Health · Bluffton

Bluffton, IN health

On most measures Bluffton looks like Indiana as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults who have had cancer (9.4% vs 8.3%) and more adults with arthritis (32% vs 28.3%).

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

Bluffton’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Bluffton is healthier than 29% of U.S. towns, and than 48% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthC+Physical distressCMental distressDObesityC+DiabetesCSmokingC+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 29%
Less healthyHealthier
Indiana towns we grade (1,081)Healthier than 44%
Towns with similar incomes, $43K–$72K (7,589)Healthier than 48%

Better than its income would suggest. Bluffton 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, Bluffton 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 Indiana 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 Bluffton 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. Bluffton 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 Bluffton compares with Indiana

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 Bluffton adults…

40 of every 100 Bluffton adults have high blood pressure
Indiana: 38 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35.3–44%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Bluffton, betterBluffton, worseToo close to callIndiana
Get no exerciseshare of adults 27% Bluffton
IN 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 37.8% Bluffton
IN 37.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.8% Bluffton
IN 16.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17% Bluffton
IN 15.7%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
IN 80%
61%
Dentist visit
IN 61%
86%
Cholesterol check
IN 86%
69%
Colon screening
IN 66%
75%
Mammogram
IN 76%
78%
Taking BP meds
IN 77%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Bluffton 8.6% · Indiana 1 in 11 (8.9%)
Mind & connection

How Bluffton adults are doing

1 in 3Bluffton adults feel lonely
33.5% · Indiana 32.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Bluffton adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.2% · Indiana 25.1% · too close to call
1 in 4Bluffton adults lack social or emotional support
22.7% · Indiana 23.2% · too close to call
1 in 6Bluffton adults are in frequent mental distress
18.1% · Indiana 17.6% · 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 7
Bluffton adults worry about having enough food
13.7% · IN 14.7% · about the same
1 in 10
Bluffton adults worry about keeping their housing
10.5% · IN 11.2% · about the same
1 in 13
Bluffton adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.5% · IN 8.4% · about the same
1 in 14
Bluffton adults lack reliable transportation
7.2% · IN 7.7% · about the same

7.9% of Bluffton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.

Disability

Living with a disability

34%

of Bluffton adults live with a disability (Indiana 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16%
Thinking or memory15.7%
Hearing8.1%
Errands alone8.7%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing3.8%

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

Getting care

Care in and near Bluffton

1 hospital and 1 community health center in Bluffton, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERBluffton Regional Medical CenterBluffton · 0.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyParkview Huntington Hospital★★★★★ · 20.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careMeridian Health ServicesBluffton · 0.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.4 mi
Bluffton Regional Medical Center
Bluffton · ★★★★★
ERIn Bluffton
0.4 mi
Meridian Health Services
8 sites · nearest in Bluffton
Sliding-scale feesIn Bluffton
Directions to nearest
14.5 mi
Adams Memorial Hospital
Decatur · not rated
ERRural critical access
20.1 mi
Parkview Huntington Hospital
Huntington · ★★★★★
ER
20.6 mi
Lutheran Hospital of Indiana
Fort Wayne · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careBluffton is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careBluffton is not a shortage area
! Mental healthBluffton's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 20 - Adams/Allen/Wells Counties · need score 12 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 Bluffton. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Bluffton
MeasureBlufftonMarginIndiana
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure39.7%35.3–44%37.8%about the same
High cholesterol38.6%34.2–43.1%37.8%about the same
Obesity42.4%34.3–50.7%38.4%about the same
Arthritis32%28.5–35.5%28.3%worse
Depression26.2%22.4–30.3%25.1%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)15.5%12.7–18.4%15.4%about the same
Asthma11.3%9.9–12.7%11.2%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.4%8.5–10.4%8.3%worse
Diabetes13.1%11.3–14.9%13%about the same
COPD9.1%8–10.2%8.1%about the same
Heart disease7.5%6.7–8.4%6.8%about the same
Stroke3.8%3.4–4.1%3.5%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17%14.6–19.7%15.7%about the same
Binge drink15.8%12.8–19%16.6%about the same
Get no exercise27%22.5–31.7%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.8%31.3–44.4%37.1%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.4%75.8–82.7%79.7%about the same
Dentist visit60.7%57–64.1%61.2%about the same
Cholesterol check85.7%83.8–87.6%85.8%about the same
Colon screening68.7%63.8–73.2%66.3%about the same
Mammogram75.3%67.5–81.9%76.4%about the same
Taking BP meds78.4%75.7–80.9%77.4%about the same
No health insurance8.6%7.1–10.2%8.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely33.5%28.3–38.9%32.8%about the same
Lack emotional support22.7%19.1–26.7%23.2%about the same
Frequent mental distress18.1%15.9–20.3%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health21.3%18.5–24.1%20.6%about the same
Frequent physical distress14.7%12.9–16.6%13.8%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity13.7%11.4–16.1%14.7%about the same
Housing insecurity10.5%8.8–12.3%11.2%about the same
Utility shut-off threat7.5%6.4–8.7%8.4%about the same
No reliable transportation7.2%6.2–8.3%7.7%about the same
Receive SNAP7.9%6.4–9.3%8.6%
Disability
Any disability34%29.6–38.5%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs16%13.9–18.3%14.2%
Thinking or memory15.7%13.8–17.6%15%
Hearing8.1%7.1–9.1%7.1%
Vision5%4.5–5.6%5%
Dressing or bathing3.8%3.4–4.3%3.7%
Errands alone8.7%7.6–9.7%8.1%
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 Bluffton door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Indiana figure falls inside it, we don't call Bluffton better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Bluffton directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Indiana 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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