Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Upper Township is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns
Upper Township differs from Ohio on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 23 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 45638. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Upper Township
Upper Township is in the bottom 3% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Upper Township is healthier than only 3% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on all of them. Health Grade ↓
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Upper Township
1 in 8 adults have COPD (12.6%), vs 8% across Ohio. 1 in 10 adults have heart disease (9.8%), vs 7.1% across Ohio. Stroke is also above the state: 4.9%, vs 3.7% across Ohio. In all, Upper Township runs above Ohio on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Upper Township
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (19.8%), vs 14.1% across Ohio. Utility shut-off threats (11% vs 8.3%) and no reliable transportation (10.1% vs 7.7%) are higher too. 19.2% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11.7% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Upper Township adults live with a disability
2 in 5 adults live with a disability (40.5%, vs 29.5% across Ohio). The biggest difference is trouble walking: 20% vs 13.9%. Disability ↓
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 Upper Township’s likely range; Upper Township’s figures come from ZIP code 45638, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Upper Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Upper Township is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns, #969 of 993 in Ohio. All seven of Upper Township’s estimates fall in the lowest 11% of U.S. towns. The furthest from typical is smoking: 22.4% of adults, against 15.4% across Ohio and 11.8% nationally.
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). Upper Township’s median household income is $48,548; among the 5,229 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($36K–$61K), it’s healthier than 8%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Upper Township adults…
Upper Township runs above OH on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.2% of Upper Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Upper Township adults live with a disability (Ohio 29.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Care in and near Upper Township
3 community health centers in Upper Township, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Upper 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Ohio
Share of adults, with the Ohio figure marked.
0.2 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Upper Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Ohio.
How Upper Township adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Upper Township runs above Ohio.
2 in 5 Upper 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.
Upper Township and the towns around it
Upper Township’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Township · Hamilton Township | D− | 43.7% | 17% | 22.4% | ZIP 45638 |
| Ironton | D− | 44.4% | 18.2% | 22.8% | CDC place |
| Perry Township | D | 42.6% | 16.2% | 21% | ZIP codes |
| Coal Grove | D | 42% | 15% | 21.8% | CDC place |
| Elizabeth Township | D− | 43.4% | 16.1% | 22.7% | ZIP codes |
| Lawrence Township | D | 41.4% | 15% | 19.9% | ZIP codes |
Upper Township and Hamilton Township share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Every CDC estimate for Upper Township
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Upper Township is better than Ohio on 1 and worse on 23; on the rest, the Ohio figure falls inside Upper Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Upper Township | OH | U.S. | vs OH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.2%24.5–29.9 | 19.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16.4–20.1 | 13.9% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.7%18.8–22.7 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43.7%38.4–49.1 | 37.1% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 17%15.2–18.8 | 13.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 45.4%41.9–48.8 | 37.2% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.8%37.3–44.2 | 36.7% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.5%33.6–39.5 | 29.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.9–13.5 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.7%8.9–10.5 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.8%8.9–10.7 | 7.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 12.6%11.4–13.8 | 8% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.9%4.6–5.3 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 21.6%18.3–25.1 | 15.3% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 22.4%20–24.9 | 15.4% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 35.9%31.9–39.9 | 26.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.8%11.5–16.1 | 16.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.4%37.4–47.3 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.5%8.2–10.9 | 8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.5%77.6–83.1 | 79.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.2%49.8–56.4 | 62.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.2%82.5–85.9 | 86.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81%78.7–83 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62%57.6–66.2 | 65.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.1%61.9–75.3 | 76% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.4%25.1–31.7 | 25.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 38%32.8–42.9 | 35% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.2%18.8–25.5 | 21.3% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 19.8%17–22.5 | 14.1% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.9%12–16 | 11.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 11%9.5–12.5 | 8.3% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.1%8.8–11.3 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 19.2%16.7–21.9 | 11.7% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 40.5%36.8–44.1 | 29.5% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20%17.9–22.1 | 13.9% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.2%16.4–20 | 13.9% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8.4–10.3 | 6.8% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.9%6.3–7.5 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.5%10.3–12.6 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.7%5.2–6.1 | 3.8% | 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 Ohio figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Upper Township
Is Upper Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Upper Township is healthier than 3% of U.S. towns: D− for health, #969 of 993 in Ohio. 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 Upper Township?
CDC estimates 43.7% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 45638, which Upper Township shares with Hamilton Township) have obesity, likely between 38.4% and 49.1%, against 37.1% across Ohio and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Upper Township?
King's Daughters' Medical Center in Ashland, 5.0 miles in a straight line from Upper Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Upper Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.2–10.9%), 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 Upper Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to D. The figures are ZIP code 45638’s, shared with Hamilton Township.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Upper Township.
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.