Photo: AaronJoePick · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Golden Township is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns
Golden Township differs from Michigan on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49436, 49420. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Golden Township
Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Golden Township
1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.9%), vs 7% across Michigan. 1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.4%), vs 8.9% across Michigan. COPD is also above the state: 10.5%, vs 8.1% across Michigan. In all, Golden Township runs above Michigan on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Golden Township, and more people treating it
42.8% of adults have high blood pressure (Michigan 36.7%), but 82.6% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.6% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Golden Township adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Michigan. 1 in 11 adults worry about keeping their housing, vs 1 in 8 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 Golden Township’s likely range; Golden Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 49436, 49420, 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 Golden Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Golden Township is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 71% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 17%).
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). Golden Township’s median household income is $67,426; among the 10,263 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$84K), it’s healthier than 42%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Golden Township compares well: cholesterol check in 5 years, 89.8% (U.S. 87.1%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82.6% (U.S. 76.5%); worried about keeping housing, 9.3% (U.S. 12%).
Out of every 100 Golden Township adults…
Golden Township runs above MI on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Golden 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 Golden Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Golden Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
12.3% of Golden Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Care in and near Golden Township
No hospital or community health center in Golden 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 Golden 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.
15 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
How Golden Township adults are doing
About the same as Michigan on each measure.
3 in 10 Golden 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.
Golden Township and the towns around it
Golden Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Township | C | 39.5% | 14.8% | 15.1% | ZIP codes |
| Hart Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Benona Township | C− | 41% | 13.3% | 16.7% | ZIP codes |
| Pentwater Township | B | 37.1% | 13.8% | 12.8% | ZIP 49449 |
| Shelby Township | C− | 41% | 13.3% | 16.8% | ZIP codes |
Hart Township: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Golden Township adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Golden Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Golden Township is better than Michigan on 5 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Golden Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Golden Township | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.2%17.9–24.5 | 19.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.1–18.5 | 14% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.8%13.7–17.7 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.5%30.9–47.2 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.8%12.6–16.8 | 11.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 42.8%38–47.1 | 36.7% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.1%36.4–45.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 37.6%33.6–41.3 | 29.1% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.8–12.4 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.4%11.2–13.6 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.9%8.6–11.1 | 7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.5%8.9–12.3 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.6%10.9–16.6 | 10.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.1%12.5–18.2 | 14.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.7%21.8–31.6 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.8%11.2–16.4 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.6%25.4–38.4 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.9%5.6–8.4 | 6.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.1%78.9–84.8 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.5%63.9–71.1 | 68% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.8%88.4–91.2 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.6%79.9–84.9 | 77.6% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.3%68.7–77.7 | 69% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.2%67.5–82.2 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.3%21.5–28.9 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.4%24.8–34.4 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.7%17.5–24.3 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13%10.8–15.7 | 15.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.3%7.9–11 | 11.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7%6–8.2 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.9%6–8 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.3%10–14.9 | 14.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.3%30.4–39.9 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.8%15.1–20.8 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.7%11.8–15.6 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.4%9.1–11.7 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.5%4.8–6.2 | 4.9% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9%7.7–10.4 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%3.8–5.1 | 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 Golden Township
Is Golden Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Golden Township is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 42%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Golden Township?
CDC estimates 39.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.9% and 47.2%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Golden Township?
Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus in Shelby, 7.1 miles in a straight line from Golden Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Golden Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.6–8.4%), 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 Golden 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 Golden 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.