Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Howard Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
≈ C−Health Grade
Health in Howard Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Howard Township is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns

Howard Township trails Indiana on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 46901. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Howard Township

COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Howard Township

1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.1%), vs 8.1% across Indiana. 1 in 24 adults have had a stroke (4.2%), vs 3.5% across Indiana. Heart disease is also above the state: 8%, vs 6.8% across Indiana. In all, Howard Township runs above Indiana on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Indiana 17%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More Howard Township adults get no exercise

3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.2%), vs 24.9% across Indiana. Habits ↓

Smoking is more common in Howard Township

1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.5%), vs 15.7% across Indiana. 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 Indiana figure falls outside Howard Township’s likely range; Howard Township’s figures come from ZIP code 46901, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to B−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Howard Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Howard Township is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 37% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 12%).

C−Self-rated health23.9% · IN 20.6% · U.S. 19.4%
C−Physical distress15.8% · IN 13.8% · U.S. 13%
CMental distress18.5% · IN 17.6% · U.S. 15.9%
C+Obesity37.8% · IN 38.4% · U.S. 32.9%
DDiabetes15.1% · IN 13% · U.S. 12%
DSmoking19.5% smoke · IN 15.7% · U.S. 11.8%
CExercise29.2% · IN 24.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 18%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $61K–$102K (10,666)Healthier than 7%

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 $81,595; among the 10,666 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($61K–$102K), it’s healthier than 7%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Howard Township could be anywhere from D− to B−. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 46901), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Howard Township adults…

Howard Township runs above IN on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Howard Township adults have COPD
Indiana: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 9.1–11.1%
Better than INWorseAbout the sameIndiana
Why age matters here

Howard Township is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Indiana. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Howard Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Howard Township30%
Indiana17%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Indiana

Share of adults, with the Indiana figure marked.

Get no exercise 29.2%IN 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 37.4%IN 37.1%
Binge drink 15.4%IN 16.6%
Smoke cigarettes 19.5%IN 15.7%
0%10%20%30%40%
Howard Township, betterHoward Township, worseAbout the sameIndiana
Where Howard Township gets moving

0.1 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Howard Township

No hospital or community health center in Howard Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERAscension St. Vincent KokomoKokomo · ≈5.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyAscension St. Vincent Kokomo★★★★★ · 5.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careIndiana Health Centers IncorporatedKokomo · 4.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
4.3 mi
Indiana Health Centers Incorporated
2 sites · nearest in Kokomo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
4.8 mi
Jane Pauley Community Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Kokomo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
≈5.8 mi
Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo
Kokomo · ★★★★★
ER
6.8 mi
Community Howard Regional Health
Kokomo · ★★★★★
ER
15.9 mi
Dukes Memorial Hospital
Peru · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
17.6 mi
Indiana University Health Tipton Hospital
Tipton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Howard Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Howard Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Howard Township itself

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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Howard Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Indiana.

80%Yearly checkupIN 80%
59%Dentist visitIN 61%
86%Cholesterol checkIN 86%
66%Colon screeningIN 66%
74%MammogramIN 76%
79%Taking BP medsIN 77%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Howard Township 9.1% · Indiana 1 in 11 (8.9%)
Mind & connection

How Howard Township adults are doing

About the same as Indiana on each measure.

1 in 3Howard Township adults feel lonely
31.1% · IN 32.8% · About the same as IN
1 in 4Howard Township adults lack social or emotional support
22.5% · IN 23.2% · About the same as IN
1 in 4Howard Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.8% · IN 25.1% · About the same as IN
1 in 5Howard Township adults are in frequent mental distress
18.5% · IN 17.6% · About the same as IN
The one neighbors can help with

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.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 6
Howard Township adults worry about having enough food
16.9% · IN 14.7%
Worse than IN
1 in 8
Howard Township adults worry about keeping their housing
12.6% · IN 11.2%
About the same as IN
1 in 10
Howard Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
9.6% · IN 8.4%
Worse than IN
1 in 11
Howard Township adults lack reliable transportation
8.9% · IN 7.7%
Worse than IN

11.5% of Howard Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.

