Health · Walters

Walters, OK health

Walters differs from Oklahoma on 8 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (22.6% vs 16.4%) and more adults with COPD (10.3% vs 8%).

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

DHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Walters’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Walters is healthier than 9% of U.S. towns.

C-Self-rated healthC-Physical distressC-Mental distressDObesityC-DiabetesDSmokingDExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 9%

Less healthyHealthier

Oklahoma towns we grade (237)Healthier than 28%

Towns with similar incomes, $41K–$68K (6,674)Healthier than 15%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Walters could be anywhere from D− to C+.

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 Oklahoma 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 Walters 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. Walters 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 Walters 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 Walters adults…

42 of every 100 Walters adults have high blood pressure

Oklahoma: 39 in 100 · too close to call · margin 37.6–46.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Walters, betterWalters, worseToo close to callOklahoma

Get no exerciseshare of adults 34.6% Walters
OK 31.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 39.5% Walters
OK 36.8%

Binge drinkshare of adults 13.6% Walters
OK 14%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 20.1% Walters
OK 16.3%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Walters 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 9

working-age adults has no health insurance

Walters 11.1% · Oklahoma 1 in 9 (11.3%)

Mind & connection

How Walters adults are doing

1 in 3Walters adults feel lonely

33.4% · Oklahoma 33.1% · too close to call

1 in 4Walters adults have been diagnosed with depression

27% · Oklahoma 25.5% · too close to call

1 in 4Walters adults lack social or emotional support

24.8% · Oklahoma 25.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Walters adults are in frequent mental distress

19.3% · Oklahoma 18% · 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 5

Walters adults worry about having enough food

21.2% · OK 18.5% · about the same

1 in 7

Walters adults worry about keeping their housing

15.1% · OK 14.1% · about the same

1 in 9

Walters adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

11.7% · OK 10.3% · about the same

1 in 9

Walters adults lack reliable transportation

11.1% · OK 9.6% · about the same

18.8% of Walters adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.1% across Oklahoma.

Disability

Living with a disability

42.9%

of Walters adults live with a disability (Oklahoma 38.9%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs20.4%

Thinking or memory19.4%

Hearing10.7%

Errands alone11.6%

Vision7.3%

Dressing or bathing5.3%

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

Around Walters

Walters and the towns around it

Care nearby

Southwestern Medical CenterLawton · 16.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Memorial HealthLawton · 17.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Lawton Indian HospitalLawton · 18.2 mi Directions Medicare profile

Jefferson County HospitalWaurika · 27.3 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Lchc Southcare ClinicLawton · 16.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careWalters's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cotton County · need score 13 of 25

! Dental careWalters's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cotton County · need score 14 of 25

! Mental healthWalters's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.MHCA 8 SW Oklahoma Jim Taliaferro · need score 20 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 Walters. 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 Walters

Measure	Walters	Margin	Oklahoma
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	42.2%	37.6–46.8%	38.5%	about the same
High cholesterol	40.2%	35.6–45%	37.7%	about the same
Obesity	43.4%	34.5–52.5%	38.9%	about the same
Arthritis	31.4%	27.9–35.1%	27.8%	worse
Depression	27%	22.9–31.2%	25.5%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	22.6%	18.6–26.7%	16.4%	worse
Asthma	12.5%	11–14.1%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.6%	7.8–9.6%	7.8%	about the same
Diabetes	14.7%	12.7–16.8%	12.8%	about the same
COPD	10.3%	8.7–12.2%	8%	worse
Heart disease	8.6%	7.5–9.8%	7.3%	worse
Stroke	4.5%	3.9–5.1%	3.7%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	20.1%	16.7–23.9%	16.3%	worse
Binge drink	13.6%	10.9–16.4%	14%	about the same
Get no exercise	34.6%	28.9–40.6%	31.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	39.5%	32–46.9%	36.8%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.4%	74.4–81.8%	77.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	51.8%	47.7–55.6%	57.1%	worse
Cholesterol check	83.8%	81.4–86.1%	84.3%	about the same
Colon screening	60.3%	54.5–65.5%	59.7%	about the same
Mammogram	65.1%	55.5–73.6%	70.4%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77.6%	74.7–80.3%	76.3%	about the same
No health insurance	11.1%	8.7–13.9%	11.3%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33.4%	27.9–39.4%	33.1%	about the same
Lack emotional support	24.8%	20.8–29.2%	25.2%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	19.3%	16.9–21.8%	18%	about the same
Fair or poor health	24.5%	21–28.5%	21.2%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	16.8%	14.6–19.3%	14.3%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	21.2%	17.7–25.7%	18.5%	about the same
Housing insecurity	15.1%	12.6–18%	14.1%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	11.7%	10–13.6%	10.3%	about the same
No reliable transportation	11.1%	9.5–12.9%	9.6%	about the same
Receive SNAP	18.8%	15.2–23%	15.1%
Disability
Any disability	42.9%	37.4–48.5%	38.9%
Walking or climbing stairs	20.4%	17.6–23.6%	17.1%
Thinking or memory	19.4%	16.8–22.3%	17.3%
Hearing	10.7%	9.5–12.1%	9.1%
Vision	7.3%	6.4–8.3%	6%
Dressing or bathing	5.3%	4.6–6.2%	4.3%
Errands alone	11.6%	9.9–13.3%	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 Walters door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Walters 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.