Health · Porter

Porter, IN health

Porter differs from Indiana on 8 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (10.1% vs 15.4%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (11.5% vs 14.7%).

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

Porter’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Porter is healthier than 51% of U.S. towns and 80% of Indiana towns.

BSelf-rated healthBPhysical distressB-Mental distressC-ObesityB-DiabetesB-SmokingBExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 51%
Less healthyHealthier
Indiana towns we grade (1,081)Healthier than 80%
Towns with similar incomes, $56K–$93K (9,880)Healthier than 58%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Porter could be anywhere from C− 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 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 Porter 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. Porter 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 Porter 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 Porter adults…

38 of every 100 Porter adults have high blood pressure
Indiana: 38 in 100 · too close to call · margin 34.3–41.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Porter, betterPorter, worseToo close to callIndiana
Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.2% Porter
IN 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 36.7% Porter
IN 37.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.5% Porter
IN 16.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.8% Porter
IN 15.7%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
IN 80%
67%
Dentist visit
IN 61%
87%
Cholesterol check
IN 86%
66%
Colon screening
IN 66%
75%
Mammogram
IN 76%
76%
Taking BP meds
IN 77%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Porter 7% · Indiana 1 in 11 (8.9%)
Mind & connection

How Porter adults are doing

1 in 3Porter adults feel lonely
30.4% · Indiana 32.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Porter adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.7% · Indiana 25.1% · too close to call
1 in 5Porter adults lack social or emotional support
21% · Indiana 23.2% · too close to call
1 in 6Porter adults are in frequent mental distress
17.1% · 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 9
Porter adults worry about having enough food
11.5% · IN 14.7% · better
1 in 11
Porter adults worry about keeping their housing
9.5% · IN 11.2% · better
1 in 14
Porter adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7% · IN 8.4% · better
1 in 16
Porter adults lack reliable transportation
6.4% · IN 7.7% · better

6.2% of Porter adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.

Disability

Living with a disability

28.2%

of Porter adults live with a disability (Indiana 31.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.6%
Thinking or memory13.6%
Hearing6.5%
Errands alone7%
Vision4.2%
Dressing or bathing3.2%

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

Around Porter

Porter 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 Porter.

Chesterton: 39.5% Dune Acres: 38.4% Burns Harbor: 40.9% Liberty: 39.3% Westchester: 39.5% Portage: 42.6% Portage: 41.7% Porter: 40.3% Porter Chesterton Dune Acres Burns Harbor Northwest Health - Porter · Valparaiso · 5.6 mi · 2★ MedicareH Northshore Chesterton Health Center · Chesterton · 1.5 mi+ Marram Health Center Portage · Portage · 6.9 mi+
38.4%42.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#5 of 8towns on this map, healthiest first
Dune Acres38.4%
Chesterton39.5%
Porter40.3%
Burns Harbor40.9%
6 places to get careNearest ER 5.6 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 Porter

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

HNearest ERNorthwest Health - PorterValparaiso · 5.6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyFranciscan Health Michigan City★★★★★ · 11.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNorthshore Health CentersChesterton · 1.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.5 mi
Northshore Health Centers
4 sites · nearest in Chesterton
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
5.6 mi
Northwest Health - Porter
Valparaiso · ★★★★★
ER
6.9 mi
Marram Health Center Portage
Portage · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
11.8 mi
Franciscan Health Michigan City
Michigan City · ★★★★★
ER
12 mi
St. Mary Medical Center
Hobart · ★★★★★
ER
14.3 mi
Methodist Hospitals
Gary · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary carePorter is not a shortage area
✓ Dental carePorter is not a shortage area
! Mental healthPorter's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 21 - Porter and Starke Counties · need score 9 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 Porter. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Porter
MeasurePorterMarginIndiana
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure37.6%34.3–41.3%37.8%about the same
High cholesterol38.7%35.1–42.4%37.8%about the same
Obesity40.3%35–45.9%38.4%about the same
Arthritis28.5%25.8–31.6%28.3%about the same
Depression24.7%21.5–28.1%25.1%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)10.1%8.2–12.2%15.4%better
Asthma11.3%10–12.6%11.2%about the same
Cancer (not skin)8.2%7.4–9%8.3%about the same
Diabetes12.1%10.5–13.8%13%about the same
COPD7.2%6.2–8.3%8.1%about the same
Heart disease6.2%5.5–6.9%6.8%about the same
Stroke3.1%2.7–3.4%3.5%better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.8%12.4–17.5%15.7%about the same
Binge drink16.5%13.8–19.4%16.6%about the same
Get no exercise24.2%20.4–28.1%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours36.7%31.9–41.7%37.1%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.6%76.4–82.4%79.7%about the same
Dentist visit67.1%63.9–70.2%61.2%better
Cholesterol check87.2%85.4–88.8%85.8%about the same
Colon screening65.7%61.2–70.1%66.3%about the same
Mammogram74.5%67.5–80.8%76.4%about the same
Taking BP meds75.5%72.5–78.3%77.4%about the same
No health insurance7%5.7–8.3%8.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.4%26.5–34.6%32.8%about the same
Lack emotional support21%18.1–24.2%23.2%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.1%15.1–19.3%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health18.1%15.6–20.8%20.6%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.3%11.6–15.1%13.8%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity11.5%9.5–13.7%14.7%better
Housing insecurity9.5%8–11.1%11.2%better
Utility shut-off threat7%6–8.1%8.4%better
No reliable transportation6.4%5.5–7.3%7.7%better
Receive SNAP6.2%5–7.5%8.6%
Disability
Any disability28.2%24.6–32.1%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs12.6%10.8–14.6%14.2%
Thinking or memory13.6%11.8–15.5%15%
Hearing6.5%5.7–7.4%7.1%
Vision4.2%3.7–4.7%5%
Dressing or bathing3.2%2.9–3.7%3.7%
Errands alone7%6–8%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 Porter door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Indiana figure falls inside it, we don't call Porter better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Porter 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01