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≈ C+Health Grade
Health in Rapid River Township · CDC PLACES 2025

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

Rapid River Township differs from Michigan on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 6 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49659, 49646, 49612, 49676. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out

What stands out about health in Rapid River Township

Health Grade

What’s behind Rapid River Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rapid River Township is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 51% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 27%).

C+Self-rated health20.5% · MI 19.4% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.6% · MI 14% · U.S. 13%
C+Mental distress17.4% · MI 17.6% · U.S. 15.9%
C+Obesity37.7% · MI 36.2% · U.S. 32.9%
CDiabetes13.1% · MI 11.9% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking16.3% smoke · MI 14.6% · U.S. 11.8%
B−Exercise25.5% · MI 24.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 37%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $54K–$90K (10,699)Healthier than 39%

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). Rapid River Township’s median household income is $72,273; among the 10,699 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($54K–$90K), it’s healthier than 39%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

Where Rapid River Township compares well: worried about keeping housing, 10% (U.S. 12%).

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Rapid River Township could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 49659,49646,49612,49676), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Rapid River Township adults…

Rapid River Township runs above MI on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

11 of every 100 Rapid River Township adults have had cancer
Michigan: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 10.2–12.1%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Getting care

Care in and near Rapid River Township

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

HNearest ERKalkaska Memorial Health CenterKalkaska · 5.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careEast Jordan Family Health CenterBellaire · 10.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.5 mi
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
Kalkaska · not rated
ERRural critical access
10.3 mi
East Jordan Family Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Bellaire
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
22.3 mi
Traverse Health Clinic and Coalition
Traverse City · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
24.2 mi
Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital
Grayling · ★★★★★
ER
24.2 mi
Munson Medical Center
Traverse City · ★★★★★
ER
28 mi
Munson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital
Gaylord · ★★★★★
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Rapid River Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Rapid River Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Rapid River 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 Rapid River 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 25.5%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 33.3%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 15.4%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 16.3%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Rapid River Township, betterRapid River Township, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Where Rapid River Township gets moving

76 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%Yearly checkupMI 80%
67%Dentist visitMI 68%
88%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
71%Colon screeningMI 69%
75%MammogramMI 77%
80%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Rapid River Township 6.6% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Rapid River Township adults are doing

About the same as Michigan on each measure.

1 in 3Rapid River Township adults feel lonely
30.9% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 5Rapid River Township adults lack social or emotional support
22% · MI 23.1% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Rapid River Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.7% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 6Rapid River Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.4% · MI 17.6% · About the same as MI
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Rapid River 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
Rapid River Township adults worry about having enough food
13.5% · MI 15.4%
About the same as MI
1 in 10
Rapid River Township adults worry about keeping their housing
10% · MI 11.9%
Better than MI
1 in 13
Rapid River Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.5% · MI 8.7%
Better than MI
1 in 14
Rapid River Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.3% · MI 8.3%
About the same as MI

13.2% of Rapid River Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Around town

Rapid River Township and the towns around it

Rapid River Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 graded towns around it.

Coldsprings Township: 38.6%Custer Township: 37.6%Clearwater Township: 36.3%Kalkaska Township: 38%Blue Lake Township: 38.6%Excelsior Township: 38.6%Mancelona Township: 38.6%Helena Township: 35.6%Forest Home Township: 35.7%Kearney Township: 36.1%Milton Township: 35.8%Rapid City: 36.9%Whitewater Township: 33.7%Boardman Township: 39.7%Orange Township: 38.9%Rapid River Township: 37.7%Rapid River TownshipColdsprings TownshipCuster TownshipClearwater TownshipKalkaska TownshipKalkaska Memorial Health Center · Kalkaska · 5.5 miHBellaire Family Health Center · Bellaire · 10.3 mi+
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Clearwater Township36.3%
Custer Township37.6%
Rapid River Township37.7%
Kalkaska Township38%
Coldsprings Township38.6%
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
Rapid River TownshipC+37.7%13.1%16.3%ZIP codes
Coldsprings TownshipC38.6%13%17.7%ZIP codes
Clearwater TownshipB36.3%12.6%14%ZIP codes
Custer TownshipC+37.6%13%15.8%ZIP codes
Kalkaska TownshipC38%13.2%17.1%ZIP codes

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

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

33.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.1%
Thinking or memory14.8%
Hearing9.2%
Errands alone9.1%
Vision5.1%
Dressing or bathing4.2%
Michigan

Every CDC estimate for Rapid River Township

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Rapid River Township is better than Michigan on 2 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Rapid River Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Rapid River TownshipMIU.S.vs MI
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.5%18–23.119.4%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.6%13.9–17.314%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.4%15.7–19.217.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity37.7%30.7–44.736.2%32.9%About the same
Diabetes13.1%11.5–14.711.9%12%About the same
High blood pressure40.1%36.3–43.836.7%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)38.8%34.9–42.635.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis34.5%31.3–37.729.1%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.5%10.4–12.711.5%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer11.1%10.2–12.18.9%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.5%7.7–9.47%6.4%Worse
COPD9.9%8.8–11.18.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.1%3.8–4.53.7%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)12.3%10.3–14.710.2%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.3%14.2–18.714.6%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work25.5%21.7–29.524.9%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking15.4%13–1815.9%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.3%27.8–39.334.7%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.6%5.5–7.86.9%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year81%78.1–83.680.3%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year66.5%63.4–69.668%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years88.2%86.7–89.587.4%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)79.6%77.1–81.977.6%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)71%67–74.969%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)75.4%68.8–81.276.9%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26.7%23.4–30.125.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30.9%26.5–35.732.4%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22%18.9–25.323.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food13.5%11.5–15.815.4%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10%8.5–11.511.9%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.5%6.5–8.58.7%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation7.3%6.5–8.48.3%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)13.2%11.2–15.314.3%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability33.8%29.9–37.731.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs16.1%14.2–18.214%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.8%13.2–16.514.3%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty9.2%8.2–10.17.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.1%4.6–5.74.9%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone9.1%8.1–10.28.6%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.2%3.8–4.63.8%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 Rapid River Township

Is Rapid River Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Rapid River Township is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 39%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Rapid River Township?

CDC estimates 37.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.7% and 44.7%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Rapid River Township?

Kalkaska Memorial Health Center in Kalkaska, 5.5 miles in a straight line from Rapid River Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Rapid River Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–7.8%), 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 Rapid River 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 Rapid River 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.