On CDC estimates, Elk Township is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns
Elk Township differs from Michigan on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 49644. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Elk Township
Heart disease, COPD and stroke run high in Elk Township
1 in 8 adults have heart disease (12.2%), vs 7% across Michigan. 1 in 7 adults have COPD (13.9%), vs 8.1% across Michigan. Stroke is also above the state: 5.8%, vs 3.7% across Michigan. In all, Elk Township runs above Michigan on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 43% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and heart disease, COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Elk Township, and more people treating it
48.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Michigan 36.7%), but 84.1% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.6% statewide. Checkups ↓
More Elk Township adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.3%), vs 24.9% across Michigan. There are 36 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. 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 Elk Township’s likely range; Elk Township’s figures come from ZIP code 49644, 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 Elk Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elk Township is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 66% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 4%).
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). Elk Township’s median household income is $56,438; among the 7,862 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$71K), it’s healthier than 33%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Elk Township compares well: checkup in the past year, 84% (U.S. 77.4%); cholesterol check in 5 years, 90.6% (U.S. 87.1%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 84.1% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Elk Township adults…
Elk Township runs above MI on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Elk Township is an older town: 43% 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 Elk Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Elk Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan
Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.
36 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Care in and near Elk Township
No hospital or community health center in Elk 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 Elk 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).
How Elk Township adults are doing
About the same as Michigan on each measure.
3 in 10 Elk 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.
14.9% of Elk Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Elk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Township | C− | 37.4% | 17.3% | 18.5% | ZIP 49644 |
| Sauble Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Eden Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Norman Township | D | 39.5% | 16.5% | 19.7% | ZIP codes |
| Meade Township | — | — | — | — |
Sauble Township, Eden Township and Meade 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 Elk Township adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Elk Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Elk Township is better than Michigan on 6 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Elk Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Elk Township | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.3%20.9–29.9 | 19.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.8%16.1–21.7 | 14% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14–18.1 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.4%29.7–45.5 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 17.3%14.7–19.9 | 11.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 48.6%43.8–53.2 | 36.7% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 44.2%39.4–48.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 43%38.8–47.2 | 29.1% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.1–12.9 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.7%12.4–15.1 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 12.2%10.5–13.9 | 7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 13.9%11.5–16.5 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.8%5–6.6 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17%13.8–20.6 | 10.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.5%14.8–22.1 | 14.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.3%25.8–37.2 | 24.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.1%10.8–15.7 | 15.9% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.5%26.1–39.2 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7%5.3–8.9 | 6.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 84%81.2–86.6 | 80.3% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.5%61.8–68.9 | 68% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.6%89.1–91.9 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.1%81.5–86.5 | 77.6% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.7%65.7–75.3 | 69% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.5%63.1–79 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.8%22.2–29.7 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30%25.3–35.2 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.1%18.6–26 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.7%11.6–18.1 | 15.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.5%7.8–11.5 | 11.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.3%6.2–8.6 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.5%6.3–8.8 | 8.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.9%11.7–18.3 | 14.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.5%33.9–45.2 | 31.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.9%18.3–25.9 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15%12.7–17.5 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 12.3%10.7–13.9 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.6%5.6–7.8 | 4.9% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.7%8.9–12.5 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.6%4.7–6.7 | 3.8% | 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 Michigan figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Elk Township
Is Elk Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Elk Township is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 33%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Elk Township?
CDC estimates 37.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.7% and 45.5%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Elk Township?
Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital in Manistee, 17.9 miles in a straight line from Elk Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Elk Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.3–8.9%), 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 Elk 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 Elk 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.