Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, St. Elmo is healthier than 56%
St. Elmo trails Illinois on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. Elmo. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in St. Elmo
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in St. Elmo
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.5%), vs 6.3% across Illinois. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.3%), vs 5.9% across Illinois. Stroke is also above the state: 4.4%, vs 3.3% across Illinois. In all, St. Elmo runs above Illinois on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Dental care lags in St. Elmo
57.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.4% across Illinois. Among those 65 and older, 23% have lost all their teeth (Illinois 10.3%). Checkups ↓
Smoking is more common in St. Elmo
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (18.3%), vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓
St. Elmo is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, St. Elmo is healthier than 18%. Against the 4,113 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 56%. Health Grade ↓
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 St. Elmo’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind St. Elmo’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Elmo is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 32% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). St. Elmo’s median household income is $45,294; among the 4,113 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 56%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 St. Elmo adults…
St. Elmo runs above IL on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of St. Elmo adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
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.
Care in and near St. Elmo
No hospital or community health center in St. Elmo 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 St. Elmo; ≈ 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 St. Elmo adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, St. Elmo runs above Illinois.
1 in 3 St. Elmo 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.3% of St. Elmo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
St. Elmo and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Elmo | C− | 40.1% | 13.5% | 18.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of St. Elmo adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for St. Elmo
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. Elmo is better than Illinois on 0 and worse on 15; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside St. Elmo’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | St. Elmo | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.3%19.6–27.3 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%13.9–18.4 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19%16.5–21.5 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.1%31.3–49.5 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.5%11.5–15.6 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.9%34.5–43.4 | 33% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.8%34.3–43.6 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.5%28.1–35.3 | 24.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%9.7–12.6 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.6–10.7 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.3%7.2–9.4 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.5%8.7–12.3 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.8–5 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 23%18.6–27.4 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.3%14.9–21.8 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.3%23.1–33.8 | 23% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.2%14.1–20.9 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.4%30–45.1 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.7%6.7–11.3 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.8%73.9–81.5 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.3%52.9–61.4 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85%82.5–87.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.1%75.1–80.8 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 60.9%54.8–66.3 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.1%59.6–77.5 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.4%20.7–28.5 | 19.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 33.9%28.3–39.9 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.5%20.5–29.1 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 17%13.4–21 | 15.9% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.5%10.2–15 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.5%7.1–10.1 | 7.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.8%7.4–10.5 | 8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.3%14.6–22.3 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.5%30.3–40.6 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.8%15.1–20.6 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.2%13.9–18.9 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.9%7.8–10.1 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6%5.2–7 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.7%9.1–12.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.8%4.1–5.6 | 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 St. Elmo
Is St. Elmo a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Elmo is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in St. Elmo?
CDC estimates 40.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.3% and 49.5%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to St. Elmo?
Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia, 13.7 miles in a straight line from St. Elmo’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in St. Elmo have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.7–11.3%), 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 St. Elmo more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in St. Elmo.
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.