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Houses on Kittle RoadPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
≈ C−Health Grade
Health in Vernon Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Vernon Township is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns

Vernon Township trails Ohio on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 45694, 45629. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Vernon Township

COPD and heart disease run high in Vernon Township

1 in 10 adults have COPD (9.6%), vs 8% across Ohio. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.3%), vs 7.1% across Ohio. In all, Vernon Township runs above Ohio on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More Vernon Township adults get no exercise

1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.6%), vs 26.9% across Ohio. 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 Ohio figure falls outside Vernon Township’s likely range; Vernon Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 45694, 45629, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Vernon Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vernon Township is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns. Fair or poor health holds the grade up (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 38% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 13%).

C+Self-rated health20.9% · OH 19.4% · U.S. 19.4%
C−Physical distress15.9% · OH 13.9% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress19.1% · OH 17.5% · U.S. 15.9%
DObesity41.6% · OH 37.1% · U.S. 32.9%
CDiabetes13.8% · OH 13.2% · U.S. 12%
CSmoking17.2% smoke · OH 15.4% · U.S. 11.8%
C−Exercise31.6% · OH 26.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 18%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $50K–$84K (10,185)Healthier than 18%

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). Vernon Township’s median household income is $66,915; among the 10,185 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 18%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Vernon Township could be anywhere from D to B−. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 45694,45629), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Vernon Township adults…

Vernon Township runs above OH on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Vernon Township adults have COPD
Ohio: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 8.5–10.8%
Better than OHWorseAbout the sameOhio
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Ohio

Share of adults, with the Ohio figure marked.

Get no exercise 31.6%OH 26.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 41.1%OH 37.9%
Binge drink 14.2%OH 16.6%
Smoke cigarettes 17.2%OH 15.4%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Vernon Township, betterVernon Township, worseAbout the sameOhio
Where Vernon Township gets moving

9.5 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Getting care

Care in and near Vernon Township

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

HNearest ERSouthern Ohio Medical CenterPortsmouth · 12.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySouthern Ohio Medical Center★★★★★ · 12.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careOvp - Wheelersburg, OhioWheelersburg · 5.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.8 mi
Ovp - Wheelersburg, Ohio
Wheelersburg · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
11.3 mi
South Shore Family Health Center
South Shore · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
12.4 mi
Southern Ohio Medical Center
Portsmouth · ★★★★★
ER
13.2 mi
Kings Daughters Medical Center Ohio
Portsmouth · not rated
ER
18.5 mi
King's Daughters' Medical Center
Ashland · ★★★★★
ER
22.1 mi
Holzer Medical Center Jackson
Jackson · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careNo HRSA shortage area covers Vernon Township itself
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Vernon Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Vernon Township itself

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 Vernon 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%Yearly checkupOH 80%
59%Dentist visitOH 63%
87%Cholesterol checkOH 86%
64%Colon screeningOH 65%
70%MammogramOH 76%
81%Taking BP medsOH 79%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Vernon Township 7.6% · Ohio 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Vernon Township adults are doing

About the same as Ohio on each measure.

1 in 3Vernon Township adults feel lonely
35.2% · OH 35% · About the same as OH
1 in 5Vernon Township adults lack social or emotional support
20.7% · OH 21.3% · About the same as OH
3 in 10Vernon Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
28% · OH 25.4% · About the same as OH
1 in 5Vernon Township adults are in frequent mental distress
19.1% · OH 17.5% · About the same as OH
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Vernon 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.

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 8
Vernon Township adults worry about having enough food
13.2% · OH 14.1%
About the same as OH
1 in 10
Vernon Township adults worry about keeping their housing
10% · OH 11.3%
About the same as OH
1 in 13
Vernon Township adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.5% · OH 8.3%
About the same as OH
1 in 14
Vernon Township adults lack reliable transportation
7.3% · OH 7.7%
About the same as OH

11.3% of Vernon Township adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.

Around town

Vernon Township and the towns around it

Vernon Township has the best Health Grade of the 5 graded towns around it.

