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Frank A. and Rae E. Harris Kramer HouseFrank A. and Rae E. Harris Kramer House · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0
≈ CHealth Grade
Health in Gaylord · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Gaylord is healthier than 78%

Gaylord trails Michigan on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Gaylord. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Gaylord

Gaylord is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Gaylord is healthier than 32%. Against the 3,894 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$56K), it’s healthier than 78%. Health Grade ↓

The nearest ER is 24 miles from Gaylord

The closest emergency room is Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital in Grayling, 24.2 miles away in a straight line. Getting care ↓

Gaylord has a top-rated hospital

Munson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare. Getting care ↓

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 Gaylord’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Gaylord’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gaylord is healthier than 32% of U.S. towns, #478 of 701 in Michigan. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 54% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 16%).

C+Self-rated health20.8% · MI 19.4% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.4% · MI 14% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress19.2% · MI 17.6% · U.S. 15.9%
C+Obesity38% · MI 36.2% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes11.8% · MI 11.9% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking16.1% smoke · MI 14.6% · U.S. 11.8%
CExercise27.8% · MI 24.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 32%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (701)Healthier than 32%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $34K–$56K (3,894)Healthier than 78%

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). Gaylord’s median household income is $44,701; among the 3,894 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$56K), it’s healthier than 78%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Gaylord could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

Getting care

Care in and near Gaylord

1 hospital in Gaylord, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERMunson Healthcare Grayling HospitalGrayling · 24.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careThunder Bay Community Health ServiceLewiston · 20.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.2 mi
Munson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital
Gaylord · ★★★★★
In Gaylord
20.8 mi
Thunder Bay Community Health Service
3 sites · nearest in Lewiston
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
24.1 mi
East Jordan Family Health Center
2 sites · nearest in East Jordan
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
24.2 mi
Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital
Grayling · ★★★★★
ER
28.3 mi
Mclaren Northern Michigan
Petoskey · ★★★★★
ER
31.2 mi
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
Kalkaska · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Gaylord itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Gaylord itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Gaylord 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 Gaylord; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Gaylord adults…

Gaylord runs above MI on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Gaylord adults have had cancer
Michigan: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9–11.1%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan

Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.

Get no exercise 27.8%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.6%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 16.5%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 16.1%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Gaylord, betterGaylord, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Where Gaylord gets moving

7.8 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%Yearly checkupMI 80%
66%Dentist visitMI 68%
86%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
70%Colon screeningMI 69%
74%MammogramMI 77%
77%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Gaylord 7.5% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Gaylord adults are doing

About the same as Michigan on each measure.

1 in 3Gaylord adults feel lonely
33.5% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Gaylord adults lack social or emotional support
22.3% · MI 23.1% · About the same as MI
3 in 10Gaylord adults have been diagnosed with depression
28.7% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 5Gaylord adults are in frequent mental distress
19.2% · MI 17.6% · About the same as MI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Gaylord 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
Gaylord adults worry about having enough food
15% · MI 15.4%
About the same as MI
1 in 9
Gaylord adults worry about keeping their housing
11.1% · MI 11.9%
About the same as MI
1 in 13
Gaylord adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8% · MI 8.7%
About the same as MI
1 in 12
Gaylord adults lack reliable transportation
8.2% · MI 8.3%
About the same as MI

14.5% of Gaylord adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Around town

Gaylord and the towns around it

Gaylord’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.

Bagley Township: 38%Livingston Township: 38.1%Otsego Lake Township: 37.5%Chester Township: 38%Hayes Township: 38%Dover Township: 38.3%Corwith Township: 40.5%Elmira Township: 38%Gaylord: 38%GaylordBagley TownshipLivingston TownshipMunson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital · Gaylord · 1.2 mi · 4★ MedicareH
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#2 of 9 towns on this map, healthiest first
Gaylord38%
Bagley Township38%
Livingston Township38.1%
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
GaylordC38%11.8%16.1%CDC place
Bagley TownshipC+38%12%15%ZIP 49735
Livingston TownshipC+38.1%12.1%15.1%ZIP codes

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

35.7%

of Gaylord adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.9%
Thinking or memory16.4%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone10%
Vision5.3%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Michigan

Every CDC estimate for Gaylord

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Gaylord is better than Michigan on 0 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Gaylord’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…GaylordMIU.S.vs MI
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.8%17.3–24.619.4%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.4%13.2–17.814%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)19.2%16.7–21.917.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity38%29.9–46.636.2%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.8%10–13.711.9%12%About the same
High blood pressure36.7%32.4–41.136.7%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)35.6%31.3–40.235.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis31.3%27.7–3529.1%25.3%About the same
Asthma12%10.5–13.611.5%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10%9–11.18.9%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease7.7%6.7–8.97%6.4%About the same
COPD9.5%7.8–11.58.1%6.3%About the same
Stroke4%3.4–4.63.7%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)11.7%9.4–14.210.2%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.1%13–19.314.6%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work27.8%22.5–33.324.9%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking16.5%13.6–19.815.9%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.6%28.1–41.534.7%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.5%5.5–9.76.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year79.9%76.5–83.180.3%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year66.1%62.6–69.468%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years85.7%83.4–88.187.4%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.1%74.3–79.677.6%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)69.8%65.2–74.269%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)74.2%66.1–81.276.9%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression28.7%24.6–33.225.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely33.5%28–39.232.4%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.3%18.4–26.423.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food15%11.7–18.515.4%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing11.1%8.9–13.411.9%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off8%6.6–9.48.7%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation8.2%6.8–9.78.3%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)14.5%11.1–17.814.3%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability35.7%30.5–41.131.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.9%13.2–1914%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering16.4%13.9–19.214.3%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.7%7.6–9.97.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.3%4.5–6.34.9%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone10%8.4–11.98.6%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.1%3.4–4.83.8%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 Gaylord

Is Gaylord a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gaylord is healthier than 32% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #478 of 701 in Michigan. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Gaylord?

CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.9% and 46.6%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Gaylord?

Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital in Grayling, 24.2 miles in a straight line from Gaylord’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Gaylord have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–9.7%), 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 Gaylord 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 Gaylord.

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. 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.