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Health in Blue Lake Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Blue Lake Township residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49646, 49659. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Blue Lake Township

COPD, heart disease and arthritis run high in Blue Lake Township

1 in 9 adults have COPD (10.7%), vs 8.1% across Michigan. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.7%), vs 7% across Michigan. Arthritis is also above the state: 34.4%, vs 29.1% across Michigan. In all, Blue Lake Township runs above Michigan on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and COPD, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Blue Lake Township

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.9%), vs 14.6% across Michigan. 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 Michigan figure falls outside Blue Lake Township’s likely range; Blue Lake Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 49646, 49659, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Blue Lake Township adults…

Blue Lake Township runs above MI on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Blue Lake Township adults have COPD
Michigan: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 9.6–11.9%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Why age matters here

Blue Lake Township is an older town: 33% 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 Blue Lake Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Blue Lake Township33%
Michigan19%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan

Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.

Get no exercise 27.3%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.2%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 15.6%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 17.9%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Blue Lake Township, betterBlue Lake Township, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Getting care

Care in and near Blue Lake Township

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

HNearest ERMunson Healthcare Grayling HospitalGrayling · 13.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMunson Healthcare Grayling Hospital★★★★★ · 13.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careEast Jordan Family Health CenterBellaire · 17.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
13.8 mi
Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital
Grayling · ★★★★★
ER
14.3 mi
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
Kalkaska · not rated
ERRural critical access
17.7 mi
East Jordan Family Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Bellaire
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
19.3 mi
Munson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital
Gaylord · ★★★★★
23.6 mi
Midmichigan Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Roscommon
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
36.2 mi
Munson Medical Center
Traverse City · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Blue Lake Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Blue Lake Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Blue Lake 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 Blue Lake 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 Blue Lake Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.

80%Yearly checkupMI 80%
64%Dentist visitMI 68%
87%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
69%Colon screeningMI 69%
75%MammogramMI 77%
79%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Blue Lake Township 7.3% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Blue Lake Township adults are doing

About the same as Michigan on each measure.

1 in 3Blue Lake Township adults feel lonely
32.3% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Blue Lake Township adults lack social or emotional support
22.8% · MI 23.1% · About the same as MI
3 in 10Blue Lake Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
28% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 5Blue Lake Township adults are in frequent mental distress
18.8% · MI 17.6% · About the same as MI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Blue Lake 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 6
Blue Lake Township adults worry about having enough food
15.6% · MI 15.4%
About the same as MI
1 in 9
Blue Lake Township adults worry about keeping their housing
11.3% · MI 11.9%
About the same as MI
1 in 12
Blue Lake Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.5% · MI 8.7%
About the same as MI
1 in 12
Blue Lake Township adults lack reliable transportation
8.3% · MI 8.3%
About the same as MI

15.7% of Blue Lake Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Around town

Blue Lake Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Coldsprings Township: 38.6%Bear Lake Township: 38.4%Mancelona Township: 38.6%Frederic Township: 36.1%Rapid River Township: 37.7%Excelsior Township: 38.6%Grayling Township: 37.6%Oliver Township: 38.6%Garfield Township: 38.6%Chestonia Township: 38.5%Custer Township: 37.6%Star Township: 38.1%Hayes Township: 38%Lakes of the North: 39.8%Maple Forest Township: 36.3%Blue Lake Township: 38.6%Blue Lake TownshipColdsprings TownshipBear Lake TownshipMancelona TownshipFrederic TownshipMunson Healthcare Grayling Hospital · Grayling · 13.8 mi · 3★ MedicareHKalkaska Memorial Health Center · Kalkaska · 14.3 miHBellaire Family Health Center · Bellaire · 17.7 mi+
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#10 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Frederic Township36.1%
Bear Lake Township38.4%
Blue Lake Township38.6%
Coldsprings Township38.6%
Mancelona Township38.6%
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
Coldsprings TownshipC38.6%13%17.7%ZIP codes
Bear Lake Township————
Mancelona TownshipC38.6%12.7%17.5%ZIP codes
Frederic TownshipC+36.1%13.3%15.6%ZIP codes

Bear Lake 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.

35.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.2%
Thinking or memory16.2%
Hearing9.3%
Errands alone10.1%
Vision5.7%
Dressing or bathing4.6%
Michigan

Questions about health in Blue Lake Township

Why doesn’t Blue Lake 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 Blue Lake Township.

What hospital is closest to Blue Lake Township?

Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital in Grayling, 13.8 miles in a straight line from Blue Lake 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 Blue Lake 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.