Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Sault Ste. Marie is healthier than 57%
Sault Ste. Marie trails Michigan on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Sault Ste. Marie. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sault Ste. Marie
Making ends meet is harder in Sault Ste. Marie
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (18.7%), vs 15.4% across Michigan. No reliable transportation (10.8% vs 8.3%) is higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Smoking is more common in Sault Ste. Marie
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.7%), vs 14.6% across Michigan. Habits ↓
Sault Ste. Marie is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Sault Ste. Marie is healthier than 31%. Against the 7,513 towns with similar household incomes ($41K–$69K), it’s healthier than 57%. Health Grade ↓
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 Sault Ste. Marie’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Sault Ste. Marie’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sault Ste. Marie is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns, #487 of 701 in Michigan. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 59% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 5%).
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). Sault Ste. Marie’s median household income is $55,328; among the 7,513 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($41K–$69K), it’s healthier than 57%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
17.9% of Sault Ste. Marie adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan
Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.
11 miles of trails across 27 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Sault Ste. Marie adults…
Sault Ste. Marie runs above MI on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Sault Ste. Marie
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Sault Ste. Marie, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Sault Ste. Marie; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Sault Ste. Marie adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
How Sault Ste. Marie adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Sault Ste. Marie runs above Michigan.
1 in 3 Sault Ste. Marie 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.
Sault Ste. Marie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Ste. Marie | C | 35% | 11.9% | 17.7% | CDC place |
| Soo Township | C+ | 34.1% | 13.5% | 15.9% | ZIP codes |
| Sugar Island Township | — | — | — | — |
Sugar Island Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Sault Ste. Marie adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sault Ste. Marie
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sault Ste. Marie is better than Michigan on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Sault Ste. Marie’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sault Ste. Marie | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.5%18.9–24.5 | 19.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.8%14.1–17.8 | 14% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.9%18.6–23.4 | 17.6% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35%27.9–42.7 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10.4–13.6 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36%32.2–40 | 36.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.2%30.4–38.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.4%26.3–32.6 | 29.1% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 12.9%11.5–14.5 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.3%7.5–9.1 | 8.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.3%6.6–8.1 | 7% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 9.1%8.1–10.2 | 8.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.6%11.2–16.3 | 10.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.7%15.3–20.3 | 14.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26.4%22.2–31 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.7%13.7–20 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.5%28.4–41.2 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.2%6–8.7 | 6.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.7%75.1–82 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63%59.5–66.6 | 68% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.8%81.5–85.8 | 87.4% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.2%72.6–77.7 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.4%63.6–73 | 69% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%66.9–81.5 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 29.3%25.5–33.5 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35%29.8–40.4 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.8%20.2–27.5 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.7%16.1–21.7 | 15.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.7%11.7–15.7 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.4%9–11.8 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.8%9.5–12.2 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 17.9%15.5–20.6 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36%31.7–40.6 | 31.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.6%13.7–17.6 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.9%15.8–20.2 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.5–9.3 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.4–6.5 | 4.9% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.6%9.4–11.9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.9–4.7 | 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 Sault Ste. Marie
Is Sault Ste. Marie a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sault Ste. Marie is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #487 of 701 in Michigan. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sault Ste. Marie?
CDC estimates 35% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.9% and 42.7%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sault Ste. Marie?
Chippewa County War Memorial Hospital in Sault Ste Marie, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Sault Ste. Marie’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sault Ste. Marie have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6–8.7%), 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 Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie.
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.