On CDC estimates, Harper Woods is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns
Harper Woods differs from Michigan on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 17 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Harper Woods. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Harper Woods
Making ends meet is harder in Harper Woods
1 in 6 adults were threatened with a utility shut-off (17.7%), about twice the Michigan rate. Food insecurity (27.3% vs 15.4%) and housing insecurity (22.5% vs 11.9%) are higher too. 28.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Harper Woods adults lack emotional support
3 in 10 adults lack social or emotional support (29%), vs 23.1% across Michigan. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 20.5%, vs 17.6% across Michigan. Mind & connection ↓
More Harper Woods adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (29.8%), vs 24.9% across Michigan. Habits ↓
Health varies a lot right around Harper Woods
Grades next door run from Grosse Pointe Woods (A+) to Detroit (D−). Harper Woods is a C−. Around town ↓
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 Harper Woods’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
What’s behind Harper Woods’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harper Woods is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns, #623 of 701 in Michigan. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 36% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 7%).
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). Harper Woods’ median household income is $65,022; among the 9,931 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$81K), it’s healthier than 17%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Harper Woods compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.6% (U.S. 7.9%); binge drinking, 13.2% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 82.5% (U.S. 77.4%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
28.1% of Harper Woods adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
How Harper Woods adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Harper Woods runs above Michigan.
1 in 3 Harper Woods 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan
Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.
1.1 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Harper Woods and the towns around it
Harper Woods’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Woods | C− | 40.7% | 14.5% | 17.1% | CDC place |
| Detroit | D− | 45.6% | 19.2% | 21.8% | CDC place |
| Grosse Pointe Woods | A+ | 27.5% | 9% | 8.4% | CDC place |
| Eastpointe | D | 45.9% | 14.4% | 20.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Harper Woods adults…
Harper Woods runs below MI on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Harper Woods
No hospital or community health center in Harper Woods 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 Harper Woods; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Harper Woods adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Harper Woods adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Harper Woods
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Harper Woods is better than Michigan on 3 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Harper Woods’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Harper Woods | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.4%22.1–26.9 | 19.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.6–16.6 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.5%18.6–22.5 | 17.6% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.7%37.1–44.4 | 36.2% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.5%13.1–16.1 | 11.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 42%39.3–44.6 | 36.7% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.3%31.8–36.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.1%26.9–31.2 | 29.1% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 13.4%12.1–14.8 | 11.5% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.6%6–7.2 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.8–7 | 7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.5%7.6–9.4 | 8.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.4%4–4.7 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.8%9.9–13.8 | 10.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.1%15.1–19.3 | 14.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29.8%26.9–33 | 24.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%11.5–15.2 | 15.9% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 45.2%42–48.5 | 34.7% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%6.1–8.5 | 6.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.5%80.4–84.6 | 80.3% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.2%59.6–64.8 | 68% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.9%86.4–89.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.9%74.4–79.1 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.4%62.1–68.6 | 69% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.8%75.6–83.7 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.4%21.1–25.9 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.4%31.1–37.8 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29%26–32.3 | 23.1% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 27.3%24.3–30.6 | 15.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 22.5%19.9–25.3 | 11.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 17.7%15.7–19.9 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14%12.5–15.7 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 28.1%25–31.4 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.5%30.6–36.5 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.5%14.9–18.3 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.7%14–17.5 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.6%5–6.2 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 6.8%6.1–7.5 | 4.9% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.8%9.7–12.1 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.4%4.9–6 | 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 Harper Woods
Is Harper Woods a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harper Woods is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #623 of 701 in Michigan. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 17%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Harper Woods?
CDC estimates 40.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 37.1% and 44.4%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Harper Woods?
Henry Ford Health St. John Hospital in Detroit, 1.6 miles in a straight line from Harper Woods’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Harper Woods have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–8.5%), 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 Harper Woods more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Harper Woods.
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.