or bathing	5.9%	5.1–6.8%	4.3%
Errands alone	13.1%	11.3–14.9%	9.6%

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 Howe door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Oklahoma figure falls inside it, we don't call Howe better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Howe directly, so these are its own figures.

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