Health · Towanda

Towanda, IL health

Towanda differs from Illinois on 12 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (7.6% vs 15.9%) and fewer uninsured adults (4.9% vs 9.9%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.5% vs 7.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Towanda
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Towanda’s Health Grade: A−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Towanda is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns and 80% of Illinois towns.

A-Self-rated healthAPhysical distressB-Mental distressBObesityADiabetesA-SmokingAExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 81%
Less healthyHealthier
Illinois towns we grade (1,344)Healthier than 80%
Towns with similar incomes, $89K–$149K (5,591)Healthier than 59%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Towanda is healthier than 81% 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, Towanda could be anywhere from B− 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 Towanda 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. Towanda 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 Towanda 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 Towanda adults…

35 of every 100 Towanda adults have high blood pressure
Illinois: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.5–39.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Towanda, betterTowanda, worseToo close to callIllinois
Get no exerciseshare of adults 17.9% Towanda
IL 23%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 29.9% Towanda
IL 35.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults 18% Towanda
IL 17.8%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 10.5% Towanda
IL 12.1%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
IL 78%
71%
Dentist visit
IL 63%
90%
Cholesterol check
IL 87%
68%
Colon screening
IL 60%
77%
Mammogram
IL 74%
79%
Taking BP meds
IL 76%
1 in 20
working-age adults has no health insurance
Towanda 4.9% · Illinois 1 in 10 (9.9%)
Mind & connection

How Towanda adults are doing

1 in 3Towanda adults feel lonely
30.1% · Illinois 33.5% · too close to call
1 in 5Towanda adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.3% · Illinois 19.8% · too close to call
1 in 5Towanda adults lack social or emotional support
21% · Illinois 25.4% · better
1 in 7Towanda adults are in frequent mental distress
14.4% · 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 13
Towanda adults worry about having enough food
7.6% · IL 15.9% · better
1 in 15
Towanda adults worry about keeping their housing
6.7% · IL 13.2% · better
1 in 23
Towanda adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.3% · IL 7.8% · better
1 in 22
Towanda adults lack reliable transportation
4.6% · IL 8% · better

6.6% of Towanda adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 13.8% across Illinois.

Disability

Living with a disability

25.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.4%
Thinking or memory10.6%
Hearing7%
Errands alone6.2%
Vision3.3%
Dressing or bathing2.7%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Towanda

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

HNearest ERSt. Joseph Medical CenterBloomington · 6.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySaint James Hospital★★★★★ · 26.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careChestnut Health SystemsBloomington · 7.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.5 mi
St. Joseph Medical Center
Bloomington · ★★★★★
ER
6.6 mi
Carle Bromenn Medical Center
Normal · ★★★★★
ER
7.5 mi
Chestnut Health Systems
3 sites · nearest in Bloomington
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
22.3 mi
Carle Eureka Hospital
Eureka · not rated
ERRural critical access
26.2 mi
Saint James Hospital
Pontiac · ★★★★★
✓ Primary careTowanda is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careTowanda is not a shortage area
! Mental healthTowanda's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.LI Central Area MHCA · need score 18 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 Towanda. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Towanda
MeasureTowandaMarginIllinois
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure34.9%30.5–39.4%33%about the same
High cholesterol38.9%34.5–43.5%35.4%about the same
Obesity33.2%26.2–41.5%34%about the same
Arthritis27.9%24.3–31.7%24.2%worse
Depression21.3%18–25.1%19.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.7%8.6–12.9%10.3%about the same
Asthma9.9%8.7–11.3%9.9%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.5%9.4–11.7%7.6%worse
Diabetes10.1%8.4–12%11.7%about the same
COPD6.1%4.9–7.4%6.3%about the same
Heart disease6.3%5.4–7.3%5.9%about the same
Stroke3.1%2.6–3.6%3.3%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes10.5%8.1–13.3%12.1%about the same
Binge drink18%14.9–21.4%17.8%about the same
Get no exercise17.9%14–22.3%23%better
Sleep under 7 hours29.9%23.9–36.6%35.4%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.8%76.4–83.1%77.8%about the same
Dentist visit70.7%67.1–74.1%63.4%better
Cholesterol check89.5%87.3–91.3%87.4%about the same
Colon screening67.6%62.2–72.8%60.2%better
Mammogram77.2%69.2–84.1%73.5%about the same
Taking BP meds78.5%75.3–81.4%75.7%about the same
No health insurance4.9%3.6–6.5%9.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.1%25.1–35.4%33.5%about the same
Lack emotional support21%17.2–25%25.4%better
Frequent mental distress14.4%12.3–16.7%15.6%about the same
Fair or poor health14.2%11.6–17.2%18.6%better
Frequent physical distress11.4%9.6–13.4%12.2%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity7.6%5.5–9.8%15.9%better
Housing insecurity6.7%5.1–8.4%13.2%better
Utility shut-off threat4.3%3.4–5.3%7.8%better
No reliable transportation4.6%3.7–5.5%8%better
Receive SNAP6.6%4.7–8.7%13.8%
Disability
Any disability25.5%21.2–30.1%27.6%
Walking or climbing stairs11.4%9.3–13.7%12.8%
Thinking or memory10.6%8.7–12.6%12.6%
Hearing7%6–8.1%6.2%
Vision3.3%2.8–4%4.8%
Dressing or bathing2.7%2.2–3.2%3.5%
Errands alone6.2%5.1–7.4%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 Towanda door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Illinois figure falls inside it, we don't call Towanda better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Towanda 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.

We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Towanda, ILView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Towanda is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01