Photo: Soueric · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Wilmette is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Wilmette differs from Illinois on 26 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 25 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wilmette. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wilmette
Wilmette is an active town
Only 13.4% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23% across Illinois. Habits ↓
Wilmette keeps up with checkups
It beats Illinois on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (81.2% vs 77.8%) and dentist visits (77.5% vs 63.4%). Checkups ↓
Few Wilmette adults smoke
5.7% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 12.1% across Illinois. Habits ↓
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 Wilmette’s likely range.
What’s behind Wilmette’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wilmette is among the healthiest U.S. towns, #5 of 767 in Illinois. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 94%.
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). Wilmette’s median household income is $190,662; among the 1,106 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($143K–$238K), 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.
9.2 miles of trails across 19 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Wilmette adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
Out of every 100 Wilmette adults…
Wilmette runs below IL on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Wilmette
No hospital or community health center in Wilmette 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 Wilmette; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Wilmette adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Wilmette does better than Illinois.
3 in 10 Wilmette 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.
3.9% of Wilmette adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Wilmette and the towns around it
Wilmette’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmette | A+ | 23% | 8.6% | 5.7% | CDC place |
| New Trier Township | A+ | 23.6% | 8.2% | 5.8% | ZIP codes |
| Glenview | A+ | 23.7% | 10.1% | 7.3% | CDC place |
| Kenilworth | A+ | 23.1% | 7.2% | 5.2% | CDC place |
| Evanston | A+ | 26.3% | 8.6% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| Niles Township | A | 24.4% | 11.5% | 9.2% | ZIP codes |
| Skokie | A | 25.1% | 11.6% | 9.7% | CDC place |
| Northfield | A+ | 23.7% | 9.4% | 6% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wilmette adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wilmette
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wilmette is better than Illinois on 25 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Illinois figure falls inside Wilmette’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wilmette | IL | U.S. | vs IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 10.5%9.3–11.8 | 18.6% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.4%7.5–9.4 | 12.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.5%9.4–11.7 | 15.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23%20.2–25.8 | 34% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.6%7.6–9.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 28.4%25.9–30.8 | 33% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.5%34.6–40.2 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.3%21.1–25.4 | 24.2% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.7%7.8–9.7 | 9.9% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.1%9.2–10.9 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.8%4.3–5.3 | 5.9% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4%3.5–4.5 | 6.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.2–2.7 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 4.1%3.3–5 | 10.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 5.7%4.9–6.7 | 12.1% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 13.4%11.6–15.3 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.5%16.4–20.5 | 17.8% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.3%25.2–31.5 | 35.4% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.8%3.2–4.4 | 9.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.2%78.9–83.2 | 77.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.5%75.1–79.7 | 63.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93%92.1–93.8 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.7%74.7–80.2 | 75.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.9%61.2–68.4 | 60.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78%72.8–82.6 | 73.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.7%15.6–19.8 | 19.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.7%25.1–30.5 | 33.5% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.7%16.7–20.9 | 25.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.7%4.9–6.6 | 15.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.2%4.5–5.9 | 13.2% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3%2.6–3.5 | 7.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.4%3–3.9 | 8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.9%3.2–4.7 | 13.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 18.7%16.6–20.8 | 27.6% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.3%7.2–9.4 | 12.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 7.1%6.3–8.1 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.3%4.7–6 | 6.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.5%2.3–2.8 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.9%1.8–2.2 | 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 Wilmette
Is Wilmette a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wilmette is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health, #5 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 Wilmette?
CDC estimates 23% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.2% and 25.8%, against 34% across Illinois and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wilmette?
Northshore University Healthsystem - Evanston Hospital in Evanston, 2.5 miles in a straight line from Wilmette’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wilmette have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.2–4.4%), 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 Wilmette more than anything measured there. Even at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade stays A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Wilmette.
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.