Health · Central
Central, IL health
Central differs from Illinois on 5 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more smokers (15.6% vs 12.1%) and more adults with COPD (8% vs 6.3%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 62246 (all of Central)TownTapestry Health GradeNew
C+
Central’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Central is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns, and than 58% of towns with similar incomes.
C+Self-rated healthB-Physical distressCMental distressCObesityBDiabetesC+SmokingBExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 43%
Less healthyHealthier
Illinois towns we grade (1,344)Healthier than 32%
Towns with similar incomes, $49K–$82K (9,208)Healthier than 58%
Better than its income would suggest. Central is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Central could be anywhere from D to A−.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Illinois ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Central with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Central’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card
How Central compares with Illinois
Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.
Chronic conditions
39.5% have obesity
0 better10 close2 worse
Habits
24.8% get no exercise
0 better3 close1 worse
Care & screenings
76.6% had a checkup
0 better6 close1 worse
Mind & connection
35% feel lonely
0 better4 close1 worse
Everyday needs
16.7% face food insecurity
0 better5 close0 worse
Disability
32% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Central adults…
35 of every 100 Central adults have high blood pressure
Illinois: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 31.2–39.9%
Bars show Central; the black tick is Illinois. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Central, betterCentral, worseToo close to callIllinois
Get no exerciseshare of adults
24.8% Central
IL 23%
IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
37.3% Central
IL 35.4%
IL 35.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults
18.7% Central
IL 17.8%
IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
15.6% Central
IL 12.1%
IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Central adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.
Yearly checkup
IL 78%Dentist visit
IL 63%Cholesterol check
IL 87%Colon screening
IL 60%Mammogram
IL 74%Taking BP meds
IL 76%1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Central 9.7% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection
How Central adults are doing
1 in 3Central adults feel lonely
35% · Illinois 33.5% · too close to call
1 in 4Central adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.3% · Illinois 19.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Central adults lack social or emotional support
26.4% · Illinois 25.4% · too close to call
1 in 6Central adults are in frequent mental distress
18.1% · Illinois 15.6% · worse
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 6
Central adults worry about having enough food
16.7% · IL 15.9% · about the same
1 in 8
Central adults worry about keeping their housing
13.3% · IL 13.2% · about the same
1 in 11
Central adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.7% · IL 7.8% · about the same
1 in 11
Central adults lack reliable transportation
9.1% · IL 8% · about the same
15.9% of Central adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.
Disability
Living with a disability
32%
of Central adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs14.3%
Thinking or memory15.3%
Hearing7.3%
Errands alone9.2%
Vision5.3%
Dressing or bathing4%
Black tick: Illinois. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Around Central
Central and the towns around it
Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.
37.7%40.3%· darker is worse for health
Obesity
#8 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first
Old Ripley38.3%
Mills39%
Central39.5%
Pleasant Mound39.6%
Lagrange39.7%
Care nearby
Hshs Holy Family HospitalGreenville · 2.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
St. Joseph's HospitalHighland · 14.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
St. Josephs HospitalBreese · 17.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
Fayette County HospitalVandalia · 19.3 mi · ER · rural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
Sihf Healthcare - VandaliaVandalia · 18.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
St. Francis Way ClinicLitchfield · 24.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
! Primary careCentral's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Bond County · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careCentral's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Bond County · need score 15 of 25
! Mental healthCentral's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Metro East · need score 16 of 25
Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Central. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.
All 40 measures for Central
| Measure | Central | Margin | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 35.4% | 31.2–39.9% | 33% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 35.5% | 31.2–40.1% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 39.5% | 31–48.7% | 34% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 26.5% | 23.3–29.9% | 24.2% | about the same |
| Depression | 22.3% | 18.8–26.1% | 19.8% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 12.7% | 10.3–15.8% | 10.3% | about the same |
| Asthma | 10.4% | 9.2–11.9% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 8.2% | 7.4–9% | 7.6% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 11.6% | 9.9–13.5% | 11.7% | about the same |
| COPD | 8% | 6.9–9.2% | 6.3% | worse |
| Heart disease | 6.7% | 6–7.6% | 5.9% | worse |
| Stroke | 3.6% | 3.2–4% | 3.3% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.6% | 13–18.2% | 12.1% | worse |
| Binge drink | 18.7% | 15.3–22.5% | 17.8% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 24.8% | 20.4–29.7% | 23% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.3% | 30.4–45.4% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 76.6% | 72.5–80.4% | 77.8% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 60% | 56.1–64.2% | 63.4% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 83.5% | 81.1–85.7% | 87.4% | worse |
| Colon screening | 62.1% | 56.6–67.8% | 60.2% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 68.3% | 59.3–77.1% | 73.5% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 74.4% | 71.2–77.3% | 75.7% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 9.7% | 7.6–12% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 35% | 29.4–40.7% | 33.5% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 26.4% | 22.4–30.8% | 25.4% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 18.1% | 15.9–20.5% | 15.6% | worse |
| Fair or poor health | 20.8% | 17.8–24% | 18.6% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 13.9% | 12.1–15.9% | 12.2% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 16.7% | 13.8–19.9% | 15.9% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 13.3% | 11.2–15.6% | 13.2% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 8.7% | 7.5–10.1% | 7.8% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 9.1% | 7.8–10.6% | 8% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 15.9% | 13.2–19.1% | 13.8% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32% | 27.5–37% | 27.6% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 14.3% | 12.3–16.5% | 12.8% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15.3% | 13.1–17.6% | 12.6% | |
| Hearing | 7.3% | 6.4–8.3% | 6.2% | |
| Vision | 5.3% | 4.7–5.9% | 4.8% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4% | 3.6–4.5% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 9.2% | 8–10.5% | 7.6% | |
About these numbers
How CDC estimates town health
They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Central door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Illinois figure falls inside it, we don't call Central better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Central by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Central by how much of its land each one covers.
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Illinois figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.