Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Vandalia is healthier than 58%
Vandalia trails Illinois on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Vandalia. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Vandalia
Smoking is more common in Vandalia
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.7%), vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Vandalia
53% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 63.4% across Illinois. Among those 65 and older, 17.2% have lost all their teeth (Illinois 10.3%). Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Vandalia
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.9%), vs 15.9% across Illinois. Utility shut-off threats (11% vs 7.8%) and no reliable transportation (10.8% vs 8%) are higher too. 21.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 13.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Vandalia is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Vandalia is healthier than 20%. Against the 4,171 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 58%. 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 Vandalia’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B.
What’s behind Vandalia’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vandalia is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns, #706 of 767 in Illinois. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 45% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Vandalia’s median household income is $45,469; among the 4,171 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 58%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Vandalia 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.
21.1% of Vandalia adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Out of every 100 Vandalia adults…
Vandalia runs above IL on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Vandalia
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Vandalia, 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 Vandalia; ≈ 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 Vandalia adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Vandalia runs above Illinois.
1 in 3 Vandalia 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.
Vandalia 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.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandalia | C− | 42% | 12.4% | 19.7% | CDC place |
| Sefton Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Sharon Township | C+ | 38.9% | 12.6% | 16.5% | ZIP codes |
Sefton Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Vandalia adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Vandalia
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Vandalia is better than Illinois on 0 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Vandalia’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Vandalia | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24%20.7–27.9 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.2–17.3 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.1%16.9–21.6 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42%33.1–51.4 | 34% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.4%10.7–14.3 | 11.7% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.6%32.1–41.1 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35%30.7–39.7 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.4%22.3–28.7 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.1%6.4–7.9 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7%6.2–7.9 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.8%7.7–10.2 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.4–4.2 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.2%13.8–21 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.7%16.7–23.1 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.3%23.5–33.9 | 23% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 19.8%16.4–23.9 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.5%33–48.3 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 12.5%10.3–14.9 | 9.9% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 74.2%70–78.3 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53%48.6–57.1 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 81.4%78.8–83.9 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.8%68.6–75 | 75.7% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 56.4%50.2–62.2 | 60.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.5%56.3–75.2 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.8%18.3–25.5 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.3%29.9–41 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.5%24.3–33.1 | 25.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.9%17.6–24.4 | 15.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 16.5%14.1–19.2 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11%9.5–12.8 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.8%9.3–12.3 | 8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21.1%17.7–24.8 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.2%29.6–39.4 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.3%13.3–17.9 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.9%14.7–19.4 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.8–8.7 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.2%5.5–7 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.1%8.8–11.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.1–5.3 | 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 Vandalia
Is Vandalia a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vandalia is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #706 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 Vandalia?
CDC estimates 42% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.1% and 51.4%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Vandalia?
Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia, 0.7 miles in a straight line from Vandalia’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Vandalia have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 12.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 10.3–14.9%), 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 Vandalia 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 Vandalia.
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.