Thompson Road-Air Line Railroad Bridge · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Howard Township is healthier than 26% of U.S. towns
Howard Township trails Michigan on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49120, 49031, 49112, 49047. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Howard Township
What’s behind Howard Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Howard Township is healthier than 26% of U.S. towns, #548 of 701 in Michigan. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 34% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 22%).
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). Howard Township’s median household income is $79,226; among the 10,787 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($59K–$99K), it’s healthier than 17%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Howard Township adults…
Howard Township runs above MI on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Howard Township is an older town: 25% 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 Howard Township as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Howard Township
No hospital or community health center in Howard 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 Howard 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.
0.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Howard Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
How Howard Township adults are doing
About the same as Michigan on each measure.
1 in 3 Howard 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.
16.2% of Howard Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Howard Township and the towns around it
Howard Township’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Township | C | 38.3% | 13.2% | 16.9% | ZIP codes |
| Niles | C− | 40.5% | 13.1% | 18% | CDC place |
| Jefferson Township | C | 37.2% | 13.6% | 17.3% | ZIP codes |
| Milton Township | C | 38.5% | 13.1% | 16.8% | ZIP 49120 |
| Niles Township | C | 38.3% | 13% | 16.5% | ZIP codes |
| Pokagon Township | C− | 37.5% | 13.4% | 17.4% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Howard Township adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Howard Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Howard Township is better than Michigan on 0 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Howard Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Howard Township | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.7%19.5–24 | 19.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.4–17.6 | 14% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.5%16.7–20.3 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.3%32.5–44.3 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.2%11.7–14.7 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39%35.7–42.4 | 36.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37%33.4–40.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.9%30–35.6 | 29.1% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.9–13.3 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10%9.2–10.7 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%7.4–8.8 | 7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.8%8.9–10.8 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.9–4.4 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.3%11.4–15.5 | 10.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.9%15–18.9 | 14.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 27.9%24.4–31.5 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.3%13–17.9 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.1%32.6–41.8 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.6%6.6–8.8 | 6.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.6%76.7–82.2 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.4%61.7–67 | 68% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87%85.5–88.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.1%75.6–80.3 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.3%65.8–72.7 | 69% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.8%70.3–80.6 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.4%24.2–30.7 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.3%28–36.7 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.1%20.2–26.2 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.3%14.4–18.4 | 15.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.2%10.7–13.7 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.2%8.1–10.3 | 8.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.7%7.7–9.6 | 8.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16.2%14.2–18.2 | 14.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%31.8–39 | 31.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.5%14.8–18.3 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.1%14.5–17.6 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.6%7.8–9.5 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.6%5.2–6.1 | 4.9% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.9%9.1–10.9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%4.1–4.8 | 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 Howard Township
Is Howard Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Howard Township is healthier than 26% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #548 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 Howard Township?
CDC estimates 38.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.5% and 44.3%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Howard Township?
Ascension Borgess Lee Hospital in Dowagiac, 9.2 miles in a straight line from Howard Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Howard Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.6–8.8%), 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 Howard 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 Howard 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.