Photo: ShadZ01 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, St. Joseph is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns
St. Joseph beats Michigan on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. Joseph. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in St. Joseph
Fewer St. Joseph adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Michigan. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
St. Joseph has a top-rated hospital
Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
St. Joseph is an active town
Only 20.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.9% across Michigan. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in St. Joseph
St. Joseph runs below Michigan on COPD (6.3% vs 8.1%), stroke (3% vs 3.7%) and diabetes (9.8% vs 11.9%). Conditions ↓
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 St. Joseph’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
What’s behind St. Joseph’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Joseph is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, #79 of 701 in Michigan. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 86% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 67%.
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). St. Joseph’s median household income is $84,057; among the 10,464 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($63K–$105K), it’s healthier than 92%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8% of St. Joseph adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Care in and near St. Joseph
1 hospital in St. Joseph, 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 St. Joseph; ≈ 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.
2.2 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 St. Joseph adults…
St. Joseph runs below MI on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of St. Joseph adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
How St. Joseph adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, St. Joseph does better than Michigan.
3 in 10 St. Joseph 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.
St. Joseph and the towns around it
St. Joseph has the best Health Grade of the 3 graded towns around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | A− | 33.7% | 9.8% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| St. Joseph Township | B | 37% | 12.6% | 13.3% | ZIP codes |
| Benton Harbor | D− | 56.2% | 23.5% | 28% | CDC place |
| Fair Plain | — | — | — | — | |
| Shoreham | — | — | — | — |
Fair Plain: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Shoreham: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of St. Joseph adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for St. Joseph
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. Joseph is better than Michigan on 17 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside St. Joseph’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | St. Joseph | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.6%12.7–16.7 | 19.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12%10.6–13.6 | 14% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.5%13.7–17.5 | 17.6% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.7%27.9–40.1 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.8%8.5–11.2 | 11.9% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 33.2%29.8–37 | 36.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34%30.2–37.9 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.3%25.3–31.4 | 29.1% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11%9.8–12.4 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.9%8.9–10.8 | 8.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6%5.4–6.8 | 7% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 6.3%5.5–7.3 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.7–3.3 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.3%5.1–7.8 | 10.2% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.7%8.9–12.6 | 14.6% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 20.3%17–23.9 | 24.9% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%14.1–20.1 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.2%29.2–39.5 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4.3–6.2 | 6.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.2%75.8–82.2 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 74.6%71.9–77.4 | 68% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.9%87.2–90.3 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.6%73.7–79.2 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 75.7%71.8–79.4 | 69% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.3%74.7–85.3 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.4%22–29.2 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.3%25.8–35.1 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.1%17–23.3 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.4%7.8–11.3 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8%6.7–9.4 | 11.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.7%4.8–6.7 | 8.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.6%4.8–6.5 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8%6.5–9.7 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.6%23.9–31.4 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.3%9.7–13 | 14% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12%10.5–13.5 | 14.3% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.8%6–7.6 | 7.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.2–4 | 4.9% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.7%5.9–7.6 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 3.8% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 St. Joseph
Is St. Joseph a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Joseph is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #79 of 701 in Michigan. 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 St. Joseph?
CDC estimates 33.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.9% and 40.1%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to St. Joseph?
Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph in St. Joseph, 0.8 miles in a straight line from St. Joseph’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in St. Joseph have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.3–6.2%), 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 St. Joseph more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in St. Joseph.
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.