Photo: User:Onemessedzebra · Public domainOn CDC estimates, St. Joseph is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
St. Joseph differs from Illinois on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 11 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. Joseph. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in St. Joseph
St. Joseph is an active town
Only 16.5% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. Habits ↓
Depression runs high in St. Joseph
1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with depression (23.8%), vs 19.8% across Illinois. Conditions ↓
Fewer St. Joseph adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Illinois. 1 in 12 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 St. Joseph’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
What’s behind St. Joseph’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Joseph is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns, #119 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 95% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 69%.
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. Joseph’s median household income is $120,789; among the 5,642 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($91K–$151K), it’s healthier than 80%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 St. Joseph adults…
St. Joseph runs below IL on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.2% of St. Joseph adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Care in and near St. Joseph
No hospital or community health center in St. Joseph 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. Joseph; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of St. Joseph adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How St. Joseph adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, St. Joseph runs above Illinois.
1 in 3 St. Joseph 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.
St. Joseph and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | A | 31.2% | 8.6% | 11.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of St. Joseph adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for St. Joseph
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. Joseph is better than Illinois on 11 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside St. Joseph’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | St. Joseph | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.5%11.1–16.2 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11%9.4–12.8 | 12.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.9%13.8–18.4 | 15.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.2%24.9–38.8 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.6%7.3–10.2 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 29%25.4–33.4 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35%30.9–39.6 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.8%21.7–28.4 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%9–11.7 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.8%4.2–5.5 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.3%4.4–6.4 | 6.3% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.5%2.2–2.9 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.7%7.6–11.9 | 10.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.1%8.6–14 | 12.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 16.5%13.1–20.7 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 21%17.6–24.8 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.4%24.6–36.8 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.4%4–7 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.3%72.5–80 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.7%69.2–75.9 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.5%86.4–90.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.6%71.1–78.1 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.5%56–66.8 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.2%69.4–84 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.8%20.4–27.9 | 19.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 31.5%26.4–36.7 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.2%18.4–26.2 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.4%6.4–10.9 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.1%6.3–10.1 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.1–6.2 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.2%4.2–6.2 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.2%5.3–9.6 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.1%19.3–27.4 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.6%7.9–11.6 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.1%9.4–13.1 | 12.6% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.8–6.3 | 6.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.6–3.5 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.1–7.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.1–2.9 | 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 St. Joseph
Is St. Joseph a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Joseph is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns: A for health, #119 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 80%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in St. Joseph?
CDC estimates 31.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.9% and 38.8%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to St. Joseph?
Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, 9.5 miles in a straight line from St. Joseph’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in St. Joseph have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4–7%), 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. Joseph 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 St. Joseph.
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.