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≈ CHealth Grade
Health in Tawas Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Tawas Township is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns

Tawas Township differs from Michigan on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 10 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 48763. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Tawas Township

Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Tawas Township

1 in 10 adults have heart disease (10.1%), vs 7% across Michigan. 1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.7%), vs 8.9% across Michigan. COPD is also above the state: 11.4%, vs 8.1% across Michigan. In all, Tawas Township runs above Michigan on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Tawas Township, and more people treating it

44.2% of adults have high blood pressure (Michigan 36.7%), but 82.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.6% statewide. Checkups ↓

Tawas Township is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Tawas Township is healthier than 28%. Against the 8,782 towns with similar household incomes ($45K–$74K), it’s healthier than 45%. 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 Tawas Township’s likely range; Tawas Township’s figures come from ZIP code 48763, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.

Health Grade

What’s behind Tawas Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tawas Township is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 56% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 13%).

CSelf-rated health22.1% · MI 19.4% · U.S. 19.4%
DPhysical distress16.9% · MI 14% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.7% · MI 17.6% · U.S. 15.9%
C+Obesity37.2% · MI 36.2% · U.S. 32.9%
C−Diabetes14.6% · MI 11.9% · U.S. 12%
CSmoking16.5% smoke · MI 14.6% · U.S. 11.8%
CExercise28.5% · MI 24.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 28%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $45K–$74K (8,782)Healthier than 45%

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). Tawas Township’s median household income is $59,531; among the 8,782 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($45K–$74K), it’s healthier than 45%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

Where Tawas Township compares well: cholesterol check in 5 years, 89.5% (U.S. 87.1%); taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82.2% (U.S. 76.5%); worried about keeping housing, 9.5% (U.S. 12%).

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Tawas Township could be anywhere from D to B. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 48763), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Tawas Township adults…

Tawas Township runs above MI on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Tawas Township adults have heart disease
Michigan: 7 in 100 · worse · likely 9.1–11.1%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Why age matters here

Tawas Township is an older town: 26% 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 Tawas Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Tawas Township26%
Michigan19%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

83%Yearly checkupMI 80%
67%Dentist visitMI 68%
90%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
73%Colon screeningMI 69%
77%MammogramMI 77%
82%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Tawas Township 6.6% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Getting care

Care in and near Tawas Township

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

HNearest ERTawas St. Joseph HospitalTawas City · ≈3.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyTawas St. Joseph Hospital★★★★★ · 3.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSterling Area Health CenterHale · 12.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
≈3.8 mi
Tawas St. Joseph Hospital
Tawas City · ★★★★★
ER
12.3 mi
Sterling Area Health Center
5 sites · nearest in Hale
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14 mi
Alcona Citizens for Health
3 sites · nearest in Oscoda
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
28.2 mi
Saint Mary's Standish Community Hospital
Standish · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
31.9 mi
Mymichigan Medical Center West Branch
West Branch · ★★★★★
ER
35.1 mi
Scheurer Hospital
Pigeon · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Tawas Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Tawas Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Tawas 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 Tawas 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 28.5%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.7%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 13.6%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 16.5%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Tawas Township, betterTawas Township, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Where Tawas Township gets moving

11 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Tawas Township adults are doing

About the same as Michigan on each measure.

3 in 10Tawas Township adults feel lonely
30.3% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 5Tawas Township adults lack social or emotional support
21.4% · MI 23.1% · About the same as MI
1 in 4Tawas Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.6% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 6Tawas Township adults are in frequent mental distress
16.7% · MI 17.6% · About the same as MI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Tawas 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
Tawas Township adults worry about having enough food
13.6% · MI 15.4%
About the same as MI
1 in 11
Tawas Township adults worry about keeping their housing
9.5% · MI 11.9%
Better than MI
1 in 14
Tawas Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.1% · MI 8.7%
Better than MI
1 in 14
Tawas Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.2% · MI 8.3%
Better than MI

13.4% of Tawas Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Around town

Tawas Township and the towns around it

Tawas Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 graded towns around it.

