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–Not graded
Health in Merrill Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Merrill Township residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Merrill Township, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49312, 49309, 49349, 49421. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Merrill Township

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Merrill Township

1 in 8 adults have COPD (12.6%), vs 8.1% across Michigan. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (10.5%), vs 7% across Michigan. Stroke is also above the state: 5.2%, vs 3.7% across Michigan. In all, Merrill Township runs above Michigan on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Merrill Township

1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (20%), vs 14.6% across Michigan. Habits ↓

More Merrill Township adults get no exercise

3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.3%), vs 24.9% across Michigan. There are 81 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve 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 Merrill Township’s likely range; Merrill Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 49312, 49309, 49349, 49421, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Merrill Township adults…

Merrill Township runs above MI on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

13 of every 100 Merrill Township adults have COPD
Michigan: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 10.7–14.7%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Why age matters here

Merrill Township is an older town: 27% 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 Merrill Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Merrill Township27%
Michigan19%
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan

Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.

Get no exercise 30.3%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 33.6%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 15%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 20%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Merrill Township, betterMerrill Township, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Where Merrill Township gets moving

81 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Merrill Township

No hospital or community health center in Merrill Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERCorewell Health Gerber HospitalFremont · 15.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCorewell Health Gerber Hospital★★★★★ · 15.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBaldwin Family Health CareWhite Cloud · 10.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.4 mi
Baldwin Family Health Care
7 sites · nearest in White Cloud
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
15.5 mi
Corewell Health Gerber Hospital
Fremont · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
20 mi
Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital
Big Rapids · ★★★★★
ER
22.2 mi
Corewell Health Reed City Hospital
Reed City · not rated
ERRural critical access
25 mi
Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus
Shelby · not rated
ERRural critical access
25.1 mi
Northwest Michigan Health Services
Shelby · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Merrill Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Merrill Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Merrill Township 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 Merrill 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%Yearly checkupMI 80%
63%Dentist visitMI 68%
88%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
71%Colon screeningMI 69%
72%MammogramMI 77%
81%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Merrill Township 7.7% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Merrill Township adults are doing

About the same as Michigan on each measure.

1 in 3Merrill Township adults feel lonely
31% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Merrill Township adults lack social or emotional support
22.9% · MI 23.1% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Merrill Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.9% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 5Merrill Township adults are in frequent mental distress
18.3% · MI 17.6% · About the same as MI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Merrill Township 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 6
Merrill Township adults worry about having enough food
17.8% · MI 15.4%
About the same as MI
1 in 8
Merrill Township adults worry about keeping their housing
12.1% · MI 11.9%
About the same as MI
1 in 11
Merrill Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
9.4% · MI 8.7%
About the same as MI
1 in 11
Merrill Township adults lack reliable transportation
9.3% · MI 8.3%
About the same as MI

18.5% of Merrill Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Around town

Merrill Township and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Lincoln Township: 40.1%Lilley Township: 39.8%Monroe Township: 39.3%Beaver Township: 40.4%Sherman Township: 37.3%Denver Township: 40.3%Wilcox Township: 40.1%Home Township: 39.5%Pleasant Plains Township: 42.6%Troy Township: 40%Norwich Township: 36.8%Leavitt Township: 42%Merrill Township: 39.4%Merrill TownshipLincoln TownshipLilley TownshipMonroe TownshipBeaver TownshipFamily Health Care - White Cloud · White Cloud · 10.4 mi+
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#4 of 13 towns on this map, healthiest first
Monroe Township39.3%
Merrill Township39.4%
Lilley Township39.8%
Lincoln Township40.1%
Beaver Township40.4%
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
Lincoln TownshipD40.1%14.7%21.7%ZIP 49349
Lilley Township————
Monroe Township————
Beaver Township————

Lilley Township, Monroe Township and Beaver Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

38.7%

of Merrill Township adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs19.9%
Thinking or memory16.7%
Hearing10.6%
Errands alone11.1%
Vision6.7%
Dressing or bathing5.5%
Michigan

Questions about health in Merrill Township

Why doesn’t Merrill Township have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Merrill Township.

What hospital is closest to Merrill Township?

Corewell Health Gerber Hospital in Fremont, 15.5 miles in a straight line from Merrill Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Merrill Township.

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. 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.