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A−Health Grade
Health in Whitewater Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Whitewater Township is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns

Whitewater Township differs from Michigan on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 1 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 49690, 49696. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Whitewater Township

Cancer runs high in Whitewater Township

1 in 8 adults have had cancer (11.8%), vs 8.9% across Michigan. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Michigan 19%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Whitewater Township keeps up with checkups

It beats Michigan on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (75.7% vs 68%) and cholesterol checks (90.8% vs 87.4%). Checkups ↓

Fewer Whitewater Township adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Michigan. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓

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 Whitewater Township’s likely range; Whitewater Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 49690, 49696, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Whitewater Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Whitewater Township is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns, #92 of 701 in Michigan. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 85% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 67%.

A−Self-rated health15.2% · MI 19.4% · U.S. 19.4%
B+Physical distress12.6% · MI 14% · U.S. 13%
A−Mental distress14.6% · MI 17.6% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.7% · MI 36.2% · U.S. 32.9%
B+Diabetes10.7% · MI 11.9% · U.S. 12%
A−Smoking11% smoke · MI 14.6% · U.S. 11.8%
A−Exercise20.4% · MI 24.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 82%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (701)Healthier than 87%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $70K–$117K (9,441)Healthier than 83%

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). Whitewater Township’s median household income is $93,958; among the 9,441 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($70K–$117K), it’s healthier than 83%, about where its income would put it.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Whitewater Township could be anywhere from B− to A+. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 49690,49696), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Whitewater Township adults…

Whitewater Township runs below MI on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.

12 of every 100 Whitewater Township adults have had cancer
Michigan: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 10.7–12.9%
Better than MIWorseAbout the sameMichigan
Why age matters here

Whitewater Township is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Michigan. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Whitewater Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Whitewater Township32%
Michigan19%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%Yearly checkupMI 80%
76%Dentist visitMI 68%
91%Cholesterol checkMI 87%
78%Colon screeningMI 69%
79%MammogramMI 77%
80%Taking BP medsMI 78%
1 in 23
working-age adults has no health insurance
Whitewater Township 4.4% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
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 12
Whitewater Township adults worry about having enough food
8.1% · MI 15.4%
Better than MI
1 in 15
Whitewater Township adults worry about keeping their housing
6.8% · MI 11.9%
Better than MI
1 in 20
Whitewater Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.9% · MI 8.7%
Better than MI
1 in 20
Whitewater Township adults lack reliable transportation
4.9% · MI 8.3%
Better than MI

6.9% of Whitewater Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Getting care

Care in and near Whitewater Township

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

HNearest ERKalkaska Memorial Health CenterKalkaska · 10.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMunson Medical Center★★★★★ · 12.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careTraverse Health Clinic and CoalitionTraverse City · 10.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.1 mi
Traverse Health Clinic and Coalition
Traverse City · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
10.5 mi
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
Kalkaska · not rated
ERRural critical access
12.3 mi
Munson Medical Center
Traverse City · ★★★★★
ER
12.5 mi
Northwest Michigan Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Traverse City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
34.2 mi
Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital
Grayling · ★★★★★
ER
35.6 mi
Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital
Cadillac · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careWhitewater Township is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careWhitewater Township is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthWhitewater Township is not a shortage area

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 Whitewater Township; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan

Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.

Get no exercise 20.4%MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.3%MI 34.7%
Binge drink 16.2%MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettes 11%MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Whitewater Township, betterWhitewater Township, worseAbout the sameMichigan
Where Whitewater Township gets moving

145 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Whitewater Township adults are doing

On 2 of 4 measures, Whitewater Township does better than Michigan.

3 in 10Whitewater Township adults feel lonely
29.4% · MI 32.4% · About the same as MI
1 in 5Whitewater Township adults lack social or emotional support
19% · MI 23.1% · Better than MI
1 in 4Whitewater Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.1% · MI 25.7% · About the same as MI
1 in 7Whitewater Township adults are in frequent mental distress
14.6% · MI 17.6% · Better than MI
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Whitewater 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.

Around town

Whitewater Township and the towns around it

Whitewater Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 graded towns around it.

