Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Joliet is healthier than 22%
Joliet differs from Illinois on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 12 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Joliet. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Joliet
Making ends meet is harder in Joliet
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.4%), vs 15.9% across Illinois. Utility shut-off threats (10.5% vs 7.8%) and housing insecurity (17.3% vs 13.2%) are higher too. 18.5% of adults receive SNAP, vs 13.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Joliet trails towns with similar incomes
Joliet is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns, and only 22% of the 9,691 towns with similar household incomes ($69K–$115K), so income alone doesn’t explain its grade. Health Grade ↓
More Joliet adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (28.4%), vs 23% across Illinois. There are 11 miles of trails across 69 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Health varies a lot right around Joliet
Grades next door run from Plainfield (A) to Rockdale (D). Joliet is a C+. Around town ↓
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 Joliet’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
What’s behind Joliet’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Joliet is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns, #569 of 767 in Illinois. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 64% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Joliet’s median household income is $92,201; among the 9,691 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($69K–$115K), it’s healthier than 22%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Where Joliet compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.9% (U.S. 7.9%); coronary heart disease, 5.2% (U.S. 6.4%).
At 152,241 residents, Joliet is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.5% of Joliet adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
11 miles of trails across 69 parks and preserves
Joliet and the towns around it
Joliet’s Health Grade ranks 7th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet | C+ | 41.9% | 11.7% | 14% | CDC place |
| Ridgewood | D | 45.9% | 14.4% | 17.4% | CDC place |
| Preston Heights | C− | 46.7% | 15.8% | 15.4% | CDC place |
| Crystal Lawns | B+ | 37.9% | 10.3% | 12.4% | CDC place |
| Ingalls Park | C− | 44.1% | 12.5% | 16.4% | CDC place |
| Plainfield | A | 35.3% | 8.6% | 9.8% | CDC place |
| New Lenox | A | 35.9% | 8.3% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Rockdale | D | 46% | 14.6% | 19.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Joliet adults…
Joliet runs below IL on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Joliet residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Illinois. Heart disease and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Joliet
1 hospital and 3 community health centers in Joliet, 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 Joliet; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Joliet adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How Joliet adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Joliet runs above Illinois.
4 in 10 Joliet 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Joliet adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Joliet
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Joliet is better than Illinois on 2 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Joliet’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Joliet | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.1%19.9–24.4 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.9–14.8 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.7%15.9–19.6 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.9%36.6–47.4 | 34% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 11.7%10.3–13.2 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.8%28.6–35 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 32.3%29–35.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.6%20.1–25.1 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.9%5.4–6.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.2%4.7–5.8 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.1%5.5–6.8 | 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+) | 14.8%12.2–17.8 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14%12.3–15.8 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.4%24.8–32.1 | 23% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 19.1%16.3–22.1 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.1%34.9–45.4 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 13.9%12.4–15.6 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.7%72.3–78.8 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.2%56.7–63.6 | 63.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85%83.3–86.7 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 73.9%70.9–76.7 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 56%51.2–60.8 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.7%61.7–76.9 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.7%17–22.6 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36%31.7–40.2 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.9%24.6–31.4 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.4%18.3–22.6 | 15.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 17.3%15.4–19.3 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.5%9.3–11.8 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.3%9.3–11.4 | 8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.5%16.6–20.6 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29%25.7–32.4 | 27.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.4%11.9–15 | 12.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.8%13.3–16.3 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.5–6.4 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.5%7.7–9.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.8–4.4 | 3.5% | 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 Joliet
Is Joliet a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Joliet is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #569 of 767 in Illinois. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Joliet?
CDC estimates 41.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 36.6% and 47.4%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Joliet?
Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, 1.0 miles in a straight line from Joliet’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Joliet have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 13.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 12.4–15.6%), 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 Joliet more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Joliet.
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.