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Cornelius Flagg FarmsteadCornelius Flagg Farmstead · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
AHealth Grade
Health in Sherman · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Sherman is healthier than 45%

Sherman differs from Illinois on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 2 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sherman. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Sherman

Against towns with similar incomes, Sherman’s lead shrinks

Sherman is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, but 45% of the 2,817 towns with similar household incomes ($112K–$186K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓

Cancer runs high in Sherman

1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.2%), vs 7.6% across Illinois. Conditions ↓

Sherman keeps up with checkups

It beats Illinois on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (72.5% vs 63.4%) and cholesterol checks (90.2% vs 87.4%). Checkups ↓

Sherman is an active town

Only 17.6% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% 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 Sherman’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Sherman’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sherman is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, #154 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 92% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 55%.

ASelf-rated health13.9% · IL 18.6% · U.S. 19.4%
APhysical distress11.3% · IL 12.2% · U.S. 13%
AMental distress14.4% · IL 15.6% · U.S. 15.9%
B−Obesity35.6% · IL 34% · U.S. 32.9%
A−Diabetes9.8% · IL 11.7% · U.S. 12%
ASmoking10.3% smoke · IL 12.1% · U.S. 11.8%
AExercise17.6% · IL 23% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 87%
Less healthyHealthier
Illinois towns we grade (767)Healthier than 80%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $112K–$186K (2,817)Healthier than 45%

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). Sherman’s median household income is $148,906; among the 2,817 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($112K–$186K), it’s healthier than 45%, about where its income would put it.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Sherman could be anywhere from B to A+.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Sherman adults…

Sherman runs below IL on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Sherman adults have had cancer
Illinois: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 9.3–11.2%
Better than ILWorseAbout the sameIllinois
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%Yearly checkupIL 78%
73%Dentist visitIL 63%
90%Cholesterol checkIL 87%
67%Colon screeningIL 60%
73%MammogramIL 74%
78%Taking BP medsIL 76%
1 in 20
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sherman 5% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois

Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.

Get no exercise 17.6%IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.5%IL 35.4%
Binge drink 18.6%IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettes 10.3%IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Sherman, betterSherman, worseAbout the sameIllinois
Where Sherman gets moving

4.9 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Sherman

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

HNearest ERMemorial Medical CenterSpringfield · 4.6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMemorial Medical Center★★★★★ · 4.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSouthern Illinois University School of MedicineSpringfield · 3.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
3.4 mi
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
6 sites · nearest in Springfield
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
4.6 mi
Memorial Medical Center
Springfield · ★★★★★
ER
5.7 mi
St. Johns Hospital
Springfield · ★★★★★
ER
5.7 mi
Central Counties Health Centers
2 sites · nearest in Springfield
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
21.8 mi
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital
Lincoln · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
28.3 mi
Taylorville Memorial Hospital
Taylorville · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Sherman itself
✓ Dental careSherman is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Sherman 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 Sherman; ≈ 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).

Mind & connection

How Sherman adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Sherman does better than Illinois.

3 in 10Sherman adults feel lonely
30.6% · IL 33.5% · About the same as IL
1 in 5Sherman adults lack social or emotional support
21% · IL 25.4% · Better than IL
1 in 5Sherman adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.5% · IL 19.8% · About the same as IL
1 in 7Sherman adults are in frequent mental distress
14.4% · IL 15.6% · About the same as IL
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Sherman 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 13
Sherman adults worry about having enough food
7.7% · IL 15.9%
Better than IL
1 in 14
Sherman adults worry about keeping their housing
7.2% · IL 13.2%
Better than IL
1 in 22
Sherman adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.6% · IL 7.8%
Better than IL
1 in 21
Sherman adults lack reliable transportation
4.7% · IL 8%
Better than IL

6.8% of Sherman adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Around town

Sherman and the towns around it

Sherman has the best Health Grade of the 6 graded towns around it.