Milton Township: 35.8%Acme Township: 33.5%Union Township: 36.3%East Bay Township: 34.8%Kalkaska Township: 38%Clearwater Township: 36.3%Helena Township: 35.6%Elk Rapids Township: 33.3%Rapid City: 36.9%Forest Home Township: 35.7%Torch Lake Township: 34.9%Boardman Township: 39.7%Fife Lake Township: 38.3%Traverse City: 35.1%Blair Township: 36.1%Paradise Township: 37.8%Garfield Township: 34.9%Excelsior Township: 38.6%Orange Township: 38.9%Rapid River Township: 37.7%Whitewater Township: 33.7%Whitewater TownshipMilton TownshipAcme TownshipUnion TownshipEast Bay TownshipKalkaska TownshipClearwater TownshipKalkaska Memorial Health Center · Kalkaska · 10.5 miHMunson Medical Center · Traverse City · 12.3 mi · 4★ MedicareHTraverse Health Clinic and Coalition · Traverse City · 10.1 mi+Northwest Michigan Health Services · Traverse City · 12.5 mi+
Healthier than MINear MILess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#3 of 21 towns on this map, healthiest first
Acme Township33.5%
Whitewater Township33.7%
East Bay Township34.8%
Milton Township35.8%
Union Township36.3%
Clearwater Township36.3%
Kalkaska Township38%
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
Whitewater TownshipA−33.7%10.7%11%ZIP codes
Milton TownshipB35.8%12.7%12.8%ZIP codes
Acme TownshipA−33.5%10.9%10.7%ZIP codes
Union Township————
East Bay TownshipA−34.8%10.1%12.3%ZIP codes
Kalkaska TownshipC38%13.2%17.1%ZIP codes
Clearwater TownshipB36.3%12.6%14%ZIP codes

Union Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

28.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs12.1%
Thinking or memory11.2%
Hearing7.7%
Errands alone6.5%
Vision3.5%
Dressing or bathing2.9%
Michigan

Every CDC estimate for Whitewater Township

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Whitewater Township is better than Michigan on 16 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Michigan figure falls inside Whitewater Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Whitewater TownshipMIU.S.vs MI
Overall health
Fair or poor health15.2%13.1–17.619.4%19.4%Better
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)12.6%11–14.214%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)14.6%12.9–16.517.6%15.9%Better
Conditions
Obesity33.7%27.6–40.336.2%32.9%About the same
Diabetes10.7%9.2–12.211.9%12%About the same
High blood pressure36.3%32.5–40.236.7%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)37.5%33.4–41.635.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis31.6%28.3–3529.1%25.3%About the same
Asthma10.7%9.5–1211.5%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer11.8%10.7–12.98.9%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease7%6.2–7.97%6.4%About the same
COPD6.9%6–88.1%6.3%Better
Stroke3.3%2.9–3.73.7%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)6.6%5.4–7.910.2%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes11%9.2–13.114.6%11.8%Better
No exercise outside work20.4%17–24.224.9%24.7%Better
Binge drinking16.2%13.5–19.115.9%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours29.3%24.6–34.534.7%36%Better
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)4.4%3.6–5.36.9%11%Better
Checkup in the past year82.2%79.4–84.980.3%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year75.7%73.1–78.468%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years90.8%89.4–91.987.4%87.1%Better
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80.1%77.2–82.777.6%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)77.6%73.9–8169%65.5%Better
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)78.7%72.3–84.376.9%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression24.1%20.9–27.625.7%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely29.4%25.3–35.132.4%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support19%16.3–22.823.1%23.6%Better
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food8.1%6.7–9.815.4%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing6.8%5.7–8.211.9%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off4.9%4.2–5.88.7%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation4.9%4.3–5.78.3%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)6.9%5.6–8.414.3%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability28.4%24.7–32.231.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs12.1%10.4–1414%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering11.2%9.8–12.814.3%13.9%Lower
Hearing difficulty7.7%6.9–8.77.3%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty3.5%3.1–44.9%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone6.5%5.6–7.48.6%7.9%Lower
Difficulty dressing or bathing2.9%2.5–3.33.8%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 Whitewater Township

Is Whitewater Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Whitewater Township is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #92 of 701 in Michigan. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Whitewater Township?

CDC estimates 33.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.6% and 40.3%, against 36.2% across Michigan and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Whitewater Township?

Kalkaska Memorial Health Center in Kalkaska, 10.5 miles in a straight line from Whitewater Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.

How many people in Whitewater Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 4.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.6–5.3%), 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 Whitewater Township 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 Whitewater 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.