Around town

Howard Township and the towns around it

Howard Township’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 5 graded towns around it.

Taylor Township: 36.3%Center Township: 37.4%Clay Township: 38.3%Liberty Township: 35.1%Harrison Township: 35.7%Liberty Township: 35.4%Union Township: 33.8%Kokomo: 37.8%Monroe Township: 34.6%Ervin Township: 38.7%Jackson Township: 45.3%Jackson Township: 35.2%Harrison Township: 42%Howard Township: 37.8%Howard TownshipTaylor TownshipCenter TownshipClay TownshipLiberty TownshipAscension St. Vincent Kokomo · Kokomo · 5.8 mi · 4★ MedicareHCommunity Howard Regional Health · Kokomo · 6.8 mi · 4★ MedicareHIhc Howard County Wic · Kokomo · 4.3 mi+Jane Pauley Community Health Center at Turning Point · Kokomo · 4.8 mi+
Healthier than INNear INLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 14 towns on this map, healthiest first
Liberty Township35.1%
Taylor Township36.3%
Center Township37.4%
Howard Township37.8%
Clay Township38.3%
IN38.4%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Howard TownshipC−37.8%15.1%19.5%ZIP 46901
Taylor TownshipC36.3%14.7%18%ZIP codes
Center TownshipC−37.4%14.9%19.1%ZIP codes
Clay TownshipC−38.3%15%19.4%ZIP codes
Liberty TownshipC+35.1%13.8%16.5%ZIP codes

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

34.3%

of Howard Township adults live with a disability (Indiana 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs17.3%
Thinking or memory16.6%
Hearing8.2%
Errands alone9.7%
Vision5.9%
Dressing or bathing4.6%
Indiana

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 12; 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 TownshipINU.S.vs IN
Overall health
Fair or poor health23.9%21.4–26.520.6%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.8%14.1–17.513.8%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)18.5%16.7–20.517.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity37.8%31.9–44.138.4%32.9%About the same
Diabetes15.1%13.3–16.913%12%Worse
High blood pressure41%37.2–44.637.8%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.2%35.4–43.137.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis32.7%29.6–35.828.3%25.3%Worse
Asthma12%10.8–13.411.2%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.1%8.3–9.98.3%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease8%7.2–8.76.8%6.4%Worse
COPD10.1%9.1–11.18.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.2%3.9–4.53.5%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)17.8%14.9–20.815.4%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes19.5%17.1–21.815.7%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work29.2%25.3–33.124.9%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking15.4%12.9–18.216.6%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.4%32.1–42.837.1%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)9.1%8–10.58.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year79.9%76.8–82.779.7%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year58.5%55–61.861.2%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years85.6%84–87.185.8%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)79%76.5–81.377.4%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)65.5%60.8–69.866.3%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)74.4%67.2–80.676.4%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression25.8%22.6–29.325.1%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely31.1%26.9–35.532.8%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.5%19.6–25.823.2%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food16.9%14.8–19.214.7%15%Worse
Worried about keeping housing12.6%11–14.311.2%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off9.6%8.5–10.98.4%7.6%Worse
Lack reliable transportation8.9%8–107.7%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)11.5%10.1–13.18.6%11.6%Higher
Disability
Any disability34.3%30.5–38.131.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs17.3%15.4–19.314.2%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering16.6%14.9–18.315%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.2%7.4–9.17.1%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.9%5.5–6.55%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9.7%8.8–10.78.1%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.6%4.3–53.7%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 18% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 7%. 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 37.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.9% and 44.1%, against 38.4% across Indiana and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Howard Township?

Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo in Kokomo, 5.8 miles in a straight line from Howard Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Howard Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 9.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8–10.5%), 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.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.