Horton Bary School · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Bay Township is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns
Bay Township differs from Michigan on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 9 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49712, 49770, 49720. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bay Township
Cancer runs high in Bay Township
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.3%), vs 8.9% across Michigan. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Fewer Bay Township adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Michigan. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Bay Township’s likely range; Bay Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 49712, 49770, 49720, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
What’s behind Bay Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bay Township is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 77% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 61%.
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). Bay Township’s median household income is $80,833; among the 10,719 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($61K–$101K), it’s healthier than 81%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Bay Township adults…
Bay Township runs below MI on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Bay Township is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Michigan. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Bay Township as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.7% of Bay Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Care in and near Bay Township
No hospital or community health center in Bay 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 Bay 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 Michigan
Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.
14 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Bay Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
How Bay Township adults are doing
About the same as Michigan on each measure.
3 in 10 Bay 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.
Bay Township and the towns around it
Bay Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Township | B+ | 34.4% | 11.4% | 12.7% | ZIP codes |
| Resort Township | A− | 31.8% | 10.4% | 11.8% | ZIP 49770 |
| Hayes Township | B+ | 35.1% | 12.6% | 12.8% | ZIP 49720 |
| Evangeline Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Horton Bay | — | — | — | — |
Evangeline Township and Horton Bay: 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 Bay Township adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bay Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bay Township is better than Michigan on 9 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Bay Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bay Township | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.3%14.2–18.5 | 19.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.8–15.1 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%13.9–17.6 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.4%27–42.5 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.4%9.8–13.1 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.1%33–41.5 | 36.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.1%33.8–42.6 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.8%29.3–36.5 | 29.1% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.3%10–12.6 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.3%10.3–12.4 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.6–8.2 | 7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.9%7–8.8 | 8.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.3–3.9 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.9%6.3–9.7 | 10.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.7%10.9–14.7 | 14.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.2%17.6–25.1 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.2%13.3–19.4 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.8%26.5–39.5 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5%4.2–6 | 6.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.7%78.5–84.7 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.4%70.3–76.4 | 68% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.8%88.4–91.1 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.8%76.9–82.4 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.1%68.5–77.4 | 69% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.8%71.5–84.8 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.1%21.5–29 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.2%24.5–34.1 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.9%16.8–23.2 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.7%8.2–11.4 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.8%6.6–9.1 | 11.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.8%5–6.6 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.8%5.1–6.5 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.7%7.4–10.2 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.7%25.8–33.9 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.2%11.5–15.1 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.5%11–13.9 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.3–9.1 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.6–4.4 | 4.9% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.4%6.6–8.3 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%3–3.6 | 3.8% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Michigan figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bay Township
Is Bay Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bay Township is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 81%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bay Township?
CDC estimates 34.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 27% and 42.5%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bay Township?
Mclaren Northern Michigan in Petoskey, 6.4 miles in a straight line from Bay Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bay Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.2–6%), against 6.9% across Michigan.
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 Bay Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bay Township.
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. 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.