On CDC estimates, Shields Township is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns
Shields Township differs from Illinois on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 60045, 60044, 60064, 60088. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Shields Township
Shields Township has a five-star hospital
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Shields Township
Shields Township runs below Illinois on four chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.6% vs 6.3%), stroke (2.6% vs 3.3%) and heart disease (4.9% vs 5.9%). Conditions ↓
Shields Township is an active town
Only 17.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. The town has 26 miles of trails across 34 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Fewer Shields Township adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing and utility bills all run below Illinois. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults 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 Shields Township’s likely range; Shields Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 60045, 60044, 60064, 60088, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Shields Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shields Township is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #94 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 96% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 80%.
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). Shields Township’s median household income is $112,865; among the 6,763 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($85K–$141K), it’s healthier than 90%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Shields Township
2 hospitals in Shields Township, 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 Shields 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).
Out of every 100 Shields Township adults…
Shields Township runs below IL on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
26 miles of trails across 34 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.
10.8% of Shields Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Keeping up with care
Share of Shields Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How Shields Township adults are doing
About the same as Illinois on each measure.
1 in 3 Shields Township 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.
Shields Township and the towns around it
Shields Township’s Health Grade ranks 8th of 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shields Township | A | 31% | 9.8% | 8.8% | ZIP codes |
| Lake Forest | A+ | 27.8% | 9.4% | 6.4% | CDC place |
| Lake Bluff | A+ | 28.9% | 9.2% | 7.1% | CDC place |
| North Chicago | B | 34.8% | 9.2% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Libertyville Township | A+ | 30.3% | 10% | 8.3% | ZIP codes |
| Waukegan Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Moraine Township | A+ | 29.6% | 9.9% | 7.2% | ZIP codes |
| Green Oaks | A | 29.2% | 10.5% | 8.3% | CDC place |
Waukegan Township: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Shields Township adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Shields Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Shields Township is better than Illinois on 14 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Shields Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Shields Township | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.7%12.9–16.7 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10%8.7–11.3 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.5–16.1 | 15.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31%26.1–35.9 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.8%8.5–11.2 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.6%27.2–33.8 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.8%31.2–38.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 20.7%18.2–23.1 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.2%8.1–10.3 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.9%7.1–8.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.6%4–5.2 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10%8.2–12.1 | 10.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.8%7.4–10.3 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.9%15–20.9 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.8–19.3 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.7%26.2–35.7 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.6%7.3–10 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.7%73.2–79.9 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69%66–72.1 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%84.8–88.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.3%67.1–73.2 | 75.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65%60.5–69.5 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76%69.2–82.2 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18%15.2–20.9 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.3%27.3–35.6 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.2%20.1–26.5 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.1%11.4–15 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.8%9.4–12.4 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.5%5.6–7.4 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.1%6.3–8.1 | 8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.8%9.4–12.4 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23%20–26.2 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.9%8.5–11.3 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%9.9–12.9 | 12.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.4%4.7–6.1 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.6–7.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 3.5% | 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 Shields Township
Is Shields Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shields Township is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #94 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 90%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Shields Township?
CDC estimates 31% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.1% and 35.9%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Shields Township?
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Shields Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Shields Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.3–10%), 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 Shields Township 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 Shields Township.
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.