Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Forest Park is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Forest Park beats Illinois on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Forest Park. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Forest Park
Health varies a lot right around Forest Park
Grades next door run from River Forest (A+) to Maywood (C−). Forest Park is an A. Around town ↓
Forest Park is an active town
Only 19.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. Habits ↓
COPD and heart disease are less common in Forest Park
Forest Park runs below Illinois on COPD (5% vs 6.3%) and heart disease (4.7% vs 5.9%). Conditions ↓
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 Forest Park’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Forest Park’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Park is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #140 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 94% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 73%.
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). Forest Park’s median household income is $77,221; among the 10,815 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$97K), it’s healthier than 98%, about where its income would put it.
Forest Park and the towns around it
Forest Park’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Park | A | 30.6% | 10.6% | 9.8% | CDC place |
| Maywood | C− | 39.6% | 16.4% | 15.1% | CDC place |
| Proviso Township | B+ | 32.6% | 12.6% | 11.3% | ZIP codes |
| River Forest Township | — | — | — | — | |
| River Forest | A+ | 24.7% | 8.1% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| North Riverside | B+ | 31% | 11.8% | 11.5% | CDC place |
River Forest Township: the same community as River Forest, graded once. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
0.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Forest Park adults…
Forest Park runs below IL on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Forest Park
No hospital or community health center in Forest Park itself. These are the nearest.
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 Forest Park; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Forest Park adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How Forest Park adults are doing
About the same as Illinois on each measure.
1 in 3 Forest Park 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
12.8% of Forest Park adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Forest Park adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Forest Park
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Forest Park is better than Illinois on 14 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Forest Park’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Forest Park | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.8%14.1–17.8 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.4%9.2–11.6 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%13.1–16.1 | 15.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.6%27.3–33.9 | 34% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10.6%9.4–11.8 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 30.7%28.3–33.1 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.4%30.8–36 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.8%19.8–23.7 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.7%6.1–7.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5%4.4–5.7 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.7–3.2 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.7%6.3–9.3 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.8%8.4–11.4 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 19.2%16.8–21.9 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.9%16.7–21 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.7%32.2–39.3 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.7%6.6–8.9 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.6%76.1–80.9 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67%64.1–69.9 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.6%88.3–90.8 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.1%72.4–77.3 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.5%59.6–67.2 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.6%71.2–81.5 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.2%17–21.4 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.2%30.3–36.3 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.4%22.9–28.2 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.9%13–16.9 | 15.9% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.3%11.6–15 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.9%6.8–9 | 7.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.6%6.7–8.5 | 8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.8%10.8–14.7 | 13.8% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.6%21.2–26.3 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.8%9.6–12.2 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11%9.7–12.3 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.7%4.1–5.2 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.8–7.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.5 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Forest Park
Is Forest Park a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Park is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #140 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 98%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Forest Park?
CDC estimates 30.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.3% and 33.9%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Forest Park?
Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, 0.9 miles in a straight line from Forest Park’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Forest Park have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.6–8.9%), 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 Forest Park 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 Forest Park.
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.