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≈ C+Health Grade
Health in Cave Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Cave Township is healthier than 53%

Cave Township differs from Illinois on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 11 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 62890, 62896. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Cave Township

COPD, heart disease and arthritis run high in Cave Township

1 in 11 adults have COPD (9%), vs 6.3% across Illinois. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.6%), vs 5.9% across Illinois. Arthritis is also above the state: 30.6%, vs 24.2% across Illinois. In all, Cave Township runs above Illinois on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Illinois 17%), and COPD, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Depression is more common in Cave Township

1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with depression (23.6%), vs 19.8% across Illinois. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 17.8%, vs 15.6% across Illinois. Mind & connection ↓

Smoking is more common in Cave Township

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.3%), vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓

Cave Township is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Cave Township is healthier than 36%. Against the 9,523 towns with similar household incomes ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 53%. Health Grade ↓

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 Cave Township’s likely range; Cave Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 62890, 62896, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Cave Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cave Township is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 55% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 21%).

C+Self-rated health20.5% · IL 18.6% · U.S. 19.4%
C+Physical distress14.9% · IL 12.2% · U.S. 13%
C+Mental distress17.8% · IL 15.6% · U.S. 15.9%
C−Obesity40% · IL 34% · U.S. 32.9%
C+Diabetes12.6% · IL 11.7% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking16.3% smoke · IL 12.1% · U.S. 11.8%
B−Exercise25% · IL 23% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 36%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $47K–$78K (9,523)Healthier than 53%

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). Cave Township’s median household income is $62,526; among the 9,523 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.

Where Cave Township compares well: no health insurance (ages 18–64), 7.8% (U.S. 11%).

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Cave Township could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 62890,62896), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Cave Township adults…

Cave Township runs above IL on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Cave Township adults have COPD
Illinois: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 8–10.1%
Better than ILWorseAbout the sameIllinois
Why age matters here

Cave Township is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Illinois. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Cave Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Cave Township28%
Illinois17%
Mind & connection

How Cave Township adults are doing

On 2 of 4 measures, Cave Township runs above Illinois.

1 in 3Cave Township adults feel lonely
33% · IL 33.5% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Cave Township adults lack social or emotional support
24.4% · IL 25.4% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Cave Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.6% · IL 19.8% · Worse than IL
1 in 6Cave Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.8% · IL 15.6% · Worse than IL
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Cave Township adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois

Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.

Get no exercise 25%IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hours 37.7%IL 35.4%
Binge drink 17.8%IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 16.3%IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Cave Township, betterCave Township, worseAbout the sameIllinois
Where Cave Township gets moving

1.9 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Cave Township

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

HNearest ERFranklin HospitalBenton · 11.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyHamilton Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 16.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careChristopher Greater Area Rural Health Planning CorporationBenton · 10.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.6 mi
Christopher Greater Area Rural Health Planning Corporation
4 sites · nearest in Benton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
11.1 mi
Franklin Hospital
Benton · not rated
ERRural critical access
16.3 mi
Shawnee Health Service and Development Corporation
3 sites · nearest in Marion
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
16.6 mi
Marion IL VA Medical Center
Marion · ★★★★★
ERFor veterans
16.7 mi
Herrin Hospital
Herrin · ★★★★★
ER
16.9 mi
Hamilton Memorial Hospital
Mcleansboro · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Cave Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Cave Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Cave Township itself

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 Cave Township; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Cave Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.

79%Yearly checkupIL 78%
60%Dentist visitIL 63%
87%Cholesterol checkIL 87%
63%Colon screeningIL 60%
69%MammogramIL 74%
78%Taking BP medsIL 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Cave Township 7.8% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 7
Cave Township adults worry about having enough food
13.9% · IL 15.9%
About the same as IL
1 in 9
Cave Township adults worry about keeping their housing
11% · IL 13.2%
Better than IL
1 in 14
Cave Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.2% · IL 7.8%
About the same as IL
1 in 13
Cave Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.5% · IL 8%
About the same as IL

14% of Cave Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Around town

Cave Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Eastern Township: 39.8%Frankfort Township: 42.3%South Flannigan Township: 39.4%Tate Township: 39.5%Flannigan Township: 40.3%Northern Township: 39.3%Benton Township: 41.2%Denning Township: 42%Hanaford: 39.6%South Twigg Township: 38.8%Long Branch Township: 38.5%Galatia Township: 39.4%Cave Township: 40%Cave TownshipEastern TownshipFrankfort TownshipSouth Flannigan TownshipTate TownshipFranklin Hospital · Benton · 11.1 miHHamilton Memorial Hospital · Mcleansboro · 16.9 mi · 3★ MedicareHRea Clinic - Benton · Benton · 10.6 mi+
Healthier than ILNear ILLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 13 towns on this map, healthiest first
South Flannigan Township39.4%
Tate Township39.5%
Eastern Township39.8%
Cave Township40%
Frankfort Township42.3%
IL34%

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

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Cave TownshipC+40%12.6%16.3%ZIP codes
Eastern Township————
Frankfort TownshipD42.3%14.7%19%ZIP codes
Tate Township————
South Flannigan Township————

Eastern Township, Tate Township and South Flannigan Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

32.4%

of Cave Township adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.6%
Thinking or memory14.5%
Hearing8.1%
Errands alone9%
Vision4.9%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Illinois

Every CDC estimate for Cave Township

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cave Township is better than Illinois on 2 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Cave Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Cave TownshipILU.S.vs IL
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.5%18–2318.6%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14.9%13.3–16.512.2%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.8%16.1–19.615.6%15.9%Worse
Conditions
Obesity40%33.3–46.834%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.6%11.1–14.111.7%12%About the same
High blood pressure37.1%33.5–40.533%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)37.8%34–41.535.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis30.6%27.6–33.524.2%25.3%Worse
Asthma10.9%9.8–12.19.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.6%8.9–10.57.6%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease7.6%6.9–8.35.9%6.4%Worse
COPD9%8–10.16.3%6.3%Worse
Stroke3.9%3.6–4.23.3%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)12.5%10.5–14.710.3%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.3%14–18.612.1%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work25%21.2–28.823%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking17.8%15.3–20.517.8%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.7%32.2–43.735.4%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.8%6.5–9.39.9%11%Better
Checkup in the past year78.6%75.6–81.477.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year60.2%56.7–63.563.4%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.9%85.2–88.387.4%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.8%75.1–80.275.7%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)62.8%58.2–67.360.2%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)69.4%61.9–76.373.5%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.6%20.5–26.619.8%20.6%Worse
Feel lonely33%28.9–37.633.5%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support24.4%21.3–27.825.4%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food13.9%12–16.215.9%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing11%9.5–12.613.2%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.2%6.3–8.17.8%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.5%6.7–8.48%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)14%11.8–16.313.8%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability32.4%28.6–36.127.6%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.6%13.8–17.512.8%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.5%12.9–16.112.6%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty8.1%7.3–8.96.2%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty4.9%4.5–5.54.8%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone9%8.1–107.6%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.1%3.7–4.53.5%3.8%Higher

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 Cave Township

Is Cave Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cave Township is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Cave Township?

CDC estimates 40% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.3% and 46.8%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Cave Township?

Franklin Hospital in Benton, 11.1 miles in a straight line from Cave Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Cave Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.5–9.3%), 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 Cave Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Cave Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.