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≈ C−Health Grade
Health in Otter Creek Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Otter Creek Township is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns

Otter Creek Township trails Indiana on 5 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 47023, 47037. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Otter Creek Township

COPD and heart disease run high in Otter Creek Township

1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.2%), vs 8.1% across Indiana. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.1%), vs 6.8% across Indiana. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Otter Creek Township

1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (20%), 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 Otter Creek Township’s likely range; Otter Creek Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 47023, 47037, 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 Otter Creek Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Otter Creek Township is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 35% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 9%).

CSelf-rated health22.9% · IN 20.6% · U.S. 19.4%
C−Physical distress15.8% · IN 13.8% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress18.8% · IN 17.6% · U.S. 15.9%
CObesity38.4% · IN 38.4% · U.S. 32.9%
CDiabetes13.8% · IN 13% · U.S. 12%
DSmoking20% smoke · IN 15.7% · U.S. 11.8%
C+Exercise27.7% · IN 24.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 20%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $55K–$92K (10,771)Healthier than 14%

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). Otter Creek Township’s median household income is $73,300; among the 10,771 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 14%, 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, Otter Creek Township could be anywhere from D− to B. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 47023,47037), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Otter Creek Township adults…

Otter Creek Township runs above IN on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Otter Creek Township adults have COPD
Indiana: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 8.7–11.8%
Better than INWorseAbout the sameIndiana
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Indiana

Share of adults, with the Indiana figure marked.

Get no exercise 27.7%IN 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 37.1%IN 37.1%
Binge drink 16%IN 16.6%
Smoke cigarettes 20%IN 15.7%
0%10%20%30%40%
Otter Creek Township, betterOtter Creek Township, worseAbout the sameIndiana
Where Otter Creek Township gets moving

7.3 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Otter Creek Township

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

HNearest ERAscension St. Vincent JenningsNorth Vernon · 15.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyDecatur County Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 18.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careWindrose Health Network - HopeHope · 24.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
15.1 mi
Ascension St. Vincent Jennings
North Vernon · not rated
ERRural critical access
16.9 mi
Margaret Mary Community Hospital
Batesville · not rated
ERRural critical access
18.2 mi
Decatur County Memorial Hospital
Greensburg · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
19.2 mi
Norton-King's Daughters' Health
Madison · ★★★★★
ER
24.9 mi
Windrose Health Network - Hope
Hope · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
28.3 mi
Centerstone Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Columbus
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careOtter Creek Township is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careOtter Creek Township is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Otter Creek 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 Otter Creek 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 Otter Creek Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Indiana.

80%Yearly checkupIN 80%
63%Dentist visitIN 61%
86%Cholesterol checkIN 86%
66%Colon screeningIN 66%
77%MammogramIN 76%
79%Taking BP medsIN 77%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Otter Creek Township 8.5% · Indiana 1 in 11 (8.9%)
Mind & connection

How Otter Creek Township adults are doing

About the same as Indiana on each measure.

1 in 3Otter Creek Township adults feel lonely
32.5% · IN 32.8% · About the same as IN
1 in 4Otter Creek Township adults lack social or emotional support
23.8% · IN 23.2% · About the same as IN
1 in 4Otter Creek Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
26% · IN 25.1% · About the same as IN
1 in 5Otter Creek Township adults are in frequent mental distress
18.8% · IN 17.6% · About the same as IN
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Otter Creek 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 7
Otter Creek Township adults worry about having enough food
14.6% · IN 14.7%
About the same as IN
1 in 9
Otter Creek Township adults worry about keeping their housing
10.9% · IN 11.2%
About the same as IN
1 in 12
Otter Creek Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.2% · IN 8.4%
About the same as IN
1 in 13
Otter Creek Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.6% · IN 7.7%
About the same as IN

8.9% of Otter Creek Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.

Around town

Otter Creek Township and the towns around it

Otter Creek Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.

Columbia Township: 41.7%Center Township: 36.5%Shelby Township: 37.4%Jackson Township: 36.6%Johnson Township: 36.6%Sand Creek Township: 41.2%Campbell Township: 42.2%Sandcreek Township: 38.6%Marion Township: 38.1%Delaware Township: 36.5%Brown Township: 37%Monroe Township: 37.1%Bigger Township: 41.3%Laughery Township: 37.3%Saltcreek Township: 37.8%Washington Township: 36.7%Otter Creek Township: 38.4%Otter Creek TownshipColumbia TownshipCenter TownshipShelby TownshipJackson TownshipJohnson TownshipAscension St. Vincent Jennings · North Vernon · 15.1 miHMargaret Mary Community Hospital · Batesville · 16.9 miHDecatur County Memorial Hospital · Greensburg · 18.2 mi · 3★ MedicareH
Healthier than INNear INLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#12 of 17 towns on this map, healthiest first
Center Township36.5%
Jackson Township36.6%
Johnson Township36.6%
Shelby Township37.4%
Otter Creek Township38.4%
Columbia Township41.7%
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
Otter Creek TownshipC−38.4%13.8%20%ZIP codes
Columbia Township————
Center TownshipC+36.5%13%17.7%ZIP codes
Shelby Township————
Jackson Township————
Johnson TownshipC36.6%13.2%17.6%ZIP codes

Columbia Township and Shelby Township: not graded. Jackson Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

34%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.5%
Thinking or memory16.5%
Hearing8.4%
Errands alone9.2%
Vision5.2%
Dressing or bathing4.2%
Indiana

Every CDC estimate for Otter Creek Township

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Otter Creek Township is better than Indiana on 0 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Indiana figure falls inside Otter Creek Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Otter Creek TownshipINU.S.vs IN
Overall health
Fair or poor health22.9%19.4–26.220.6%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.8%13.7–17.913.8%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)18.8%16.6–21.117.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity38.4%30.8–46.238.4%32.9%About the same
Diabetes13.8%11.9–15.913%12%About the same
High blood pressure40.3%36–44.637.8%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)40.3%35.9–44.937.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis32.5%29–36.328.3%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.7%10.4–13.211.2%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.3%8.4–10.38.3%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.1%7.1–96.8%6.4%Worse
COPD10.2%8.7–11.88.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke4%3.5–4.43.5%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)15.7%12.8–19.315.4%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes20%16.7–23.115.7%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work27.7%22.8–32.524.9%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking16%13.3–19.216.6%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.1%30.8–44.337.1%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)8.5%6.7–10.58.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year80%76.7–83.279.7%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year62.5%58.9–66.361.2%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years85.6%83.6–87.585.8%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)78.9%76.1–81.577.4%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)65.5%60.6–70.666.3%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)77%69.7–83.876.4%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26%22.3–3025.1%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely32.5%27.6–37.632.8%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support23.8%20.2–27.523.2%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food14.6%11.8–17.414.7%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10.9%9.1–12.911.2%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off8.2%7–9.48.4%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.6%6.4–8.77.7%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)8.9%7.1–10.98.6%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability34%29.3–38.831.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs16.5%14–1914.2%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering16.5%14.3–18.615%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.4%7.4–9.57.1%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.2%4.6–65%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone9.2%7.9–10.58.1%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.2%3.7–4.83.7%3.8%About the same

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 Otter Creek Township

Is Otter Creek Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Otter Creek Township is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 14%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Otter Creek Township?

CDC estimates 38.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.8% and 46.2%, against 38.4% across Indiana and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Otter Creek Township?

Ascension St. Vincent Jennings in North Vernon, 15.1 miles in a straight line from Otter Creek Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Otter Creek Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 8.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.7–10.5%), 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 Otter Creek 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 Otter Creek 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.