Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Polk Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Health in Polk Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Polk Township residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 62626, 62685, 62630. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Polk Township

COPD, heart disease and cancer run high in Polk Township

1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.2%), vs 6.3% across Illinois. 1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.9%), vs 5.9% across Illinois. Cancer is also above the state: 10%, vs 7.6% across Illinois. In all, Polk Township runs above Illinois on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Polk Township

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (15.5%), vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓

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 Polk Township’s likely range; Polk Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 62626, 62685, 62630, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Polk Township adults…

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

9 of every 100 Polk Township adults have COPD
Illinois: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 7.8–10.6%
Better than ILWorseAbout the sameIllinois
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois

Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.8%IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.6%IL 35.4%
Binge drink 17%IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 15.5%IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Polk Township, betterPolk Township, worseAbout the sameIllinois
Where Polk Township gets moving

6.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Polk Township

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

HNearest ERCarlinville Area HospitalCarlinville · 6.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCarlinville Area Hospital★★★★★ · 6.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careMacoupin, County ofCarlinville · 6.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.5 mi
Carlinville Area Hospital
Carlinville · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
6.9 mi
Macoupin, County of
5 sites · nearest in Carlinville
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
12.2 mi
Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation
3 sites · nearest in Bunker Hill
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.3 mi
Community Hospital of Staunton
Staunton · not rated
ERRural critical access
18.2 mi
St. Francis Hospital
Litchfield · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
21 mi
OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center
Alton · ★★★★★
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Polk Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Polk Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.

79%Yearly checkupIL 78%
63%Dentist visitIL 63%
87%Cholesterol checkIL 87%
65%Colon screeningIL 60%
72%MammogramIL 74%
79%Taking BP medsIL 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Polk Township 7.7% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Polk Township adults are doing

About the same as Illinois on each measure.

1 in 3Polk Township adults feel lonely
32.4% · IL 33.5% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Polk Township adults lack social or emotional support
24% · IL 25.4% · About the same as IL
1 in 4Polk Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.7% · IL 19.8% · About the same as IL
1 in 6Polk Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.2% · IL 15.6% · About the same as IL
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Polk 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
Polk Township adults worry about having enough food
14.2% · IL 15.9%
About the same as IL
1 in 9
Polk Township adults worry about keeping their housing
10.9% · IL 13.2%
Better than IL
1 in 14
Polk Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.3% · IL 7.8%
About the same as IL
1 in 13
Polk Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.6% · IL 8%
About the same as IL

14.4% of Polk Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Around town

Polk Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Hillyard Township: 36.6%Chesterfield Township: 36.6%Brushy Mound Township: 37%Bird Township: 37%Gillespie Township: 37.1%Shipman Township: 37%Bunker Hill Township: 36.1%Western Mound Township: 37.2%Ruyle Township: 37.8%Fidelity Township: 38.9%Carlinville Township: 37%Honey Point Township: 37.7%South Palmyra Township: 37.7%Polk Township: 36.8%Polk TownshipHillyard TownshipChesterfield TownshipBrushy Mound TownshipBird TownshipCarlinville Area Hospital · Carlinville · 6.5 mi · 2★ MedicareHCommunity Hospital of Staunton · Staunton · 17.3 miHOakland Avenue Clinic · Carlinville · 6.9 mi+Sihf Healthcare - Bunker Hill · Bunker Hill · 12.2 mi+
Healthier than ILNear ILLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#4 of 14 towns on this map, healthiest first
Hillyard Township36.6%
Chesterfield Township36.6%
Polk Township36.8%
Brushy Mound Township37%
Bird Township37%
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
Hillyard Township————
Chesterfield Township————
Brushy Mound Township————
Bird Township————

Hillyard Township, Chesterfield Township, Brushy Mound Township and Bird 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.

32.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.2%
Thinking or memory14.3%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone9.2%
Vision5.3%
Dressing or bathing4.3%
Illinois

Questions about health in Polk Township

Why doesn’t Polk 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 Polk Township.

What hospital is closest to Polk Township?

Carlinville Area Hospital in Carlinville, 6.5 miles in a straight line from Polk Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Polk Township?

2 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Oakland Avenue Clinic in Carlinville, 6.9 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Polk 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.