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≈ C+Health Grade
Health in Porter Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Porter Township is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns

Porter Township trails Michigan on 4 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49061, 49099, 49130, 49095. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out

What stands out about health in Porter Township

Health Grade

What’s behind Porter Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Porter Township is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns, #448 of 701 in Michigan. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 49% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 28%).

C+Self-rated health20.6% · MI 19.4% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.5% · MI 14% · U.S. 13%
C+Mental distress17.6% · MI 17.6% · U.S. 15.9%
B−Obesity36.6% · MI 36.2% · U.S. 32.9%
C+Diabetes13% · MI 11.9% · U.S. 12%
CSmoking16.7% smoke · MI 14.6% · U.S. 11.8%
B−Exercise25.8% · MI 24.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 37%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (701)Healthier than 36%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $60K–$100K (10,772)Healthier than 30%

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). Porter Township’s median household income is $79,681; among the 10,772 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($60K–$100K), it’s healthier than 30%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Porter Township could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 49061,49099,49130,49095,49042), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Porter Township adults…

Porter Township runs above MI on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Porter Township adults have COPD
Michigan: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 8.4–11.2%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Why age matters here

Porter Township is an older town: 28% 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 Porter Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Porter Township28%
Michigan19%
Getting care

Care in and near Porter Township

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

HNearest ERElkhart General HospitalElkhart · 10.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyElkhart General Hospital★★★★★ · 10.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHeart City Health CenterElkhart · 10.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.3 mi
Elkhart General Hospital
Elkhart · ★★★★★
ER
10.9 mi
Heart City Health Center
4 sites · nearest in Elkhart
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
11.8 mi
Lakeland Immediate Care Center
2 sites · nearest in Cassopolis
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
12.1 mi
Three Rivers Health
Three Rivers · ★★★★★
17.8 mi
Goshen Hospital
Goshen · ★★★★★
ER
18.5 mi
Ascension Borgess Lee Hospital
Dowagiac · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Porter Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Porter Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Porter 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 Porter 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan

Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.8%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.3%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 15.5%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 16.7%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Porter Township, betterPorter Township, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Where Porter Township gets moving

9.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%Yearly checkupMI 80%
68%Dentist visitMI 68%
88%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
70%Colon screeningMI 69%
76%MammogramMI 77%
79%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Porter Township 7% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Porter Township adults are doing

About the same as Michigan on each measure.

1 in 3Porter Township adults feel lonely
31.4% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Porter Township adults lack social or emotional support
22.7% · MI 23.1% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Porter Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
27% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 6Porter Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.6% · MI 17.6% · About the same as MI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Porter 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 7
Porter Township adults worry about having enough food
13.8% · MI 15.4%
About the same as MI
1 in 10
Porter Township adults worry about keeping their housing
10.3% · MI 11.9%
About the same as MI
1 in 13
Porter Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.6% · MI 8.7%
About the same as MI
1 in 14
Porter Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.4% · MI 8.3%
About the same as MI

13% of Porter Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Around town

Porter Township and the towns around it

Porter Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 7 graded towns around it.

Mottville Township: 38.4%Mason Township: 36.8%Constantine Township: 39.7%Newberg Township: 36.2%Calvin Township: 37%Washington Township: 43.7%York Township: 41.9%Vistula: no dataWhite Pigeon Township: 38.5%White Pigeon: 38.7%Osolo Township: 44.3%Ontwa Township: 37%Simonton Lake: 44%Florence Township: 39.1%Fabius Township: 38.2%Penn Township: 36.6%Marcellus Township: 36.4%Jefferson Township: 37.2%Jefferson Township: 43.1%Elkhart: 47.3%Porter Township: 36.6%Porter TownshipMottville TownshipMason TownshipConstantine TownshipNewberg TownshipCalvin TownshipWashington TownshipElkhart General Hospital · Elkhart · 10.3 mi · 4★ MedicareHThree Rivers Health · Three Rivers · 12.1 mi · 2★ MedicareHHeart City Health Dental · Elkhart · 10.9 mi+Cassopolis Family Clinic Network · Cassopolis · 11.8 mi+
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#3 of 20 towns on this map, healthiest first
Newberg Township36.2%
Porter Township36.6%
Mason Township36.8%
Calvin Township37%
Mottville Township38.4%
Constantine Township39.7%
Washington Township43.7%
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
Porter TownshipC+36.6%13%16.7%ZIP codes
Mottville TownshipC−38.4%13.2%18.3%ZIP 49099
Mason TownshipC36.8%13.2%17.2%ZIP codes
Constantine TownshipC−39.7%13.1%19.9%ZIP codes
Newberg TownshipC+36.2%12.5%16%ZIP codes
Calvin TownshipC37%14%16.7%ZIP codes

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

33.6%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.7%
Thinking or memory15%
Hearing8.6%
Errands alone9%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Michigan

Every CDC estimate for Porter Township

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Porter Township is better than Michigan on 0 and worse on 4; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Porter Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Porter TownshipMIU.S.vs MI
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.6%17.8–23.819.4%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.5%13.6–17.614%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.6%15.5–19.817.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity36.6%29.2–44.536.2%32.9%About the same
Diabetes13%11.2–14.911.9%12%About the same
High blood pressure39.2%35–43.536.7%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)38.4%34.1–42.735.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis33.4%29.8–37.129.1%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.7%10.3–13.111.5%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.5%9.5–11.58.9%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.2%7.2–9.27%6.4%Worse
COPD9.7%8.4–11.28.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke4%3.6–4.53.7%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)10.9%8.9–13.410.2%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.7%14.1–19.614.6%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work25.8%21.5–30.624.9%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking15.5%12.8–18.515.9%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.3%28.4–41.134.7%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7%5.6–8.56.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year80.4%77–83.480.3%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year68%64.7–71.468%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years88.1%86.4–89.787.4%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)78.9%76–81.677.6%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)69.9%65.4–74.469%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)76.4%69.2–82.976.9%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression27%23.3–30.925.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely31.4%26.1–37.332.4%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.7%19–26.823.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food13.8%11.3–16.515.4%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10.3%8.6–12.211.9%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.6%6.4–8.88.7%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.4%6.4–8.68.3%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)13%10.7–15.514.3%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability33.6%29.3–38.431.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.7%13.5–18.114%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering15%13.1–1714.3%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.6%7.6–9.77.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5%4.4–5.74.9%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone9%7.9–10.38.6%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.1%3.6–4.73.8%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 Porter Township

Is Porter Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Porter Township is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #448 of 701 in Michigan. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 30%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Porter Township?

CDC estimates 36.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.2% and 44.5%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Porter Township?

Elkhart General Hospital in Elkhart, 10.3 miles in a straight line from Porter Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Porter Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.6–8.5%), 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 Porter 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 Porter 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. 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.