Photo: Jamie Holly · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Yellow Springs is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns
Yellow Springs differs from Ohio on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 21 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Yellow Springs. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Yellow Springs
Yellow Springs keeps up with checkups
It beats Ohio on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.6% vs 79.9%) and dentist visits (74.2% vs 62.9%). Checkups ↓
Cancer and arthritis run high in Yellow Springs
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12%), vs 8.7% across Ohio. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (34.5%), vs 29.8% across Ohio. Age is part of it: 34% of residents are 65 or older (Ohio 18%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Yellow Springs adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (29.6% vs 35%), frequent mental distress (13% vs 17.5%), lack of emotional support (16.9% vs 21.3%) and depression (21.7% vs 25.4%) all run below Ohio. Mind & connection ↓
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 Yellow Springs’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Yellow Springs’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Yellow Springs is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns, #144 of 993 in Ohio. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 94% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 40%).
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). Yellow Springs’ median household income is $85,982; among the 10,313 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$107K), it’s healthier than 84%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of Yellow Springs adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Ohio.
How Yellow Springs adults are doing
On 4 of 4 measures, Yellow Springs does better than Ohio.
3 in 10 Yellow Springs 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.
Out of every 100 Yellow Springs adults…
Yellow Springs runs below OH on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Yellow Springs is an older town: 34% 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 Yellow Springs as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Yellow Springs
No hospital or community health center in Yellow Springs 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 Yellow Springs; ≈ 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.
11 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.5% of Yellow Springs adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.
Yellow Springs and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Springs | A− | 36.5% | 12.7% | 9.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Yellow Springs adults live with a disability (Ohio 29.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Yellow Springs
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Yellow Springs is better than Ohio on 21 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Ohio figure falls inside Yellow Springs’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Yellow Springs | OH | U.S. | vs OH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.5%12–17.6 | 19.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.7%10–13.8 | 13.9% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13%11.2–15 | 17.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.5%30.1–43.1 | 37.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.7%10.9–14.7 | 13.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.4%36.3–44.7 | 37.2% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41%36.8–45.3 | 36.7% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.5%30.9–38.2 | 29.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.3–11.8 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12%10.8–13.2 | 8.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.5–8.5 | 7.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.5%5.2–7.9 | 8% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.1–4.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.2%5.8–8.8 | 15.3% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.3%7.2–11.7 | 15.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 21.1%17.1–25.9 | 26.9% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.7%11.4–16.4 | 16.6% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.4%28.7–38.3 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5%3.9–6.3 | 8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.6%81–86.3 | 79.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 74.2%71.4–77 | 62.9% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.3%89.9–92.6 | 86.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.3%82.1–86.5 | 79.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 77.5%73.8–80.9 | 65.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.4%69.4–82.3 | 76% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.7%18.7–25 | 25.4% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 29.6%25.3–34.8 | 35% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 16.9%14.3–20.2 | 21.3% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.4%5.7–9.3 | 14.1% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.5%5.2–8 | 11.3% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.8%3.9–5.8 | 8.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.7%3.9–5.5 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.5%4–7.3 | 11.7% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.2%21.3–29.5 | 29.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.5%10.2–15.1 | 13.9% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.7%8.2–11.4 | 13.9% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.2%6.2–8.2 | 6.8% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.7%3.1–4.4 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6%5–7.3 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.4–3.5 | 3.8% | 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 Ohio figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Yellow Springs
Is Yellow Springs a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Yellow Springs is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #144 of 993 in Ohio. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Yellow Springs?
CDC estimates 36.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.1% and 43.1%, against 37.1% across Ohio and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Yellow Springs?
Kettering Health Greene Memorial in Xenia, 7.1 miles in a straight line from Yellow Springs’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Yellow Springs have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.9–6.3%), 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 Yellow Springs 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 Yellow Springs.
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.