Photo: Digital Bookmobile · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Palos Heights is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Palos Heights differs from Illinois on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 19 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Palos Heights. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Palos Heights
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Palos Heights
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.3%), vs 7.6% across Illinois. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (30.4%), vs 24.2% across Illinois. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.3%, vs 5.9% across Illinois. In all, Palos Heights runs above Illinois on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Illinois 17%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Palos Heights keeps up with checkups
It beats Illinois on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (81.9% vs 77.8%) and dentist visits (71.4% vs 63.4%). Checkups ↓
Palos Heights adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (29.7% vs 33.5%), frequent mental distress (12.8% vs 15.6%) and lack of emotional support (20.8% vs 25.4%) all run below Illinois. Mind & connection ↓
Palos Heights has a top-rated hospital
Palos Community Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. 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 Palos Heights’ likely range.
What’s behind Palos Heights’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palos Heights is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #143 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 95% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 61%.
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). Palos Heights’ median household income is $108,740; among the 7,331 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($82K–$136K), it’s healthier than 83%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Palos Heights adults…
Palos Heights runs below IL on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Palos Heights is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Illinois. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Palos Heights as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Palos Heights adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How Palos Heights adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Palos Heights does better than Illinois.
3 in 10 Palos Heights 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.
Care in and near Palos Heights
1 hospital in Palos Heights, 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 Palos Heights; ≈ 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.
2 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.5% of Palos Heights adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Palos Heights and the towns around it
Palos Heights has the best Health Grade of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palos Heights | A | 26.8% | 11.4% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Palos Park | A | 26.7% | 11.4% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Worth | B− | 32.6% | 11.6% | 16.1% | CDC place |
| Palos Hills | A− | 29.3% | 10.4% | 12.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Palos Heights adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Palos Heights
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Palos Heights is better than Illinois on 19 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Palos Heights’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Palos Heights | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.8%14–17.6 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.9%10.6–13.2 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11.5–14.1 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.8%23.7–29.8 | 34% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.4%10.1–12.7 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.5%32.8–38.1 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.7%37.8–43.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 30.4%27.9–32.9 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.6%8.7–10.6 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.3%11.2–13.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.3%6.6–8.1 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.1%6.2–8.1 | 6.3% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.4–4.2 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7%5.7–8.5 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.3%7.9–10.7 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 19.5%17–22.1 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.8%14.8–18.6 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.7%26.5–33.1 | 35.4% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.9%5–6.9 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.9%79.7–83.9 | 77.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.4%68.6–74.1 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.1%91–93.1 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.1%78.6–83.2 | 75.7% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.6%64.9–72.1 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75%69.4–80.1 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.7%17.5–21.9 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.7%26.9–32.6 | 33.5% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.8%18.4–23.2 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9%7.8–10.4 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.4%6.4–8.4 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.7–5 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.3–5.6 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.5%6.2–8.9 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.4%24.7–30.2 | 27.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.6%12–15.3 | 12.8% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10%8.8–11.2 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.2–9 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%6–7.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.5 | 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 Palos Heights
Is Palos Heights a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palos Heights is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #143 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Palos Heights?
CDC estimates 26.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.7% and 29.8%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Palos Heights?
Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights, 0.3 miles in a straight line from Palos Heights’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Palos Heights have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–6.9%), 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 Palos Heights 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 Palos Heights.
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.