Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Rockdale is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns
Rockdale differs from Illinois on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 21 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Rockdale. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Rockdale
More Rockdale adults get no exercise
36.2% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Rockdale
48.9% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.4% across Illinois. Among those 65 and older, 20% have lost all their teeth (Illinois 10.3%). Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Rockdale
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (27.7%), vs 15.9% across Illinois. Utility shut-off threats (13.5% vs 7.8%) and no reliable transportation (13.3% vs 8%) are higher too. 27.6% of adults receive SNAP, vs 13.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Rockdale’s likely range.
What’s behind Rockdale’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rockdale is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 18% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 2%).
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). Rockdale’s median household income is $59,135; among the 8,696 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$74K), it’s healthier than 6%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Rockdale compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.2% (U.S. 7.9%).
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of Rockdale 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.
27.6% of Rockdale adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Out of every 100 Rockdale adults…
Rockdale runs below IL on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 9% of Rockdale residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Illinois. Cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Rockdale
No hospital or community health center in Rockdale 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 Rockdale; ≈ 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 Rockdale adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Rockdale runs above Illinois.
4 in 10 Rockdale 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.
Rockdale and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Rockdale adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Rockdale
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rockdale is better than Illinois on 1 and worse on 21; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Rockdale’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Rockdale | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 29.3%25.4–33.2 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.9%14.8–19.2 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.3%18–22.7 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 46%40.1–52 | 34% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.6%12.7–16.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 35.9%32.2–39.6 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.9%31.3–38.7 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.4%23.5–29.4 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11%9.7–12.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.2%5.5–6.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7%6.2–7.8 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.1%7.8–10.6 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.4 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20%16.4–24 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.5%16.4–22.7 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 36.2%31–41.3 | 23% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.7%14.8–20.9 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.9%37.3–48.8 | 35.4% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 17.2%14.2–20.5 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75%71.2–78.5 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 48.9%45–53 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.4%79.7–84.6 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.2%72.1–78 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 50.8%45.6–56 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 61.5%52.2–69.9 | 73.5% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22%18.9–25.4 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36.9%32.1–41.6 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.8%24.9–32.8 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 27.7%23.5–31.8 | 15.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 21.2%18.2–24.3 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.5%11.7–15.4 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.3%11.5–15.3 | 8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 27.6%23.4–31.8 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.1%31.4–40.7 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.1%15.6–20.7 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.6%16.1–21.1 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.2%6.4–8.2 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 8.1%7.2–9.1 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.5%10–13.1 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.7%5–6.5 | 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 Rockdale
Is Rockdale a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rockdale is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns: D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 6%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Rockdale?
CDC estimates 46% of adults have obesity, likely between 40.1% and 52%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Rockdale?
Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, 1.7 miles in a straight line from Rockdale’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Rockdale have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 17.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 14.2–20.5%), 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 Rockdale more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Rockdale.
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.