Health · Foster

Foster, IL health

Foster differs from Illinois on 10 of 40 measures. It has fewer uninsured adults (6.8% vs 9.9%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (9.5% vs 13.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.2% vs 7.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 62807, 62875, 62854, 62892
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Foster’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Foster is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns.

C+Self-rated healthC+Physical distressCMental distressC-ObesityC+DiabetesC+SmokingBExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 34%
Less healthyHealthier
Illinois towns we grade (1,344)Healthier than 22%
Towns with similar incomes, $83K–$138K (6,567)Healthier than 7%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Foster is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Foster could be anywhere from D to B+.
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 Foster 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. Foster’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 Foster 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

Out of every 100 Foster adults…

37 of every 100 Foster adults have high blood pressure
Illinois: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.7–41.4%

Bars show Foster; the black tick is Illinois. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Foster, betterFoster, worseToo close to callIllinois
Get no exerciseshare of adults 23.4% Foster
IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.7% Foster
IL 35.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults 18.1% Foster
IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.5% Foster
IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Foster adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Illinois.

79%
Yearly checkup
IL 78%
64%
Dentist visit
IL 63%
88%
Cholesterol check
IL 87%
67%
Colon screening
IL 60%
73%
Mammogram
IL 74%
79%
Taking BP meds
IL 76%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Foster 6.8% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Foster adults are doing

1 in 3Foster adults feel lonely
32.3% · Illinois 33.5% · too close to call
1 in 4Foster adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.7% · Illinois 19.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Foster adults lack social or emotional support
23.1% · Illinois 25.4% · too close to call
1 in 6Foster adults are in frequent mental distress
16.8% · Illinois 15.6% · too close to call
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 9
Foster adults worry about having enough food
11.5% · IL 15.9% · better
1 in 11
Foster adults worry about keeping their housing
9.5% · IL 13.2% · better
1 in 16
Foster adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.1% · IL 7.8% · better
1 in 16
Foster adults lack reliable transportation
6.4% · IL 8% · better

11.1% of Foster adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Disability

Living with a disability

30.7%

of Foster adults live with a disability (Illinois 27.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.3%
Thinking or memory13.3%
Hearing7.9%
Errands alone8.1%
Vision4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.6%

Black tick: Illinois. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Foster

Foster and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Foster.

Kinmundy: 37.8% Wilberton: 40% Tonti: 38.6% Patoka: 36.3% Meacham: 38.6% Lone Grove: 41.6% Alma: 38.2% Otego: 39.8% Kaskaskia: 38.5% Salem: 39% Carrigan: 38.5% Pope: 36.5% Foster: 36.9% Foster Kinmundy Wilberton Tonti Patoka Salem Township Hospital · Salem · 9.7 mi · 4★ MedicareH Fayette County Hospital · Vandalia · 14.9 miH Sihf Healthcare - Salem · Salem · 9.9 mi+
36.3%41.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#3 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first
Patoka36.3%
Foster36.9%
Kinmundy37.8%
Tonti38.6%
Wilberton40%
6 places to get careNearest ER 9.7 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Foster

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

HNearest ERSalem Township HospitalSalem · 9.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySsm Health St. Mary's Hospital -Centralia★★★★★ · 19.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSouthern Illinois Healthcare FoundationSalem · 9.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.7 mi
Salem Township Hospital
Salem · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
9.9 mi
Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation
3 sites · nearest in Salem
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
14.9 mi
Fayette County Hospital
Vandalia · not rated
ERRural critical access
19.3 mi
Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital -Centralia
Centralia · ★★★★★
ER
25.3 mi
Hshs Holy Family Hospital
Greenville · ★★★★★
ER
26.4 mi
Christopher Greater Area Rural Health Planning Corporation
4 sites · nearest in Flora
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careFoster's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Marion County · need score 17 of 25
! Dental careFoster's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Marion County · need score 17 of 25
! Mental healthFoster's county is a federal shortage area.Southern IL MHCA · need score 16 of 25

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 Foster. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Foster
MeasureFosterMarginIllinois
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure36.9%32.7–41.4%33%about the same
High cholesterol38.3%33.8–42.9%35.4%about the same
Obesity36.9%28.8–45.7%34%about the same
Arthritis30.1%26.6–33.8%24.2%worse
Depression22.7%19.3–26.6%19.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12.1%9.8–14.9%10.3%about the same
Asthma10.5%9.3–11.9%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.2%9.2–11.3%7.6%worse
Diabetes11.9%10.2–13.8%11.7%about the same
COPD8.2%7–9.4%6.3%worse
Heart disease7.4%6.6–8.3%5.9%worse
Stroke3.7%3.3–4.1%3.3%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.5%12.1–17.2%12.1%about the same
Binge drink18.1%14.9–21.5%17.8%about the same
Get no exercise23.4%19.2–28.1%23%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.7%28.1–41.9%35.4%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79%75.4–82.3%77.8%about the same
Dentist visit64.4%60.6–68.2%63.4%about the same
Cholesterol check87.8%86.1–89.5%87.4%about the same
Colon screening66.8%61.6–71.9%60.2%better
Mammogram73%64.5–80.5%73.5%about the same
Taking BP meds78.6%75.5–81.4%75.7%about the same
No health insurance6.8%5.5–8.4%9.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely32.3%27.3–37.5%33.5%about the same
Lack emotional support23.1%19.6–26.9%25.4%about the same
Frequent mental distress16.8%14.7–19.1%15.6%about the same
Fair or poor health18.7%16.1–21.7%18.6%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.9%12.1–15.9%12.2%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity11.5%9.4–13.8%15.9%better
Housing insecurity9.5%7.9–11.1%13.2%better
Utility shut-off threat6.1%5.1–7.1%7.8%better
No reliable transportation6.4%5.5–7.5%8%better
Receive SNAP11.1%9–13.4%13.8%
Disability
Any disability30.7%26.4–35.5%27.6%
Walking or climbing stairs14.3%12.3–16.7%12.8%
Thinking or memory13.3%11.6–15.3%12.6%
Hearing7.9%7–9%6.2%
Vision4.4%3.9–5%4.8%
Dressing or bathing3.6%3.2–4%3.5%
Errands alone8.1%7.1–9.2%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 Foster door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Illinois figure falls inside it, we don't call Foster better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Foster by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Foster 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01