Photo: bogdanstepniak · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Carol Stream is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Carol Stream beats Illinois on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Carol Stream. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Carol Stream
Fewer Carol Stream adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Illinois. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Carol Stream
Carol Stream runs below Illinois on COPD (5.1% vs 6.3%), stroke (2.7% vs 3.3%) and heart disease (5% vs 5.9%). Conditions ↓
Carol Stream has a community health center but no hospital
Vna Health Care, An Illinois Not-For-Profit Corporation is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital in Winfield, 3.6 miles away. Getting care ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Illinois figure falls outside Carol Stream’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Carol Stream’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Carol Stream is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns, #121 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 92% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 79%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Carol Stream’s median household income is $102,309; among the 8,238 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 90%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10% of Carol Stream adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Out of every 100 Carol Stream adults…
Carol Stream runs below IL on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Carol Stream
1 community health center in Carol Stream, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Carol Stream; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
6.1 miles of trails across 33 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Carol Stream adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How Carol Stream adults are doing
About the same as Illinois on each measure.
1 in 3 Carol Stream adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Carol Stream and the towns around it
Carol Stream’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 10 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carol Stream | A | 29.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% | CDC place |
| Glendale Heights | B+ | 30.9% | 11.6% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Winfield | A | 29.7% | 9.9% | 9.6% | CDC place |
| Bloomingdale Township | A− | 30.1% | 10.6% | 11.1% | ZIP codes |
| Wayne Township | A | 30.1% | 10.4% | 10.4% | ZIP codes |
| Wheaton | A+ | 28.2% | 8.5% | 8.3% | CDC place |
| Hanover Park | A− | 30.3% | 10.9% | 11.3% | CDC place |
| Bloomingdale | A− | 29.6% | 11.2% | 10.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Carol Stream adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Carol Stream
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Carol Stream is better than Illinois on 15 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Carol Stream’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Carol Stream | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.2%13.4–17.3 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.6%9.4–11.9 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.5–15.8 | 15.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.2%24.8–34 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.1%8.8–11.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 29.9%26.7–33.2 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.4%31.9–39 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.3%18.9–23.8 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9%8–10.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.2%6.6–8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.4–5.5 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.1%4.5–5.8 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.7%2.5–2.9 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.2%6.6–10.1 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.3%8.8–12 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 20.4%17.4–23.7 | 23% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.6%13.2–18.3 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36%31.2–41.2 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.1%6.9–9.4 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.8%74.6–80.9 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.4%65.1–71.7 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.8%86.2–89.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.8%72.7–78.7 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.2%59.4–68.9 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.2%69.2–82.5 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.4%14.9–20.2 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.9%29.9–38.2 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.3%22.2–28.7 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.8%11.1–14.7 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.4%9–12 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.9%5.1–6.8 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%5.8–7.4 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10%8.5–11.5 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23%20.2–26.2 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.8%9.4–12.3 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.9%9.6–12.3 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.7–6 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.9%3.6–4.3 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.6–7 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.6–3.1 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Illinois figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Carol Stream
Is Carol Stream a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Carol Stream is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns: A for health, #121 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 90%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Carol Stream?
CDC estimates 29.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.8% and 34%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Carol Stream?
Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital in Winfield, 3.6 miles in a straight line from Carol Stream’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Carol Stream have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.9–9.4%), against 9.9% across Illinois.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Carol Stream more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Carol Stream.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Illinois figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.