Fancy Creek Township: 37.5%Springfield: 41.1%Springfield Township: 40.9%Capital Township: 40.2%Williams Township: 36.3%Gardner Township: 37%Curran Township: 36.1%Ball Township: 37.6%Rochester Township: 35.8%Clear Lake Township: 38.3%Woodside Township: 38.5%Chatham: 35.2%Cotton Hill Township: 37.6%Grandview: 43.7%Southern View: 41.9%Sherman: 35.6%ShermanFancy Creek TownshipSpringfieldSpringfield TownshipCapital TownshipWilliams TownshipMemorial Medical Center · Springfield · 4.6 mi · 3★ MedicareHSt. Johns Hospital · Springfield · 5.7 mi · 2★ MedicareHSiu Medicine North Dirksen Express Care · Springfield · 3.4 mi+St. John's Dental Clinic · Springfield · 5.7 mi+
Healthier than ILNear ILLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#2 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Sherman35.6%
Williams Township36.3%
Fancy Creek Township37.5%
Capital Township40.2%
Springfield Township40.9%
Springfield41.1%
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
ShermanA35.6%9.8%10.3%CDC place
Fancy Creek TownshipA−37.5%10.7%12.1%ZIP codes
SpringfieldC+41.1%12.9%14.7%CDC place
Capital TownshipB−40.2%12.6%14.2%ZIP codes
Springfield TownshipC+40.9%12.8%15.4%ZIP codes
Williams TownshipA−36.3%9.7%11.3%ZIP codes

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

24.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.1%
Thinking or memory10.3%
Hearing6.6%
Errands alone6.1%
Vision3.2%
Dressing or bathing2.6%
Illinois

Every CDC estimate for Sherman

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sherman is better than Illinois on 13 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Sherman’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…ShermanILU.S.vs IL
Overall health
Fair or poor health13.9%11.6–16.218.6%19.4%Better
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)11.3%9.7–1312.2%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)14.4%12.4–16.515.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity35.6%28.5–43.734%32.9%About the same
Diabetes9.8%8.4–11.511.7%12%Better
High blood pressure34.1%30.1–38.633%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36.4%32.2–40.935.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis27.7%24.4–31.324.2%25.3%Worse
Asthma9.9%8.7–11.29.9%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.2%9.3–11.27.6%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease5.9%5.2–6.75.9%6.4%About the same
COPD5.8%4.9–6.86.3%6.3%About the same
Stroke2.9%2.6–3.33.3%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)7.6%6.1–9.510.3%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes10.3%8.3–12.512.1%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work17.6%14.1–21.623%24.7%Better
Binge drinking18.6%15.5–22.317.8%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours31.5%25.6–38.335.4%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)5%4–6.49.9%11%Better
Checkup in the past year80.1%76.7–83.477.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year72.5%69.1–75.763.4%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years90.2%88.6–91.787.4%87.1%Better
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.8%74.7–80.875.7%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)66.5%61.4–71.760.2%65.5%Better
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)73.3%65–80.973.5%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression20.5%17.2–24.119.8%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30.6%25.8–35.933.5%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support21%17.6–24.825.4%23.6%Better
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food7.7%6.1–9.615.9%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing7.2%5.8–8.713.2%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off4.6%3.8–5.47.8%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation4.7%3.9–5.58%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)6.8%5.3–8.513.8%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability24.8%20.9–29.127.6%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs11.1%9.3–1312.8%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering10.3%8.8–11.912.6%13.9%Lower
Hearing difficulty6.6%5.7–7.56.2%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty3.2%2.8–3.74.8%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone6.1%5.2–77.6%7.9%Lower
Difficulty dressing or bathing2.6%2.2–33.5%3.8%Lower

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 Sherman

Is Sherman a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sherman is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health, #154 of 767 in Illinois. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Sherman?

CDC estimates 35.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.5% and 43.7%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Sherman?

Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, 4.6 miles in a straight line from Sherman’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Sherman have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4–6.4%), 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 Sherman more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.

Neighbors talk health

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

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. 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.