Health · Elgin

Elgin, OR health

Elgin differs from Oregon on 5 of 33 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (8.4% vs 6.8%) and more adults with arthritis (33.4% vs 27.4%).

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

B-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

B⁻

Elgin’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Elgin is healthier than 52% of U.S. towns, and than 81% of towns with similar incomes.

B-Self-rated healthCPhysical distressCMental distressBObesityB-DiabetesBSmokingA-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 52%

Less healthyHealthier

Oregon towns we grade (227)Healthier than 53%

Towns with similar incomes, $43K–$72K (7,589)Healthier than 81%

Better than its income would suggest. Elgin is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is B−.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Elgin 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 Elgin 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. Elgin 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 Elgin 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 Elgin adults…

37 of every 100 Elgin adults have high blood pressure

Oregon: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.4–41.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Elgin, betterElgin, worseToo close to callOregon

Get no exerciseshare of adults 20.5% Elgin
OR 20.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 31.3% Elgin
OR 30.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.1% Elgin
OR 15.4%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.5% Elgin
OR 12%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

OR 73%

Dentist visit

OR 65%

Cholesterol check

OR 84%

Colon screening

OR 63%

Mammogram

OR 78%

Taking BP meds

OR 71%

1 in 14

working-age adults has no health insurance

Elgin 7.2% · Oregon 1 in 12 (8.5%)

Mind & connection

How Elgin adults are doing

1 in 4Elgin adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.4% · Oregon 27.1% · too close to call

1 in 5Elgin adults are in frequent mental distress

18.2% · Oregon 17.5% · too close to call

Disability

Living with a disability

32.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.2%

Thinking or memory15.3%

Hearing8.4%

Errands alone8.5%

Vision4.7%

Dressing or bathing3.8%

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

Around Elgin

Elgin and the towns around it

Care nearby

Grande Ronde HospitalLa Grande · 19.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Wallowa Memorial HospitalEnterprise · 32.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Providence St. Mary Medical CenterWalla Walla · 41.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

St. Anthony HospitalPendleton · 44.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Winding Waters WallowaWallowa · 18.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Winding Waters Hearts for HealthEnterprise · 32.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careElgin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Union County · need score 15 of 25

! Dental careElgin's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Union County · need score 18 of 25

! Mental healthElgin's county is a federal shortage area.Northeast Oregon Service Area MHCA High Needs · need score 18 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 Elgin. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 33 measures for Elgin

Measure	Elgin	Margin	Oregon
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	36.6%	32.4–41.1%	32.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	35.8%	31.6–40.2%	34.4%	about the same
Obesity	35.6%	28.1–43.9%	33.6%	about the same
Arthritis	33.4%	29.9–37.2%	27.4%	worse
Depression	27.4%	23.6–31.5%	27.1%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	10.7%	8.5–13.2%	12.5%	about the same
Asthma	12.7%	11.3–14.3%	11.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.7%	9.7–11.8%	8.9%	worse
Diabetes	12.1%	10.3–14%	11.2%	about the same
COPD	8.4%	7.1–9.8%	6.8%	worse
Heart disease	7.7%	6.8–8.8%	6.5%	worse
Stroke	4%	3.5–4.5%	3.3%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.5%	10.9–16.2%	12%	about the same
Binge drink	16.1%	13.2–19.4%	15.4%	about the same
Get no exercise	20.5%	16.4–25%	20.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	31.3%	25.2–37.9%	30.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	74.3%	70.1–78.3%	72.6%	about the same
Dentist visit	64.9%	61.1–68.5%	64.7%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.2%	82.8–87.4%	84%	about the same
Colon screening	65%	59.7–69.9%	63.4%	about the same
Mammogram	77.8%	70.4–84.1%	77.6%	about the same
Taking BP meds	74.5%	71.1–77.8%	71.4%	about the same
No health insurance	7.2%	5.6–9.4%	8.5%	about the same
Mind & connection
Frequent mental distress	18.2%	15.8–20.6%	17.5%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.6%	16.6–22.9%	19%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.2%	13.2–17.4%	13.8%	about the same
Disability
Any disability	32.8%	28.2–37.7%	30%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.2%	12.8–17.7%	13%
Thinking or memory	15.3%	13.1–17.5%	14.6%
Hearing	8.4%	7.4–9.5%	7.1%
Vision	4.7%	4.1–5.4%	4.6%
Dressing or bathing	3.8%	3.3–4.4%	3.4%
Errands alone	8.5%	7.3–9.7%	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 Elgin door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Elgin 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.