On CDC estimates, Chester Township is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns
Chester Township differs from Michigan on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49735, 49751, 49738, 49733. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Chester Township
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Chester Township
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.3%), vs 8.9% across Michigan. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.5%), vs 7% across Michigan. COPD is also above the state: 9.7%, vs 8.1% across Michigan. In all, Chester Township runs above Michigan on four of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
The nearest ER is 20 miles from Chester Township
The closest emergency room is Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital in Grayling, 20.3 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Thunder Bay Community Health Service is closer (12.5 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. Getting care ↓
Fewer Chester Township adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Michigan. 1 in 8 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 Chester Township’s likely range; Chester Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 49735, 49751, 49738, 49733, 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 Chester Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chester Township is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 48% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 30%).
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). Chester Township’s median household income is $73,707; among the 10,813 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 41%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Chester Township compares well: worried about having enough food, 12.6% (U.S. 15%); worried about keeping housing, 9.4% (U.S. 12%).
Out of every 100 Chester Township adults…
Chester Township runs above MI on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Chester Township
No hospital or community health center in Chester 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 Chester 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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
12.1% of Chester Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan
Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.
100 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Chester Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
How Chester Township adults are doing
About the same as Michigan on each measure.
3 in 10 Chester 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.
Chester Township and the towns around it
Chester Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Township | C+ | 38% | 13% | 15.5% | ZIP codes |
| Charlton Township | C+ | 38.5% | 13.7% | 15.5% | ZIP codes |
| Otsego Lake Township | C+ | 37.5% | 12.3% | 15% | ZIP codes |
| Bagley Township | C+ | 38% | 12% | 15% | ZIP 49735 |
| Lovells Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Dover Township | — | — | — | — |
Lovells Township and Dover 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 Chester Township adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Chester Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Chester Township is better than Michigan on 4 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Chester Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Chester Township | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.9%17.3–22.7 | 19.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.5–17.3 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.2%15.3–19.3 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38%30.4–46.1 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13%11.3–14.9 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.9%35.6–44.1 | 36.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.7%34.4–43.2 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.3%30.8–37.9 | 29.1% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.3–13 | 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 | 8.5%7.6–9.4 | 7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.7%8.5–10.9 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.8–4.5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.3%9.2–13.6 | 10.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.5%13.2–18 | 14.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.2%22–30.8 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13–18.8 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.1%27.1–39.3 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.1%5–7.3 | 6.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.9%78.8–84.8 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.9%66.6–72.9 | 68% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.9%87.4–90.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.7%76.9–82.4 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.6%68.3–76.5 | 69% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.5%68.1–81.7 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.1%23.5–31.1 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.8%26.1–35.7 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21%17.9–24.4 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.6%10.5–14.8 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.4%8–11.1 | 11.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7%6–8.1 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.9%6–7.9 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.1%10.1–14.2 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.9%29.6–38.4 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%13.8–18.2 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.3%12.6–16.2 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9%8–10 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5%4.4–5.5 | 4.9% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.8%7.9–10 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.1%3.6–4.5 | 3.8% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Chester Township
Is Chester Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chester Township is healthier than 39% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 41%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Chester Township?
CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.4% and 46.1%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Chester Township?
Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital in Grayling, 20.3 miles in a straight line from Chester Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Chester Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–7.3%), 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 Chester 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 Chester 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.