Photo: Teemu08 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Lake Bluff is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns
Lake Bluff differs from Illinois on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lake Bluff. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lake Bluff
Lake Bluff is an active town
Only 13.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Lake Bluff’s lead shrinks
Lake Bluff is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, but 66% of the 986 towns with similar household incomes ($153K–$255K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Cancer runs high in Lake Bluff
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10%), vs 7.6% across Illinois. Conditions ↓
Lake Bluff keeps up with checkups
It beats Illinois on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (77.4% vs 63.4%) and cholesterol checks (92.1% vs 87.4%). Checkups ↓
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 Lake Bluff’s likely range.
What’s behind Lake Bluff’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Bluff is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, #21 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than almost every town); the weakest is obesity, still better than 87%.
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). Lake Bluff’s median household income is $204,000; among the 986 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($153K–$255K), it’s healthier than 66%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
5.8 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Lake Bluff adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
Out of every 100 Lake Bluff adults…
Lake Bluff runs below IL on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Lake Bluff
No hospital or community health center in Lake Bluff 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 Lake Bluff; ≈ 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).
How Lake Bluff adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Lake Bluff does better than Illinois.
1 in 4 Lake Bluff 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.
4.1% of Lake Bluff adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Lake Bluff and the towns around it
Lake Bluff’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Bluff | A+ | 28.9% | 9.2% | 7.1% | CDC place |
| Shields Township | A | 31% | 9.8% | 8.8% | ZIP codes |
| Knollwood | A+ | 30% | 9.6% | 7.2% | CDC place |
| North Chicago | B | 34.8% | 9.2% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Lake Forest | A+ | 27.8% | 9.4% | 6.4% | CDC place |
| Libertyville Township | A+ | 30.3% | 10% | 8.3% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lake Bluff adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lake Bluff
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lake Bluff is better than Illinois on 22 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Lake Bluff’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lake Bluff | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 10.6%8.9–12.5 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9%7.8–10.3 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.7%10.1–13.4 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.9%24.2–33.7 | 34% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.2%7.8–10.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.7%28.2–35.3 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.8%34.9–42.6 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.6%20.6–26.4 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9%7.9–10.1 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10%9.1–11.1 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.3–5.6 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.3%3.6–5.1 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.2–2.7 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 3.3%2.6–4.2 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.1%5.5–8.8 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 13.3%10.8–16 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.3%13.6–19.1 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.5%23.2–32.3 | 35.4% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.7%2.9–4.6 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.9%76.6–82.7 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.4%74.7–80.2 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.1%90.7–93.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.2%73.7–80.3 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.4%65–73.8 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.6%72.3–84.4 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.2%15.4–21.1 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.6%22.8–30.7 | 33.5% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.3%15.5–21.5 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.4%4.1–6.9 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.1%4.1–6.4 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.2%2.6–3.9 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.5%2.9–4.2 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.1%3–5.5 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 18.6%15.7–21.5 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.5%7–10 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 7.9%6.7–9.3 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.4%4.7–6.1 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.6%2.2–3 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.5%3.8–5.3 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2%1.8–2.4 | 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 Lake Bluff
Is Lake Bluff a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lake Bluff is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #21 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 66%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lake Bluff?
CDC estimates 28.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.2% and 33.7%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lake Bluff?
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Lake Bluff’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lake Bluff have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.9–4.6%), 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 Lake Bluff more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lake Bluff.
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.