Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, New Buffalo is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
New Buffalo differs from Michigan on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 11 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for New Buffalo. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in New Buffalo
New Buffalo is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, New Buffalo is healthier than 71%. Against the 9,880 towns with similar household incomes ($49K–$81K), it’s healthier than 92%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer and arthritis run high in New Buffalo
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (11.9%), vs 8.9% across Michigan. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (33.8%), vs 29.1% across Michigan. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
New Buffalo keeps up with checkups
It beats Michigan on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (71.1% vs 68%) and cholesterol checks (90.9% vs 87.4%). Checkups ↓
Fewer New Buffalo adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Michigan. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 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 New Buffalo’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind New Buffalo’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, New Buffalo is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 86% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 48%).
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). New Buffalo’s median household income is $64,702; among the 9,880 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$81K), it’s healthier than 92%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 New Buffalo adults…
New Buffalo runs above MI on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
New Buffalo is an older town: 33% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Michigan. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in New Buffalo as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of New Buffalo 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.
8.6% of New Buffalo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Care in and near New Buffalo
No hospital or community health center in New Buffalo 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 New Buffalo; ≈ 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.
4 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves
How New Buffalo adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, New Buffalo does better than Michigan.
3 in 10 New Buffalo 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.
New Buffalo and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Buffalo | B+ | 35.4% | 12.2% | 11.5% | CDC place |
| New Buffalo Township | B | 36.1% | 13.5% | 12.1% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of New Buffalo adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for New Buffalo
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, New Buffalo is better than Michigan on 11 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside New Buffalo’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | New Buffalo | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.7%14.1–20.1 | 19.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.7%11.8–15.9 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.5–16.5 | 17.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.4%29.2–41.9 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.2%10.5–14.2 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.8%34.7–42.9 | 36.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.5%34.4–42.6 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.8%30.4–37.5 | 29.1% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%9.8–12.4 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.9%10.7–13.1 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.6–8.7 | 7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8%6.6–9.8 | 8.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.2–4.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.5%8.6–12.7 | 10.2% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.5%9.1–14.4 | 14.6% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 22.2%18.3–26.9 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.8%12.3–17.8 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.6%28.7–39.1 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4.1–6.5 | 6.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.8%78.8–84.6 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.1%68.3–74 | 68% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.9%89.4–92.1 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.5%77.5–83.2 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 75.1%71.2–78.9 | 69% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.3%73.4–84.6 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.6%21.2–28.2 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.2%23.7–33.1 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.8%15.5–22.4 | 23.1% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.6%7.5–12.2 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.5%6–9.2 | 11.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.6%4.6–6.7 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.4%4.5–6.5 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.6%6.5–11 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30%25.8–34.9 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.9%11.7–16.8 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.7%9.9–13.8 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.1–9.3 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.5–4.9 | 4.9% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.2%6.1–8.6 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%2.9–4.1 | 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 New Buffalo
Is New Buffalo a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, New Buffalo is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 92%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in New Buffalo?
CDC estimates 35.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.2% and 41.9%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to New Buffalo?
Franciscan Health Michigan City in Michigan City, 9.6 miles in a straight line from New Buffalo’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in New Buffalo have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.1–6.5%), 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 New Buffalo more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in New Buffalo.
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.