Godfrey, Benjamin, Memorial Chapel · Photo: Joseph T. Golabowski · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Godfrey is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns
Godfrey differs from Illinois on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Godfrey. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Godfrey
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Godfrey
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (10.7%), vs 7.6% across Illinois. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (30.8%), vs 24.2% across Illinois. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.2%, vs 5.9% across Illinois. In all, Godfrey runs above Illinois on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Illinois 17%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Godfrey, and more people treating it
37.7% of adults have high blood pressure (Illinois 33%), but 79.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.7% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Godfrey adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Illinois. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Godfrey’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Godfrey’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Godfrey is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns, #348 of 767 in Illinois. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 78% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 44%).
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). Godfrey’s median household income is $94,543; among the 9,356 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($71K–$118K), it’s healthier than 60%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Godfrey adults…
Godfrey runs above IL on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Godfrey 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 Godfrey as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Godfrey adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10% of Godfrey adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Care in and near Godfrey
No hospital or community health center in Godfrey 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 Godfrey; ≈ 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.
13 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
How Godfrey adults are doing
About the same as Illinois on each measure.
1 in 3 Godfrey 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.
Godfrey and the towns around it
Godfrey has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godfrey | B+ | 37% | 11.7% | 11.9% | CDC place |
| Alton Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Alton | D | 44.3% | 14.7% | 17.8% | CDC place |
| Foster Township | C | 40.8% | 13% | 15.4% | ZIP codes |
| Elsah Township | B+ | 37.3% | 11.1% | 12.6% | ZIP codes |
| Piasa Township | B | 37.4% | 11.5% | 13.8% | ZIP codes |
Alton Township: the same community as Alton, graded once. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Godfrey adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Godfrey
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Godfrey is better than Illinois on 8 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Godfrey’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Godfrey | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.4%15–20 | 18.6% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.7–15.2 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%13.8–17.8 | 15.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37%30.4–44 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.7%10–13.5 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.7%33.5–41.9 | 33% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.5%34.2–42.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.8%27.3–34.3 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.1–11.7 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.7%9.7–11.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.4–8 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.4%6.5–8.5 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.4–4 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.3%8.2–12.6 | 10.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.9%10–14.1 | 12.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.1%17.4–25.1 | 23% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.1%14.2–20.3 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35%28.8–41.7 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.1%5.1–7.3 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.2%76.9–83.3 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65%61.2–68.8 | 63.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.1%87.5–90.5 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.1%76–81.8 | 75.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.7%63.6–73.4 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.4%65.8–81.7 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.3%18.1–24.8 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.9%27.3–36.9 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.4%20.2–27.1 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11%9.4–12.9 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.4%8.1–10.9 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.9%5.1–6.8 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.1%5.4–6.9 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10%8.6–11.8 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.4%26.4–34.8 | 27.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.2%12.3–16.3 | 12.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.8%10.3–13.5 | 12.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%6.9–8.9 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.8–4.7 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.5%6.6–8.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 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 Godfrey
Is Godfrey a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Godfrey is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #348 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 60%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Godfrey?
CDC estimates 37% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.4% and 44%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Godfrey?
Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton, 5.1 miles in a straight line from Godfrey’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Godfrey have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.1–7.3%), 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 Godfrey more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Godfrey.
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.