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–Not graded
Health in Chester Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Chester Township residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Chester Township, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 62656, 62512, 62548. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Chester Township

COPD, cancer and heart disease run high in Chester Township

1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.2%), vs 6.3% across Illinois. 1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9%), vs 7.6% across Illinois. Heart disease is also above the state: 6.9%, vs 5.9% across Illinois. In all, Chester Township runs above Illinois on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Illinois 17%), and COPD, cancer and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Chester Township

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (15.6%), vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓

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 Chester Township’s likely range; Chester Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 62656, 62512, 62548, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Chester Township adults…

Chester Township runs above IL on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Chester Township adults have COPD
Illinois: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 7.3–9.3%
Better than ILWorseAbout the sameIllinois
Why age matters here

Chester Township is an older town: 26% 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 Chester Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Chester Township26%
Illinois17%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois

Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.8%IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hours 35.6%IL 35.4%
Binge drink 18%IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 15.6%IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Chester Township, betterChester Township, worseAbout the sameIllinois
Where Chester Township gets moving

1.9 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Chester Township

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

HNearest ERAbraham Lincoln Memorial HospitalLincoln · 5.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAbraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 5.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSouthern Illinois University School of MedicineLincoln · 4.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
4.6 mi
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
4 sites · nearest in Lincoln
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
5.9 mi
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital
Lincoln · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
18.8 mi
Warner Hospital and Health Services
Clinton · not rated
ERRural critical access
23.2 mi
Hopedale Hospital
Hopedale · not rated
ERRural critical access
24.4 mi
Decatur Memorial Hospital
Decatur · ★★★★★
ER
25.3 mi
Community Health Improvement Center
3 sites · nearest in Decatur
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Chester Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Chester Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Chester 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 Chester 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 Chester Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.

78%Yearly checkupIL 78%
61%Dentist visitIL 63%
86%Cholesterol checkIL 87%
64%Colon screeningIL 60%
72%MammogramIL 74%
77%Taking BP medsIL 76%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Chester Township 8.3% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Chester Township adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Chester Township runs above Illinois.

1 in 3Chester Township adults feel lonely
34% · IL 33.5% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Chester Township adults lack social or emotional support
25.2% · IL 25.4% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Chester Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.9% · IL 19.8% · About the same as IL
1 in 6Chester Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.8% · IL 15.6% · Worse than IL
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Chester 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.

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
Chester Township adults worry about having enough food
15% · IL 15.9%
About the same as IL
1 in 8
Chester Township adults worry about keeping their housing
12.2% · IL 13.2%
About the same as IL
1 in 13
Chester Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.8% · IL 7.8%
About the same as IL
1 in 13
Chester Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.9% · IL 8%
About the same as IL

14.8% of Chester Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Around town

Chester Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Broadwell Township: 38.3%Mount Pulaski Township: 36.8%Aetna Township: 37.4%East Lincoln Township: 38.8%West Lincoln Township: 38.8%Elkhart Township: 36.8%Corwin Township: 37%Lincoln: 38.5%Laenna Township: 36.8%Lanesville Township: 38.6%Lake Fork Township: 36.9%Buffalo Hart Township: 38.1%Tunbridge Township: 37.3%Oran Township: 37.9%Eminence Township: 37.4%Atlanta Township: 37.3%Chester Township: 38.7%Chester TownshipBroadwell TownshipMount Pulaski TownshipAetna TownshipEast Lincoln TownshipAbraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital · Lincoln · 5.9 mi · 4★ MedicareHSiu Center for Family Medicine-Lincoln · Lincoln · 4.6 mi+
Healthier than ILNear ILLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#15 of 17 towns on this map, healthiest first
Mount Pulaski Township36.8%
Aetna Township37.4%
Broadwell Township38.3%
Chester Township38.7%
East Lincoln Township38.8%
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
Broadwell TownshipB−38.3%11.7%15.8%ZIP codes
Mount Pulaski TownshipB−36.8%12.1%14.5%ZIP codes
Aetna Township————
East Lincoln TownshipC+38.8%11.9%15.6%ZIP codes

Aetna 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.

31.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.8%
Thinking or memory14.5%
Hearing7.5%
Errands alone8.9%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing3.9%
Illinois

Questions about health in Chester Township

Why doesn’t Chester Township have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Chester Township.

What hospital is closest to Chester Township?

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, 5.9 miles in a straight line from Chester Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Chester Township?

1 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Siu Center for Family Medicine-Lincoln in Lincoln, 4.6 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Chester 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. 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.