Health · Damascus

Damascus, OR health

Damascus differs from Oregon on 5 of 33 measures. It has fewer uninsured adults (6.2% vs 8.5%) and more adults seeing a dentist (69.7% vs 64.7%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.2% vs 8.9%).

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

Damascus’s Health Grade: B+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Damascus is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns and 81% of Oregon towns.

B+Self-rated healthBPhysical distressBMental distressBObesityB+DiabetesA-SmokingA-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 73%
Less healthyHealthier
Oregon towns we grade (227)Healthier than 81%
Towns with similar incomes, $92K–$153K (5,150)Healthier than 38%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Damascus is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

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

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 Damascus adults…

33 of every 100 Damascus adults have high blood pressure
Oregon: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30–36.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Damascus, betterDamascus, worseToo close to callOregon
Get no exerciseshare of adults 19.7% Damascus
OR 20.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.8% Damascus
OR 30.6%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.3% Damascus
OR 15.4%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 10.8% Damascus
OR 12%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

75%
Yearly checkup
OR 73%
70%
Dentist visit
OR 65%
87%
Cholesterol check
OR 84%
68%
Colon screening
OR 63%
81%
Mammogram
OR 78%
73%
Taking BP meds
OR 71%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Damascus 6.2% · Oregon 1 in 12 (8.5%)
Mind & connection

How Damascus adults are doing

1 in 4Damascus adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.8% · Oregon 27.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Damascus adults are in frequent mental distress
16.7% · Oregon 17.5% · too close to call
Disability

Living with a disability

27.6%

of Damascus adults live with a disability (Oregon 30%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.4%
Thinking or memory12.8%
Hearing7%
Errands alone6.9%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.1%

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

Around Damascus

Damascus and the towns around it

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

Happy Valley: 31.3% Boring: 34.3% Portland: 28.5% Damascus: 34.2% Damascus Happy Valley Boring Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center · Clackamas · 5.7 mi · 4★ MedicareH Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center · Gresham · 6.6 mi · 3★ MedicareH Adventist Health Portland · Portland · 8.1 mi · 4★ MedicareH Cascadia Talbert Health Center · Clackamas · 4.5 mi+ Nara Child, Youth, & Family Services/Nara Youth Residential Treatment Center · Gresham · 5.1 mi+
28.5%34.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#3 of 4towns on this map, healthiest first
Happy Valley31.3%
Damascus34.2%
Boring34.3%
6 places to get careNearest ER 5.7 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Damascus

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

HNearest ERKaiser Sunnyside Medical CenterClackamas · 5.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAdventist Health Portland★★★★★ · 8.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCascadia Talbert Health CenterClackamas · 4.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
4.5 mi
Cascadia Talbert Health Center
Clackamas · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
5.1 mi
The Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northw
2 sites · nearest in Gresham
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
5.7 mi
Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center
Clackamas · ★★★★★
ER
6.6 mi
Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center
Gresham · ★★★★★
ER
8.1 mi
Adventist Health Portland
Portland · ★★★★★
ER
8.6 mi
Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center
Oregon City · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careDamascus is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careDamascus is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthDamascus is not a shortage area

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 Damascus. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

All 33 measures for Damascus
MeasureDamascusMarginOregon
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure33.3%30–36.4%32.7%about the same
High cholesterol34.3%31.1–37.7%34.4%about the same
Obesity34.2%29.6–38.8%33.6%about the same
Arthritis29%26.1–31.8%27.4%about the same
Depression27.8%24.6–31%27.1%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.6%8.5–13%12.5%about the same
Asthma11.9%10.6–13.3%11.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.2%9.3–11.2%8.9%worse
Diabetes10.9%9.5–12.5%11.2%about the same
COPD6.4%5.5–7.5%6.8%about the same
Heart disease6.4%5.7–7.3%6.5%about the same
Stroke3.3%2.9–3.6%3.3%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes10.8%9–12.9%12%about the same
Binge drink14.3%12.1–16.7%15.4%about the same
Get no exercise19.7%16.7–23.1%20.1%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.8%28.8–37.2%30.6%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup74.5%71.4–77.5%72.6%about the same
Dentist visit69.7%66.7–72.8%64.7%better
Cholesterol check86.6%84.8–88.2%84%better
Colon screening67.5%63.5–71.4%63.4%better
Mammogram81.4%76.1–86.3%77.6%about the same
Taking BP meds73.3%70.1–76.4%71.4%about the same
No health insurance6.2%5.1–7.4%8.5%better
Mind & connection
Frequent mental distress16.7%14.8–18.7%17.5%about the same
Fair or poor health17%14.7–19.6%19%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.6%11.9–15.4%13.8%about the same
Disability
Any disability27.6%24.2–31.1%30%
Walking or climbing stairs12.4%10.7–14.3%13%
Thinking or memory12.8%11.1–14.5%14.6%
Hearing7%6.1–7.9%7.1%
Vision3.8%3.4–4.4%4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.1%2.7–3.5%3.4%
Errands alone6.9%6.1–7.9%7.9%
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 Damascus door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Oregon figure falls inside it, we don't call Damascus better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Damascus directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Oregon 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/19 · 2025-01-01