On CDC estimates, Watertown Township is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns
Watertown Township trails Michigan on 6 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 48471, 48419, 48401. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Watertown Township
COPD and heart disease run high in Watertown Township
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.1%), vs 8.1% across Michigan. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.1%), vs 7% across Michigan. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and COPD and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Watertown Township
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (17.8%), vs 14.6% across Michigan. Habits ↓
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 Watertown Township’s likely range; Watertown Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 48471, 48419, 48401, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Watertown Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Watertown Township is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 39% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 22%).
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). Watertown Township’s median household income is $72,750; among the 10,711 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$91K), it’s healthier than 20%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Watertown Township adults…
Watertown Township runs above MI on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Watertown 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 Watertown Township as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan
Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.
11 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Care in and near Watertown Township
No hospital or community health center in Watertown Township itself. These are the nearest.
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 Watertown 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Watertown Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
How Watertown Township adults are doing
About the same as Michigan on each measure.
1 in 3 Watertown Township 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14.7% of Watertown Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Watertown Township and the towns around it
Watertown Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown Township | C− | 39.7% | 12.8% | 17.8% | ZIP codes |
| Sandusky | C | 39.2% | 12.1% | 17.1% | CDC place |
| Washington Township | C− | 39.9% | 13.6% | 17.6% | ZIP codes |
| Elmer Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Custer Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Elk Township | C− | 40.2% | 12.9% | 19% | ZIP codes |
Elmer Township and Custer 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 Watertown Township adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Watertown Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Watertown Township is better than Michigan on 0 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Watertown Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Watertown Township | MI | U.S. | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.3%18.4–24.3 | 19.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.8%14–17.8 | 14% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.5%16.4–20.7 | 17.6% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.7%31.6–47.9 | 36.2% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.8%11.1–14.6 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.1%35–43.3 | 36.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.6%33.3–41.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.9%29.5–36.5 | 29.1% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.4–13.1 | 11.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.2%9.2–11.2 | 8.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.1%7.2–9.1 | 7% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.1%8.8–11.5 | 8.1% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.6 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.4%11.7–17.5 | 10.2% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.8%15.2–20.5 | 14.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 29.4%24.8–34.3 | 24.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%13.3–19.2 | 15.9% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%26–38.8 | 34.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%6–8.8 | 6.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80%76.6–83.1 | 80.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65%61.6–68.6 | 68% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.9%85.1–88.5 | 87.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.4%75.6–81 | 77.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.1%63.3–72.8 | 69% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.7%68.1–82.6 | 76.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.1%24.3–32 | 25.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.6%27.3–38 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.2%19.7–27 | 23.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 15.1%12.6–17.8 | 15.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.1%9.3–13 | 11.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.2%7–9.4 | 8.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8%6.9–9.1 | 8.3% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14.7%12.3–17.3 | 14.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%31–40.1 | 31.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.4%14.2–18.8 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16%14–18 | 14.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.9–9.9 | 7.3% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.8–5.9 | 4.9% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.5–11 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.8–4.7 | 3.8% | 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 Watertown Township
Is Watertown Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Watertown Township is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 20%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Watertown Township?
CDC estimates 39.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.6% and 47.9%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Watertown Township?
Mckenzie Health System in Sandusky, 4.0 miles in a straight line from Watertown Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Watertown Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6–8.8%), 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 Watertown 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 Watertown Township.
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.