Kelso, WA is a vibrant small city with a rich history of providing quality healthcare to its community. With two local hospitals, St. John Medical Center and Providence Centralia Hospital, residents have access to comprehensive medical care from experienced and qualified professionals. Residents also have access to numerous local medical facilities ranging from urgent care clinics to specialty care providers. These health care options provide a variety of services such as primary care, pediatrics, women's health, mental health, emergency care and more. The City of Kelso also has several initiatives in place to ensure that all citizens receive the best possible quality of life through proactive preventative health programs and by promoting healthy lifestyle choices among the population. All together these efforts ensure that Kelso remains a safe and healthy community for everyone.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 162 physicians per 100,000 population in Kelso. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Kelso area is 78.3 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
78.3 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Kelso area is 60 (100=best). The US average is 55.
60 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Kelso area is 95 (100=best). The US average is 87.
95 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Kelso commutes 20.9 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Kelso area is 61 (100=best). The US average is 58.
61 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.