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Health in Meridian Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Meridian Township residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Meridian Township, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 62231, 62801, 62882. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Meridian Township

COPD, heart disease and cancer run high in Meridian Township

1 in 11 adults have COPD (8.9%), vs 6.3% across Illinois. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.7%), vs 5.9% across Illinois. Cancer is also above the state: 9.8%, vs 7.6% across Illinois. In all, Meridian Township runs above Illinois on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Illinois 17%), and COPD, heart disease and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Meridian Township

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (15.6%), vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓

Meridian Township is short on primary care and mental health care

Meridian Township’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓

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 Meridian Township’s likely range; Meridian Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 62231, 62801, 62882, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Meridian Township adults…

Meridian Township runs above IL on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Meridian Township adults have COPD
Illinois: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 7.9–10.1%
Better than ILWorseAbout the sameIllinois
Why age matters here

Meridian Township is an older town: 30% 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 Meridian Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Meridian Township30%
Illinois17%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois

Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.9%IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hours 36.2%IL 35.4%
Binge drink 17.7%IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 15.6%IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Meridian Township, betterMeridian Township, worseAbout the sameIllinois
Where Meridian Township gets moving

2.4 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Meridian Township

No hospital or community health center in Meridian Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERSSM Health St. Mary's Hospital -CentraliaCentralia · 7.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySalem Township Hospital★★★★★ · 14.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSouthern Illinois Healthcare FoundationSalem · 13.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
7.2 mi
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital -Centralia
Centralia · ★★★★★
ER
13.3 mi
Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation
3 sites · nearest in Salem
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14 mi
Salem Township Hospital
Salem · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
17.5 mi
St. Josephs Hospital
Breese · ★★★★★
ER
21.2 mi
Washington County Hospital
Nashville · not rated
ERRural critical access
25.3 mi
Christopher Greater Area Rural Health Planning Corporation
4 sites · nearest in Mount Vernon
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Meridian Township itself
✓ Dental careMeridian Township is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Meridian Township itself

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 Meridian Township; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Meridian Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.

79%Yearly checkupIL 78%
62%Dentist visitIL 63%
87%Cholesterol checkIL 87%
65%Colon screeningIL 60%
71%MammogramIL 74%
78%Taking BP medsIL 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Meridian Township 7.8% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Meridian Township adults are doing

About the same as Illinois on each measure.

1 in 3Meridian Township adults feel lonely
32.6% · IL 33.5% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Meridian Township adults lack social or emotional support
24.3% · IL 25.4% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Meridian Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.3% · IL 19.8% · About the same as IL
1 in 6Meridian Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.1% · IL 15.6% · About the same as IL
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Meridian Township adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 7
Meridian Township adults worry about having enough food
14.2% · IL 15.9%
About the same as IL
1 in 9
Meridian Township adults worry about keeping their housing
11.2% · IL 13.2%
Better than IL
1 in 14
Meridian Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.4% · IL 7.8%
About the same as IL
1 in 13
Meridian Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.6% · IL 8%
About the same as IL

14.3% of Meridian Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Around town

Meridian Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Clement Township: 40.3%Brookside Township: 41.7%Sandoval Township: 42%East Fork Township: 39.7%Lake Township: 40.9%Irishtown Township: 40.1%Carlyle Township: 40.2%Centralia Township: 41.3%Irvington Township: 39%Wamac: 43.4%Centralia: 41.4%Odin Township: 38.5%Carrigan Township: 38.5%Pope Township: 36.5%Meridian Township: 40.7%Meridian TownshipClement TownshipBrookside TownshipSandoval TownshipEast Fork TownshipSSM Health St. Mary's Hospital -Centralia · Centralia · 7.2 mi · 3★ MedicareH
Healthier than ILNear ILLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 15 towns on this map, healthiest first
East Fork Township39.7%
Clement Township40.3%
Meridian Township40.7%
Brookside Township41.7%
Sandoval Township42%
IL34%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Clement Township————
Brookside TownshipD41.7%14.4%18.4%ZIP 62801
East Fork Township————
Sandoval TownshipD42%14.8%21.8%ZIP codes

Clement Township and East Fork Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

32.3%

of Meridian Township adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.8%
Thinking or memory14.2%
Hearing8.1%
Errands alone9%
Vision5.2%
Dressing or bathing4.2%
Illinois

Questions about health in Meridian Township

Why doesn’t Meridian Township have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Meridian Township.

What hospital is closest to Meridian Township?

SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital -Centralia in Centralia, 7.2 miles in a straight line from Meridian Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Meridian Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.