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Alabaster Historic DistrictAlabaster Historic District · Photo: George Perry Grimsley · Public domain
–Not graded
Health in Alabaster Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Alabaster Township residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Alabaster Township, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 48763. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Alabaster Township

Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Alabaster Township

1 in 10 adults have heart disease (10.1%), vs 7% across Michigan. 1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.7%), vs 8.9% across Michigan. COPD is also above the state: 11.4%, vs 8.1% across Michigan. In all, Alabaster Township runs above Michigan on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 44% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Alabaster Township, and more people treating it

44.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Michigan 36.7%), but 82.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.6% 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 Michigan figure falls outside Alabaster Township’s likely range; Alabaster Township’s figures come from ZIP code 48763, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Alabaster Township adults…

Alabaster Township runs above MI on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Alabaster Township adults have heart disease
Michigan: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 9.1–11.1%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Why age matters here

Alabaster Township is an older town: 44% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Michigan. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Alabaster Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Alabaster Township44%
Michigan19%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

83%Yearly checkupMI 80%
67%Dentist visitMI 68%
90%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
73%Colon screeningMI 69%
77%MammogramMI 77%
82%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Alabaster Township 6.6% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Getting care

Care in and near Alabaster Township

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

HNearest ERTawas St. Joseph HospitalTawas City · ≈5.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyTawas St. Joseph Hospital★★★★★ · 5.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSterling Area Health CenterHale · 16.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
≈5.9 mi
Tawas St. Joseph Hospital
Tawas City · ★★★★★
ER
16.1 mi
Sterling Area Health Center
5 sites · nearest in Hale
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
18.8 mi
Alcona Citizens for Health
3 sites · nearest in Oscoda
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
23.8 mi
Saint Mary's Standish Community Hospital
Standish · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
29.9 mi
Scheurer Hospital
Pigeon · not rated
ERRural critical access
32.6 mi
Mymichigan Medical Center West Branch
West Branch · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Alabaster Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Alabaster Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Alabaster 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 Alabaster 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan

Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.

Get no exercise 28.5%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.7%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 13.6%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 16.5%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Alabaster Township, betterAlabaster Township, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Where Alabaster Township gets moving

11 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Alabaster Township adults are doing

About the same as Michigan on each measure.

3 in 10Alabaster Township adults feel lonely
30.3% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 5Alabaster Township adults lack social or emotional support
21.4% · MI 23.1% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Alabaster Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.6% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 6Alabaster Township adults are in frequent mental distress
16.7% · MI 17.6% · About the same as MI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Alabaster 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
Alabaster Township adults worry about having enough food
13.6% · MI 15.4%
About the same as MI
1 in 11
Alabaster Township adults worry about keeping their housing
9.5% · MI 11.9%
Better than MI
1 in 14
Alabaster Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.1% · MI 8.7%
Better than MI
1 in 14
Alabaster Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.2% · MI 8.3%
Better than MI

13.4% of Alabaster Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Around town

Alabaster Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Tawas Township: 37.2%Sherman Township: 37.8%Whitney Township: 37.4%Tawas City: 37.2%Baldwin Township: 37%Grant Township: 38.1%Wilber Township: 37.6%Sand Lake: 38.5%Burleigh Township: 39.8%Turner Township: 37.6%Sims Township: 37.5%Alabaster Township: 37.2%Alabaster TownshipTawas TownshipSherman TownshipWhitney TownshipTawas St. Joseph Hospital · Tawas City · 5.9 mi · 3★ MedicareHHale Clinic- Sterling Area Health Center · Hale · 16.1 mi+Ahc Oscoda Area High School SBHC · Oscoda · 18.8 mi+
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#2 of 12 towns on this map, healthiest first
Alabaster Township37.2%
Tawas Township37.2%
Whitney Township37.4%
Sherman Township37.8%
MI36.2%

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
Tawas TownshipC37.2%14.6%16.5%ZIP 48763
Sherman Township————
Whitney Township————

Sherman Township and Whitney 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.

37%

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

Walking or climbing stairs19%
Thinking or memory14.8%
Hearing10.7%
Errands alone9.9%
Vision5.7%
Dressing or bathing4.6%
Michigan

Questions about health in Alabaster Township

Why doesn’t Alabaster Township have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Alabaster Township.

What hospital is closest to Alabaster Township?

Tawas St. Joseph Hospital in Tawas City, 5.9 miles in a straight line from Alabaster Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Alabaster Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Michigan figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. 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.