On CDC estimates, Salem Township is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Salem Township differs from Indiana on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 47946, 47959. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Salem Township
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Salem Township
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.4%), vs 8.1% across Indiana. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.7%), vs 6.8% across Indiana. Stroke is also above the state: 4.4%, vs 3.5% across Indiana. In all, Salem Township runs above Indiana on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (Indiana 17%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Salem Township, and more people treating it
42% of adults have high blood pressure (Indiana 37.8%), but 80.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
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 Salem Township’s likely range; Salem Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 47946, 47959, 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 Salem Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Salem Township is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 35% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 18%).
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). Salem Township’s median household income is $69,545; among the 10,482 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 19%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Salem Township compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 80.1% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Salem Township adults…
Salem Township runs above IN on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Salem Township is an older town: 25% 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 Salem Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Salem Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Indiana.
Care in and near Salem Township
No hospital or community health center in Salem 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 Salem 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).
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.
How Salem Township adults are doing
About the same as Indiana on each measure.
1 in 3 Salem 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.
8.3% of Salem Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.
Salem Township and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Township | C− | 39.1% | 14.6% | 17.8% | ZIP codes |
| White Post Township | C− | 39.2% | 14.8% | 18.8% | ZIP codes |
| Beaver Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Hanging Grove Township | — | — | — | — |
Beaver Township and Hanging Grove 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 Salem Township adults live with a disability (Indiana 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Salem Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Salem Township is better than Indiana on 1 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Indiana figure falls inside Salem Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Salem Township | IN | U.S. | vs IN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.5%20.7–26.6 | 20.6% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.2–17.9 | 13.8% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%16–19.9 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.1%31.3–47 | 38.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.6%12.8–16.6 | 13% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42%38–46.2 | 37.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41%36.9–45.1 | 37.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.7%30.4–37.2 | 28.3% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.2–12.8 | 11.2% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.3%9.3–11.3 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.7%7.8–9.7 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.4%9.1–11.8 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.9–4.8 | 3.5% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.6%14.7–20.8 | 15.4% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.8%15.4–20.5 | 15.7% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 28.8%24.3–33.6 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.3%12.8–18.1 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.3%29.5–41.9 | 37.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9%7.5–10.7 | 8.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.3%77.2–83.2 | 79.7% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.9%57.6–64.4 | 61.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.5%84.8–88.1 | 85.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.1%77.6–82.4 | 77.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.2%62.6–71.7 | 66.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.7%66.2–80.4 | 76.4% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.6%22.2–29.2 | 25.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.9%27.1–36.8 | 32.8% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.1%19.7–26.5 | 23.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.2%11.9–16.5 | 14.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.5%8.9–12.1 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.7%6.7–8.9 | 8.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.4%6.5–8.5 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.3%6.9–9.9 | 8.6% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.1%31.9–40.7 | 31.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.8%15.6–20.1 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.1%14.3–18.1 | 15% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8.3–10.4 | 7.1% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%5–6.4 | 5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.3%8.2–10.5 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%3.9–4.9 | 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 Salem Township
Is Salem Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Salem Township is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 19%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Salem Township?
CDC estimates 39.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.3% and 47%, against 38.4% across Indiana and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Salem Township?
Franciscan Health Rensselaer in Rensselaer, 12.7 miles in a straight line from Salem Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Salem Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–10.7%), 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 Salem 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 Salem 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.