Cooke County Medicare at a glance
| Cooke County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 8,531 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 19.5% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 9,965 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 4,172 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 41.9% | 54.9% statewide |
Figures come from the Census Bureau and CMS (September 2026).
Among Texas’s 254 counties, Cooke County comes in 72nd for residents age 65 and up (8,531). Older adults make up 19.5% of the population here; the state figure is 13.7%. The 3,113 residents now between 60 and 64 will become Medicare-eligible soon, and our turning 65 guide walks through it. By age, the 65-and-older group splits 59% ages 65 to 74, 31% ages 75 to 84 and 10% age 85 and up (Census 2023). About 41.9% of people with Medicare in Cooke County are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. That is lower than the Texas average of 54.9%. What most people do in a county is less important than what fits you. We weigh Medicare Advantage against Original Medicare with Medigap using your doctors, your drugs and your budget.
Who has Medicare in Cooke County
The USDA classifies Cooke County as: urban population of 5,000 to 20,000, adjacent to a metro area. In counties of this type, people often travel to a larger neighboring county for specialists, so we check whether your plan’s network reaches there.
CMS counts 9,588 Medicare beneficiaries in Cooke County (2023). Their average age is 74, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 7% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, lower than the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Cooke County, CMS reported about 621 emergency room visits and 259 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (580) and higher than it for hospital stays (226). About 12% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Insurers choose which counties to serve each year, which means the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans you can pick in Cooke County can be different from the ones offered next door. We are not based in Cooke County; we help Cooke County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Cooke County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists these hospitals in Cooke County:
- Muenster Memorial Hospital — Muenster (critical access; government-owned; emergency services)
- North Texas Medical Center — Gainesville (acute care; nonprofit; emergency services; CMS overall rating 4 of 5)
Being located in the county is not the same as being in your plan’s network. Each Medicare Advantage plan builds its own network, so we confirm that your hospital and your doctors are included before you choose. Ratings are CMS Care Compare overall hospital star ratings; they describe the hospital, not whether a plan covers it. Source: CMS Hospital General Information.
Communities and ZIP codes in Cooke County
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Cooke County at Gainesville (18,107), Muenster (1,665), Lindsay (1,197), Valley View (864), Road Runner (823), Callisburg (343), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
We look up plans by ZIP code. In Cooke County, that means areas such as 76238, 76240, 76241, 76250, 76252, 76253, 76263, 76272, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about Medicare in Cooke County?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Medicare.gov: Medigap on how Medicare Supplement works.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Texas’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Cooke County residents
As an independent agency we are not tied to one insurer, so for Cooke County residents we can compare Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities and Medicare Advantage.
Get a clear answer for Cooke County
A short call is enough to compare your options. Our help is free to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
- What Medicare Part D actually costs
- Medicare 101 for families
Cooke County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llano County | 8,515 | 46.8% | 5% | Smaller city/town |
| Gillespie County | 8,553 | 29.8% | 5% | Smaller city/town |
| Washington County | 8,599 | 40.8% | 9% | Smaller city/town |
| Brown County | 8,211 | 39.7% | 16% | Smaller city/town |
| Anderson County | 9,081 | 54.3% | 12% | Smaller city/town |
| Navarro County | 9,263 | 52.3% | 16% | Smaller city/town |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.