Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Melrose Park is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns
Melrose Park differs from Illinois on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 17 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Melrose Park. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Melrose Park
1 in 4 working-age adults in Melrose Park has no health insurance
26.7% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 9.9% across Illinois. Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Melrose Park
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (31.8%), about twice the Illinois rate. Housing insecurity (25.4% vs 13.2%) and no reliable transportation (13.8% vs 8%) are higher too. 24.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 13.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Dental care lags in Melrose Park
51.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.4% across Illinois. Among those 65 and older, 16% have lost all their teeth (Illinois 10.3%). Checkups ↓
Health varies a lot right around Melrose Park
Grades next door run from River Forest (A+) to Stone Park (C−). Melrose Park 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 Melrose Park’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
What’s behind Melrose Park’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Melrose Park is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns, #567 of 767 in Illinois. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 65% of U.S. towns); fair or poor health pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Melrose Park’s median household income is $66,189; among the 10,120 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.
Where Melrose Park compares well: high blood pressure, 28.9% (U.S. 34.4%); arthritis, 19.7% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.1% (U.S. 7.9%).
Keeping up with care
Share of Melrose Park 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.
24.9% of Melrose Park adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Melrose Park and the towns around it
Melrose Park’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose Park | C+ | 34.6% | 13.2% | 13.2% | CDC place |
| Stone Park | C− | 37.2% | 14.9% | 14.8% | CDC place |
| Northlake | B− | 31.7% | 12.9% | 12% | CDC place |
| Franklin Park | B | 31.4% | 11.8% | 12.7% | CDC place |
| River Grove | B+ | 31.7% | 11.1% | 13.1% | CDC place |
| Maywood | C− | 39.6% | 16.4% | 15.1% | CDC place |
| Bellwood | C+ | 38.9% | 16% | 13.6% | CDC place |
| Proviso Township | B+ | 32.6% | 12.6% | 11.3% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Melrose Park adults…
Melrose Park runs below IL on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Melrose Park residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Illinois. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Melrose Park
1 hospital and 2 community health centers in Melrose Park, 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 Melrose Park; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
0.5 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
How Melrose Park adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Melrose Park runs above Illinois.
4 in 10 Melrose 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Melrose Park adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Melrose Park
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Melrose Park is better than Illinois on 3 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Melrose Park’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Melrose Park | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.3%24.8–29.9 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%13.1–15.9 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.9–18.1 | 15.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.6%31.1–38 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.2%11.8–14.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 28.9%26.5–31.2 | 33% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.8%31.2–36.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.7%17.9–21.4 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.4%8.4–10.4 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.1%4.6–5.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.4%4.9–5.9 | 5.9% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.9%5.2–6.5 | 6.3% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%3–3.4 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16%13.3–18.9 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.2%11.6–14.9 | 12.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 31.8%28.6–35 | 23% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 18.6%16.5–20.8 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.9%34.3–41.6 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 26.7%23.5–29.8 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.4%70.4–76.1 | 77.8% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 51.7%48.5–54.9 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84%82.1–85.8 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.7%67.8–73.2 | 75.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 50.2%46.3–54 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.7%63.5–75.4 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.6%16.5–20.8 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.1%33.9–40.3 | 33.5% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 30.5%27.5–33.4 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 31.8%28.9–34.6 | 15.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 25.4%23–27.8 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12.8%11.4–14.3 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.8%12.3–15.3 | 8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 24.9%22–27.6 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33%30.1–35.9 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.2%13.6–16.7 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.7%15–18.4 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.1%5.4–6.7 | 6.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8.1%7.3–8.8 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.6%8.6–10.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5%4.5–5.4 | 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 Melrose Park
Is Melrose Park a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Melrose Park is healthier than 40% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #567 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 53%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Melrose Park?
CDC estimates 34.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.1% and 38%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Melrose Park?
Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, 1.1 miles in a straight line from Melrose Park’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Melrose Park have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 26.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 23.5–29.8%), 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 Melrose Park 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 Melrose 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.