Photo: Randy Escalada · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Des Plaines is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns
Des Plaines beats Illinois on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Des Plaines. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Des Plaines
Fewer Des Plaines adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Illinois. 1 in 9 adults worry about keeping their housing, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Des Plaines has a community health center but no hospital
Greater Family Health is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, 3.3 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 Des Plaines’ likely range.
What’s behind Des Plaines’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Des Plaines is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns, #170 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 92% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 70%.
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). Des Plaines’ median household income is $97,875; among the 8,892 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$122K), it’s healthier than 86%, 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.
10.5% of Des Plaines adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Care in and near Des Plaines
2 community health centers in Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 Des Plaines adults…
Des Plaines runs below IL on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
7.4 miles of trails across 49 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Des Plaines adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How Des Plaines adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Des Plaines does better than Illinois.
1 in 3 Des Plaines 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.
Des Plaines and the towns around it
Des Plaines’s Health Grade ranks 8th of 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Plaines | A | 26.8% | 10.8% | 10.4% | CDC place |
| Mount Prospect | A | 26% | 9.6% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Maine Township | A | 26.1% | 10.7% | 9.9% | ZIP codes |
| Chicago | B+ | 32.6% | 12% | 11.9% | CDC place |
| Rosemont | B+ | 29.6% | 10.5% | 11.8% | CDC place |
| Elk Grove Township | A | 26.7% | 10.1% | 10.1% | ZIP codes |
| Park Ridge | A+ | 24.8% | 8.7% | 7.5% | CDC place |
| Glenview | A+ | 23.7% | 10.1% | 7.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Des Plaines adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Des Plaines
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Des Plaines is better than Illinois on 9 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Des Plaines’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Des Plaines | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.1%15.5–18.8 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.4%10.3–12.6 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.5–15.1 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.8%23.8–29.8 | 34% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10.8%9.6–12 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 29.9%27.5–32.2 | 33% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.7%33.9–39.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.3%21.3–25.3 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.2%7.5–8.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%5.1–6.2 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.9%5.3–6.6 | 6.3% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.9–3.3 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.9%7.3–10.6 | 10.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.4%9.2–11.7 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 21.4%19.1–23.8 | 23% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.2%16.2–20.2 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.1%29.7–36.5 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10%8.8–11.2 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.8%75.2–80 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.4%62.5–68.2 | 63.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.1%87.8–90.2 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.8%73.1–78.2 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.7%56.9–64.4 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.8%66.9–78.1 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.8%16.7–20.9 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.8%29.8–35.9 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.3%22.7–27.9 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14%12.6–15.6 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.2%10–12.5 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.9%5.2–6.7 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.7%6–7.5 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.5%9.1–11.9 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.7%23.4–28.1 | 27.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.9%10.7–13.2 | 12.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.3%10.1–12.4 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.2%5.6–6.9 | 6.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.9–4.6 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%6.1–7.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.9–3.4 | 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 Des Plaines
Is Des Plaines a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Des Plaines is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns: A for health, #170 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 86%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Des Plaines?
CDC estimates 26.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.8% and 29.8%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Des Plaines?
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, 3.3 miles in a straight line from Des Plaines’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Des Plaines have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.8–11.2%), 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 Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines.
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.