Health · Salem

Salem, IL health

Salem differs from Illinois on 15 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (18.6% vs 10.3%) and more adults with COPD (10.1% vs 6.3%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Salem

C-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁻

Salem’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Salem is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns.

CSelf-rated healthCPhysical distressC-Mental distressCObesityCDiabetesC-SmokingC+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 23%

Less healthyHealthier

Illinois towns we grade (1,344)Healthier than 10%

Towns with similar incomes, $45K–$75K (8,069)Healthier than 36%

About what its income would suggest. Salem does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Salem 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 Salem 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. Salem uses CDC’s own estimate for it. 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 Salem 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 Salem adults…

39 of every 100 Salem adults have high blood pressure

Illinois: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 34.3–43.2%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Salem, betterSalem, worseToo close to callIllinois

Get no exerciseshare of adults 28% Salem
IL 23%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 36.7% Salem
IL 35.4%

Binge drinkshare of adults 17.4% Salem
IL 17.8%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.2% Salem
IL 12.1%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Salem 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 11

working-age adults has no health insurance

Salem 8.7% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)

Mind & connection

How Salem adults are doing

1 in 3Salem adults feel lonely

33.8% · Illinois 33.5% · too close to call

1 in 4Salem adults have been diagnosed with depression

24% · Illinois 19.8% · worse

1 in 4Salem adults lack social or emotional support

24.3% · Illinois 25.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Salem adults are in frequent mental distress

18.7% · 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

Salem adults worry about having enough food

16.4% · IL 15.9% · about the same

1 in 8

Salem adults worry about keeping their housing

12.4% · IL 13.2% · about the same

1 in 12

Salem adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.5% · IL 7.8% · about the same

1 in 11

Salem adults lack reliable transportation

8.8% · IL 8% · about the same

17.6% of Salem adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.5%

Thinking or memory15.9%

Hearing9.1%

Errands alone10.5%

Vision6%

Dressing or bathing4.7%

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

Around Salem

Salem and the towns around it

Care nearby

Salem Township HospitalSalem · 1.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital -CentraliaCentralia · 10.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Deaconess Illinois CrossroadsMount Vernon · 21.8 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Good Samaritan Regional Hlth CenterMount Vernon · 22.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Sihf Healthcare - SalemSalem · 0.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Mt. Vernon Health & Wellness CenterMount Vernon · 22.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careSalem's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Marion County · need score 17 of 25

! Dental careSalem's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Marion County · need score 17 of 25

! Mental healthSalem's county is a federal shortage area.Southern IL MHCA · 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 Salem. 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 Salem

Measure	Salem	Margin	Illinois
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	38.7%	34.3–43.2%	33%	worse
High cholesterol	37.8%	33.4–42.6%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	39.4%	30.8–48.6%	34%	about the same
Arthritis	31.3%	27.7–35%	24.2%	worse
Depression	24%	20.3–28.1%	19.8%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	18.6%	15.1–22.7%	10.3%	worse
Asthma	11%	9.7–12.5%	9.9%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.9%	8.9–10.9%	7.6%	worse
Diabetes	13.4%	11.5–15.4%	11.7%	about the same
COPD	10.1%	8.7–11.5%	6.3%	worse
Heart disease	8.4%	7.5–9.4%	5.9%	worse
Stroke	4.4%	4–4.9%	3.3%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.2%	14.7–20%	12.1%	worse
Binge drink	17.4%	14.3–21%	17.8%	about the same
Get no exercise	28%	23.2–33%	23%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	36.7%	29.5–44.3%	35.4%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.3%	74.5–81.8%	77.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	57.9%	53.7–62.1%	63.4%	worse
Cholesterol check	85.3%	83.1–87.3%	87.4%	worse
Colon screening	61.6%	56.1–66.9%	60.2%	about the same
Mammogram	69.4%	60–77.8%	73.5%	about the same
Taking BP meds	78.1%	75.3–80.9%	75.7%	about the same
No health insurance	8.7%	7.1–10.6%	9.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33.8%	28.5–39.4%	33.5%	about the same
Lack emotional support	24.3%	20.4–28.5%	25.4%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.7%	16.5–21%	15.6%	worse
Fair or poor health	22.9%	19.8–26.2%	18.6%	worse
Frequent physical distress	15.8%	13.8–17.8%	12.2%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	16.4%	13.7–19.5%	15.9%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.4%	10.5–14.6%	13.2%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.5%	7.3–10%	7.8%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8.8%	7.6–10.2%	8%	about the same
Receive SNAP	17.6%	14.8–20.7%	13.8%
Disability
Any disability	35.7%	31–40.5%	27.6%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.5%	15.1–20%	12.8%
Thinking or memory	15.9%	14–18%	12.6%
Hearing	9.1%	8–10.2%	6.2%
Vision	6%	5.4–6.7%	4.8%
Dressing or bathing	4.7%	4.2–5.3%	3.5%
Errands alone	10.5%	9.2–11.9%	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 Salem door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Illinois figure falls inside it, we don't call Salem better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Salem directly, so these are its own figures.

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.