Photo: Sea Cow · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Wheaton is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Wheaton differs from Illinois on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 20 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wheaton. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wheaton
Wheaton is an active town
Only 15.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. Habits ↓
Diabetes and COPD are less common in Wheaton
Wheaton runs below Illinois on five chronic conditions, most of all diabetes (8.5% vs 11.7%), COPD (4.7% vs 6.3%) and stroke (2.5% vs 3.3%). Conditions ↓
Fewer Wheaton 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 Wheaton’s likely range.
What’s behind Wheaton’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wheaton is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns, #32 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 97% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 89%.
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). Wheaton’s median household income is $120,008; among the 5,747 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($90K–$150K), it’s healthier than 97%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Illinois
Share of adults, with the Illinois figure marked.
8.1 miles of trails across 46 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Wheaton adults…
Wheaton runs below IL on 7 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.
6.5% of Wheaton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Care in and near Wheaton
1 community health center in Wheaton, 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 Wheaton; ≈ 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 Wheaton adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
How Wheaton adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Wheaton does better than Illinois.
1 in 3 Wheaton 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.
Wheaton and the towns around it
Wheaton has the best Health Grade of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | A+ | 28.2% | 8.5% | 8.3% | CDC place |
| Glen Ellyn | A+ | 28.9% | 9% | 8.7% | CDC place |
| Winfield Township | A− | 32% | 10.5% | 10.7% | ZIP codes |
| Milton Township | A+ | 28.8% | 9.1% | 8.9% | ZIP codes |
| Carol Stream | A | 29.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% | CDC place |
| Lisle | A+ | 28.2% | 8.9% | 8.5% | CDC place |
| Winfield | A | 29.7% | 9.9% | 9.6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wheaton adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wheaton
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wheaton is better than Illinois on 20 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Wheaton’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wheaton | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.1%10.6–13.8 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.5%8.4–10.7 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%12.1–15.3 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.2%23.9–32.8 | 34% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.5%7.4–9.7 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 29.1%26–32.3 | 33% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.8%31.3–38.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 22.2%19.7–24.8 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 9.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.7%7.9–9.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.5%2.3–2.7 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.7%5.3–8.3 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.3%7.1–9.6 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 15.9%13.4–18.6 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.1%14.5–20 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.8%28.3–37.8 | 35.4% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.1%4.4–6 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.7%75.5–81.7 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 74.4%71.4–77.3 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.8%87.3–90.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.5%73.4–79.3 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.8%63.2–72.3 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.4%70.6–83.4 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.7%16.1–21.7 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.8%27.9–35.8 | 33.5% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.2%18.4–24.2 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.2%7–9.5 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.2%6.2–8.4 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.4%3.8–5 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5%4.4–5.6 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.5%5.5–7.6 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 21%18.3–23.9 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.4%8.2–10.7 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.7%8.6–11 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.7–6 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.8–3.3 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.3%2.1–2.5 | 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 Wheaton
Is Wheaton a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wheaton is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #32 of 767 in Illinois. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 97%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wheaton?
CDC estimates 28.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.9% and 32.8%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wheaton?
Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital in Winfield, 2.7 miles in a straight line from Wheaton’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wheaton have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.4–6%), 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 Wheaton 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 Wheaton.
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.