On CDC estimates, Northwoods is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns
Northwoods differs from Missouri on 29 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 21 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Northwoods. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Northwoods
Stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure run high in Northwoods
1 in 13 adults have had a stroke (7.7%), about twice the Missouri rate. 1 in 4 adults have diabetes (23.7%), about twice the Missouri rate. High blood pressure is also above the state: 55.7%, vs 36.5% across Missouri. In all, Northwoods runs above Missouri on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (Missouri 18%), and stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Northwoods
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (34.1%), more than twice the Missouri rate. Utility shut-off threats (23% vs 9%) and housing insecurity (27.9% vs 12.1%) are higher too. 33.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 10.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Northwoods adults get no exercise
44.1% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 28.8% across Missouri. 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 Missouri figure falls outside Northwoods’ likely range.
What’s behind Northwoods’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Northwoods is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns, #232 of 247 in Missouri. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 19% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (near the bottom of U.S. towns).
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). Northwoods’ median household income is $45,330; among the 4,133 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 8%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Northwoods compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.7% (U.S. 7.9%); binge drinking, 9.6% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 84.7% (U.S. 77.4%).
Out of every 100 Northwoods adults…
Northwoods runs below MO on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Northwoods is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Missouri. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Northwoods as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
33.8% of Northwoods adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 10.8% across Missouri.
Everyday habits, side by side with Missouri
Share of adults, with the Missouri figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Northwoods
No hospital or community health center in Northwoods 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 Northwoods; ≈ 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 Northwoods adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Missouri.
How Northwoods adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Northwoods runs above Missouri.
2 in 5 Northwoods 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.
Northwoods and the towns around it
Northwoods 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwoods | D− | 45.1% | 23.7% | 21.2% | CDC place |
| Jennings | D− | 48.5% | 24.1% | 26.8% | CDC place |
| Pine Lawn | D− | 53.1% | 29.5% | 34.3% | CDC place |
| Beverly Hills | — | — | — | — | |
| Norwood Court | — | — | — | — | |
| Pasadena Hills | — | — | — | — |
Beverly Hills and Norwood Court: fewer than 1,000 residents. Pasadena Hills: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Northwoods adults live with a disability (Missouri 36.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Northwoods
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Northwoods is better than Missouri on 8 and worse on 21; on the rest, the Missouri figure falls inside Northwoods’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Northwoods | MO | U.S. | vs MO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 34.4%30–38.7 | 20.5% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.5%16.2–21 | 14.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19%16.8–21.4 | 17.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 45.1%40.8–49.4 | 36.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 23.7%21.2–26.4 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 55.7%52.6–58.7 | 36.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.2%36.1–42.4 | 37.5% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 36.9%34–39.6 | 28.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 13.3%11.8–14.9 | 10.6% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.7%6–7.4 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.9%8.8–11.3 | 6.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.5%9.7–13.3 | 8% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 7.7%6.7–8.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.5%15.8–23.2 | 15.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 21.2%17.8–24.9 | 16% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 44.1%39.1–49.1 | 28.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 9.6%8.2–11.3 | 16.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 43.8%39.4–48.3 | 36.5% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.5%9–14.6 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.7%82.6–86.8 | 78.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 49.1%45.4–52.6 | 60.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%84.7–88.6 | 84.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.8%83–86.6 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.6%65.5–73.8 | 64% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.8%74.8–85.9 | 74.7% | 76.4% | Better |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.5%17.1–21.9 | 24.3% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 39%34.9–42.8 | 31.7% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.9%26–33.4 | 20.1% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 34.1%29.2–39.5 | 13.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 27.9%24.1–31.8 | 12.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 23%20–26 | 9% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 18.1%15.6–20.7 | 8.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 33.8%28.7–39 | 10.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 49%44.5–53.4 | 36.2% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 29%25.5–32.4 | 15.8% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 20.8%18–23.7 | 17.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.5–9.5 | 8.3% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 11.3%9.8–12.9 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 15.7%13.5–18.1 | 9.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 8.8%7.5–10.2 | 3.9% | 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 Missouri figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Northwoods
Is Northwoods a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Northwoods is healthier than 2% of U.S. towns: D− for health, #232 of 247 in Missouri. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 8%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Northwoods?
CDC estimates 45.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 40.8% and 49.4%, against 36.6% across Missouri and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Northwoods?
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis in Saint Louis, 5.0 miles in a straight line from Northwoods’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Northwoods have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9–14.6%), against 8.7% across Missouri.
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 Northwoods more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to D.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Northwoods.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Missouri 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.