Bloom Township: 44.2%Green Township: 42.7%Porter Township: 42.7%Decatur Township: 43.2%Elizabeth Township: 43.4%Harrison Township: 45%Washington Township: 44%Hamilton Township: 43.6%Madison Township: 44%Franklin Furnace: 42.8%Greenup: 45.5%Wheelersburg: 41.4%Portsmouth: 47.4%Sciotodale: 43%Clay Township: 46.5%Symmes Township: 44.7%Upper Township: 43.7%Hamilton Township: 43.7%Aid Township: 42.6%Vernon Township: 41.6%Vernon TownshipBloom TownshipGreen TownshipPorter TownshipDecatur TownshipElizabeth TownshipSouthern Ohio Medical Center · Portsmouth · 12.4 mi · 4★ MedicareHKings Daughters Medical Center Ohio · Portsmouth · 13.2 miHOvp - Wheelersburg, Ohio · Wheelersburg · 5.8 mi+South Shore Family Health Center · South Shore · 11.3 mi+
Healthier than OHNear OHLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#2 of 20 towns on this map, healthiest first
Vernon Township41.6%
Green Township42.7%
Porter Township42.7%
Decatur Township43.2%
Elizabeth Township43.4%
Bloom Township44.2%
OH37.1%

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
Vernon TownshipC−41.6%13.8%17.2%ZIP codes
Bloom TownshipD44.2%15.6%20.5%ZIP codes
Green TownshipD42.7%14.2%19%ZIP codes
Porter TownshipD42.7%14.6%18.5%ZIP codes
Decatur Township————
Elizabeth TownshipD−43.4%16.1%22.7%ZIP codes

Decatur 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.

34.1%

of Vernon Township adults live with a disability (Ohio 29.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.9%
Thinking or memory15%
Hearing8%
Errands alone8.8%
Vision4.9%
Dressing or bathing4%
Ohio

Every CDC estimate for Vernon Township

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Vernon Township is better than Ohio on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Ohio figure falls inside Vernon Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Vernon TownshipOHU.S.vs OH
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.9%18.3–23.519.4%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.9%14.1–17.713.9%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)19.1%17.2–21.217.5%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity41.6%36.3–47.137.1%32.9%About the same
Diabetes13.8%12.1–15.613.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure42.1%38.5–45.637.2%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)38.9%35.4–42.536.7%37.1%About the same
Arthritis33.2%30.2–36.229.8%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.2%9.9–12.411.1%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.1%9.2–11.18.7%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.3%7.4–9.27.1%6.4%Worse
COPD9.6%8.5–10.88%6.3%Worse
Stroke4%3.6–4.43.7%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)19.2%16.1–22.715.3%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17.2%14.7–19.615.4%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work31.6%27.5–35.626.9%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking14.2%11.9–16.816.6%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours41.1%36.3–46.137.9%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.6%6.3–9.18%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year81.7%78.9–84.479.9%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year59.1%55.8–62.462.9%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.5%84.8–88.286.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80.5%78.1–82.779.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)64%59.8–68.265.2%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)70.4%63.1–7776%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression28%24.8–31.425.4%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely35.2%30.6–39.935%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support20.7%17.6–23.821.3%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food13.2%11.1–15.414.1%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10%8.5–11.711.3%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.5%6.5–8.78.3%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.3%6.3–8.37.7%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)11.3%9.4–13.211.7%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability34.1%30.3–37.929.5%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.9%14–1813.9%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering15%13.3–16.813.9%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8%7.1–8.96.8%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty4.9%4.4–5.54.8%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.8%7.7–9.98.1%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4%3.6–4.53.8%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 Vernon Township

Is Vernon Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Vernon Township is healthier than 18% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 18%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Vernon Township?

CDC estimates 41.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 36.3% and 47.1%, against 37.1% across Ohio and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Vernon Township?

Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth, 12.4 miles in a straight line from Vernon Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Vernon Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–9.1%), 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 Vernon 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 Vernon Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.