On CDC estimates, Railroad Township is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns
Railroad Township differs from Indiana on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 46374, 46366. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Railroad Township
COPD, heart disease and arthritis run high in Railroad Township
1 in 9 adults have COPD (11%), vs 8.1% across Indiana. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.8%), vs 6.8% across Indiana. Arthritis is also above the state: 34.8%, vs 28.3% across Indiana. In all, Railroad Township runs above Indiana on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Indiana 17%), and COPD, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Dental care lags in Railroad Township
55.2% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 61.2% across Indiana. Among those 65 and older, 20.6% have lost all their teeth (Indiana 15.4%). Checkups ↓
Smoking is more common in Railroad Township
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.8%), 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 Railroad Township’s likely range; Railroad Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 46374, 46366, 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 Railroad Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Railroad Township is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 30% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Railroad Township’s median household income is $90,000; among the 9,954 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($68K–$113K), it’s healthier than 2%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Railroad Township compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.4% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Railroad Township adults…
Railroad Township runs above IN on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Railroad Township is an older town: 27% 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 Railroad Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Railroad Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Indiana.
Everyday habits, side by side with Indiana
Share of adults, with the Indiana figure marked.
0.2 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Care in and near Railroad Township
No hospital or community health center in Railroad 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 Railroad 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).
How Railroad Township adults are doing
About the same as Indiana on each measure.
1 in 3 Railroad 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.
9.3% of Railroad Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.
Railroad Township and the towns around it
Railroad Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railroad Township | D | 42% | 15.1% | 19.8% | ZIP codes |
| Dewey Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Kankakee Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Cass Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Wayne Township | C− | 41.4% | 14.4% | 19.2% | ZIP 46366 |
| Walker Township | C | 40.8% | 12.6% | 17% | ZIP codes |
Dewey Township and Kankakee Township: not graded. Cass 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 Railroad Township adults live with a disability (Indiana 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Railroad Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Railroad Township is better than Indiana on 1 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Indiana figure falls inside Railroad Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Railroad Township | IN | U.S. | vs IN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.2%20.9–27.5 | 20.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.5%14.5–18.5 | 13.8% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16.3–20.2 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42%35.3–49 | 38.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 15.1%13.3–17 | 13% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.9%38.3–45.7 | 37.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42%38.2–45.9 | 37.8% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.8%31.7–38 | 28.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.4–12.8 | 11.2% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10%9.1–10.9 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.8–9.8 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11%9.5–12.5 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.6%17.3–24.1 | 15.4% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.8%16.9–22.6 | 15.7% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.9%24.5–33.5 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15%12.7–17.6 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.2%34.1–46.4 | 37.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.3%7.6–11.4 | 8.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.7%76.6–82.5 | 79.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.2%51.7–58.7 | 61.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.4%84.6–88 | 85.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.4%77.9–82.6 | 77.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.9%61.3–70.2 | 66.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.7%65.2–79.1 | 76.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.2%23–29.6 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.7%27.4–36.5 | 32.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.8%20.8–27.3 | 23.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.3%12.9–18.2 | 14.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.1%9.5–13 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.2%7.2–9.4 | 8.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.7%6.8–8.8 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.3%7.7–11.2 | 8.6% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.4%32–40.9 | 31.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.1%15.7–20.7 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.6%14.7–18.7 | 15% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 7.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%5–6.4 | 5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.3–10.7 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.6%4–5.2 | 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 Railroad Township
Is Railroad Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Railroad Township is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns: ≈ D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 2%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Railroad Township?
CDC estimates 42% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.3% and 49%, against 38.4% across Indiana and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Railroad Township?
Northwest Health - Starke in Knox, 13.5 miles in a straight line from Railroad Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Railroad Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.6–11.4%), 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 Railroad 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 Railroad 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.