Photo: Roseohioresident · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Portage Lakes is healthier than 69%
Portage Lakes differs from Ohio on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Portage Lakes. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Portage Lakes
Portage Lakes is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Portage Lakes is healthier than 49%. Against the 9,804 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 69%. Health Grade ↓
Cancer runs high in Portage Lakes
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.4%), vs 8.7% across Ohio. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Ohio 18%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Fewer Portage Lakes adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Ohio. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 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 Ohio figure falls outside Portage Lakes’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Portage Lakes’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portage Lakes is healthier than 49% of U.S. towns, #388 of 993 in Ohio. Fair or poor health holds the grade up (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 57% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 28%).
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). Portage Lakes’ median household income is $64,375; among the 9,804 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 69%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where Portage Lakes compares well: dentist visit in the past year, 67.2% (U.S. 63.2%); colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75), 72% (U.S. 65.5%); worried about having enough food, 11.2% (U.S. 15%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.1% of Portage Lakes adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.
Out of every 100 Portage Lakes adults…
Portage Lakes runs above OH on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Portage Lakes is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Ohio. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Portage Lakes as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Portage Lakes
No hospital or community health center in Portage Lakes 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 Portage Lakes; ≈ 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 Ohio
Share of adults, with the Ohio figure marked.
0.3 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Portage Lakes adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Ohio.
How Portage Lakes adults are doing
About the same as Ohio on each measure.
1 in 3 Portage Lakes 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.
Portage Lakes and the towns around it
Portage Lakes’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Lakes | B− | 36.9% | 13.6% | 14.6% | CDC place |
| Coventry Township | C+ | 37.3% | 13.9% | 15.4% | ZIP codes |
| Akron | D | 42.7% | 16.5% | 19.6% | CDC place |
| Green | B+ | 34.6% | 11.8% | 12.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Portage Lakes adults live with a disability (Ohio 29.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Portage Lakes
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Portage Lakes is better than Ohio on 6 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Ohio figure falls inside Portage Lakes’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Portage Lakes | OH | U.S. | vs OH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.7%16.1–21.8 | 19.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.4–16.3 | 13.9% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.8%14.8–18.9 | 17.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.9%31.9–42 | 37.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.6%11.9–15.5 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.1%34.7–41.5 | 37.2% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.1%35.6–42.4 | 36.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.4%30.4–36.4 | 29.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.9–12.5 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.5–11.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.6–8.5 | 7.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.4%7.2–10 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.3–4.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.1%12.6–17.9 | 15.3% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.6%12–17.6 | 15.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25%21.3–29.4 | 26.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.5%13.1–18 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.8%32.9–40.8 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.5%5.2–8.2 | 8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.5%78.8–84 | 79.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.2%64.3–70.1 | 62.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.5%85.9–89.1 | 86.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.2%78.7–83.5 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72%68.3–75.3 | 65.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 73.8%67.5–79.3 | 76% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.5%23.4–29.9 | 25.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.1%27.8–37 | 35% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.2%16.2–22.6 | 21.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.2%9–13.6 | 14.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.1%7.5–10.9 | 11.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.7%5.7–7.9 | 8.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.4%5.4–7.4 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.1%7.1–11.1 | 11.7% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.7%26.8–34.9 | 29.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.3%12.2–16.7 | 13.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.9%11.1–14.7 | 13.9% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.5–8.4 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.4%3.9–5.1 | 4.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.5%6.5–8.7 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.6%3.1–4.2 | 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 Ohio figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Portage Lakes
Is Portage Lakes a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portage Lakes is healthier than 49% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #388 of 993 in Ohio. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Portage Lakes?
CDC estimates 36.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.9% and 42%, against 37.1% across Ohio and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Portage Lakes?
Akron General Medical Center in Akron, 4.2 miles in a straight line from Portage Lakes’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Portage Lakes have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.2–8.2%), against 8% across Ohio.
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 Portage Lakes more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Portage Lakes.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Ohio 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.