Photo: Vince123 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Howard Township is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns
Howard Township trails Indiana on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 47167, 47120, 47165. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Howard Township
COPD and heart disease run high in Howard Township
1 in 9 adults have COPD (10.9%), vs 8.1% across Indiana. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.2%), vs 6.8% across Indiana. In all, Howard Township runs above Indiana on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Howard Township
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (20.2%), vs 15.7% across Indiana. Habits ↓
Howard Township is short on primary care and mental health care
Howard Township’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
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 Indiana figure falls outside Howard Township’s likely range; Howard Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 47167, 47120, 47165, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.
What’s behind Howard Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Howard Township is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 28% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 9%).
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). Howard Township’s median household income is $95,938; among the 9,173 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($72K–$120K), it’s healthier than 1%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Howard Township adults…
Howard Township runs above IN on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Indiana
Share of adults, with the Indiana figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Care in and near Howard Township
No hospital or community health center in Howard Township 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 Howard Township; ≈ 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 Howard Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Indiana.
How Howard Township adults are doing
About the same as Indiana on each measure.
1 in 3 Howard Township 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.
11% of Howard Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.
Howard Township and the towns around it
Howard Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Township | D | 41.6% | 14.7% | 20.2% | ZIP codes |
| Washington Township | D | 41.9% | 15.1% | 20.7% | ZIP 47167 |
| Vernon Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Posey Township | C | 40.3% | 13.4% | 18.2% | ZIP codes |
| Madison Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Pierce Township | C− | 41.3% | 14.2% | 19.6% | ZIP codes |
Vernon Township and Madison 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 Howard Township adults live with a disability (Indiana 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Howard Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Howard Township is better than Indiana on 0 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Indiana figure falls inside Howard Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Howard Township | IN | U.S. | vs IN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.2%21.2–27.1 | 20.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.6–18.4 | 13.8% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.9%16.9–21.1 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.6%33.3–49.6 | 38.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.7%12.8–16.6 | 13% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.2%37.6–46.3 | 37.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.9%36.4–45.3 | 37.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.4%28.8–35.8 | 28.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.9%10.5–13.3 | 11.2% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.2%8.3–10.1 | 8.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.2%7.4–9.1 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.9%9.7–12.1 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.7%16.2–23.5 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.2%17.5–23 | 15.7% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.9%24.2–33.5 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13–19 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37%30.2–44.2 | 37.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.9%7.5–10.5 | 8.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%76.3–82.9 | 79.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.9%53.9–61.7 | 61.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85%83–86.7 | 85.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.4%75.5–80.8 | 77.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.5%60.1–70.4 | 66.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.9%64.3–80.3 | 76.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.7%23.7–31.6 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.3%27.5–37.4 | 32.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.8%19.6–26.5 | 23.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.3%13.9–18.9 | 14.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.7%10.1–13.5 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9%7.9–10.3 | 8.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.5%7.4–9.5 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11%9.3–12.8 | 8.6% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.2%31.7–40.5 | 31.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.5%15.4–19.7 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.2%15.3–19.3 | 15% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.7%7.8–9.7 | 7.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.3–6.4 | 5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.9%8.8–11.1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 3.7% | 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 Indiana figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Howard Township
Is Howard Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Howard Township is healthier than 12% of U.S. towns: ≈ D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 1%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Howard Township?
CDC estimates 41.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.3% and 49.6%, against 38.4% across Indiana and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Howard Township?
Ascension St. Vincent Salem in Salem, 8.3 miles in a straight line from Howard Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Howard Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–10.5%), against 8.9% across Indiana.
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 Howard Township 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 Howard Township.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Indiana 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.