Tawas City: 37.2%Baldwin Township: 37%Alabaster Township: 37.2%Grant Township: 38.1%Wilber Township: 37.6%Sand Lake: 38.5%Sherman Township: 37.8%East Tawas: 37.2%Au Sable Township: 39.6%Whitney Township: 37.4%Reno Township: 40%Plainfield Township: 39.5%Oscoda Township: 40.4%Burleigh Township: 39.8%Turner Township: 37.6%Tawas Township: 37.2%Tawas TownshipTawas CityBaldwin TownshipAlabaster TownshipGrant TownshipWilber TownshipSand LakeSherman TownshipTawas St. Joseph Hospital · Tawas City · 3.8 mi · 3★ MedicareHHale Clinic- Sterling Area Health Center · Hale · 12.3 mi+Ahc Oscoda Area High School SBHC · Oscoda · 14 mi+
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#2 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Baldwin Township37%
Tawas Township37.2%
Tawas City37.2%
Alabaster Township37.2%
Wilber Township37.6%
Sherman Township37.8%
Grant Township38.1%
Sand Lake38.5%
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
Tawas TownshipC37.2%14.6%16.5%ZIP 48763
Baldwin TownshipC37%14.9%16%ZIP codes
Tawas CityC37.2%14%16.7%CDC place
Alabaster Township————
Grant TownshipC−38.1%15.6%17.7%ZIP codes
Wilber Township————
Sand Lake————
Sherman Township————

Alabaster Township, Wilber Township and Sherman Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Sand Lake: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

37%

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

Walking or climbing stairs19%
Thinking or memory14.8%
Hearing10.7%
Errands alone9.9%
Vision5.7%
Dressing or bathing4.6%
Michigan

Every CDC estimate for Tawas Township

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Tawas Township is better than Michigan on 5 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Tawas Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Tawas TownshipMIU.S.vs MI
Overall health
Fair or poor health22.1%19.4–24.819.4%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)16.9%15–18.814%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.7%14.8–18.517.6%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity37.2%29.7–44.936.2%32.9%About the same
Diabetes14.6%12.7–16.411.9%12%Worse
High blood pressure44.2%39.9–48.236.7%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)41.5%37.1–45.735.4%37.1%Worse
Arthritis37.7%34.1–41.229.1%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.6%10.3–12.911.5%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer12.7%11.6–13.88.9%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease10.1%9.1–11.17%6.4%Worse
COPD11.4%10.1–12.78.1%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.9%4.5–5.33.7%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)12.5%10.3–1510.2%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.5%14.2–18.814.6%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work28.5%24.2–32.924.9%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking13.6%11.2–16.315.9%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours31.7%26–37.834.7%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 year82.7%79.7–85.480.3%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year67.4%64–70.768%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years89.5%88–90.887.4%87.1%Better
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)82.2%79.5–84.377.6%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)73.3%68.8–77.469%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)77.1%70.2–82.776.9%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26.6%22.9–30.225.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30.3%25.6–35.432.4%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support21.4%18.2–24.723.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food13.6%11.6–15.715.4%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing9.5%8.1–1111.9%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.1%6.1–8.18.7%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation7.2%6.3–8.18.3%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)13.4%11.5–15.414.3%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability37%32.7–41.331.1%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs19%16.7–21.414%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.8%13.1–16.414.3%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty10.7%9.5–11.87.3%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.7%5.1–6.34.9%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9.9%8.8–118.6%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.6%4.2–5.13.8%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 Tawas Township

Is Tawas Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tawas Township is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 45%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Tawas Township?

CDC estimates 37.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.7% and 44.9%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Tawas Township?

Tawas St. Joseph Hospital in Tawas City, 3.8 miles in a straight line from Tawas Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Tawas 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 Tawas 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 Tawas 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.