Health · Walker

Walker, IN health

On every measure CDC estimates, Walker looks like Indiana as a whole: no difference is outside the margin of error.

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 46392, 47978, 46310
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Walker’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Walker is healthier than 33% of U.S. towns and 51% of Indiana towns.

C+Self-rated healthC+Physical distressCMental distressC-ObesityC+DiabetesCSmokingB-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 33%
Less healthyHealthier
Indiana towns we grade (1,081)Healthier than 51%
Towns with similar incomes, $69K–$115K (9,001)Healthier than 15%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Walker is healthier than 33% 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, Walker 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 Walker 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. Walker’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 Walker 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 Walker adults…

39 of every 100 Walker adults have high blood pressure
Indiana: 38 in 100 · too close to call · margin 34.2–42.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Walker, betterWalker, worseToo close to callIndiana
Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.7% Walker
IN 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 40% Walker
IN 37.1%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.9% Walker
IN 16.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17% Walker
IN 15.7%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

78%
Yearly checkup
IN 80%
61%
Dentist visit
IN 61%
86%
Cholesterol check
IN 86%
66%
Colon screening
IN 66%
76%
Mammogram
IN 76%
78%
Taking BP meds
IN 77%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Walker 8.2% · Indiana 1 in 11 (8.9%)
Mind & connection

How Walker adults are doing

1 in 3Walker adults feel lonely
32.2% · Indiana 32.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Walker adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.4% · Indiana 25.1% · too close to call
1 in 4Walker adults lack social or emotional support
22.9% · Indiana 23.2% · too close to call
1 in 6Walker adults are in frequent mental distress
18% · 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 8
Walker adults worry about having enough food
12.8% · IN 14.7% · about the same
1 in 10
Walker adults worry about keeping their housing
10.2% · IN 11.2% · about the same
1 in 14
Walker adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.3% · IN 8.4% · about the same
1 in 14
Walker adults lack reliable transportation
6.9% · IN 7.7% · about the same

7.2% of Walker adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.6% across Indiana.

Disability

Living with a disability

31.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.6%
Thinking or memory15.3%
Hearing7.5%
Errands alone8.1%
Vision4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.7%

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

Around Walker

Walker 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 Walker.

Gillam: 39.8% Barkley: 40.7% Union: 41.4% Cass: 40.4% Kankakee: 41.2% Keener: 40.2% Wheatfield: 40.9% Railroad: 42% Hanging Grove: 40.5% Marion: 40.7% Newton: 40.7% Rich Grove: 39.6% White Post: 39.2% Jefferson: 39.2% Pleasant: 39.1% Lincoln: 42.5% Boone: 39.8% Roselawn: 42.2% Eagle Creek: 38.8% Dewey: 39.2% Wayne: 41.4% Walker: 40.8% Walker Gillam Barkley Union Cass Kankakee Keener Wheatfield Railroad Franciscan Health Rensselaer · Rensselaer · 10.8 miH Northshore Demotte Health Center · Demotte · 8.7 mi+ Valley Oaks Health Rensselaer · Rensselaer · 15.5 mi+
38.8%42.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#15 of 22towns on this map, healthiest first
Gillam39.8%
Keener40.2%
Cass40.4%
Barkley40.7%
Walker40.8%
Wheatfield40.9%
Kankakee41.2%
Union41.4%
Railroad42%
6 places to get careNearest ER 10.8 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 Walker

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

HNearest ERFranciscan Health RensselaerRensselaer · 10.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNorthshore Health CentersDemotte · 8.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.7 mi
Northshore Health Centers
2 sites · nearest in Demotte
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10.8 mi
Franciscan Health Rensselaer
Rensselaer · not rated
ERRural critical access
15.5 mi
Valley Oaks Health Rensselaer
Rensselaer · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
23.3 mi
Pinnacle Hospital
Crown Point · not rated
23.3 mi
Uchicago Medicine Northwest Indiana
Crown Point · not rated
ER
24 mi
Pulaski Memorial Hospital
Winamac · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careWalker is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careWalker is not a shortage area
! Mental healthWalker's county is a federal shortage area.Region 30 Mental Health · 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 Walker. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Walker
MeasureWalkerMarginIndiana
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure38.5%34.2–42.4%37.8%about the same
High cholesterol39.4%35–43.6%37.8%about the same
Obesity40.8%33–48.3%38.4%about the same
Arthritis30.4%27–33.6%28.3%about the same
Depression25.4%21.8–29%25.1%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)14.1%11.5–17%15.4%about the same
Asthma11.3%10–12.6%11.2%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9%8.1–9.8%8.3%about the same
Diabetes12.6%10.9–14.3%13%about the same
COPD8.7%7.7–9.7%8.1%about the same
Heart disease7.1%6.4–7.9%6.8%about the same
Stroke3.5%3.2–3.8%3.5%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17%14.7–19.6%15.7%about the same
Binge drink16.9%13.8–20%16.6%about the same
Get no exercise25.7%21.5–29.9%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours40%33.2–46.8%37.1%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup78%74.2–81.3%79.7%about the same
Dentist visit61.1%57.6–64.8%61.2%about the same
Cholesterol check86.2%84.2–87.8%85.8%about the same
Colon screening66.4%61.5–71.1%66.3%about the same
Mammogram75.6%67.9–82.3%76.4%about the same
Taking BP meds77.8%74.8–80.4%77.4%about the same
No health insurance8.2%6.8–9.6%8.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely32.2%27.4–37.2%32.8%about the same
Lack emotional support22.9%19.6–26.6%23.2%about the same
Frequent mental distress18%15.9–20.1%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health21%18.3–23.8%20.6%about the same
Frequent physical distress14.8%13.1–16.6%13.8%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity12.8%10.8–14.9%14.7%about the same
Housing insecurity10.2%8.7–11.8%11.2%about the same
Utility shut-off threat7.3%6.3–8.4%8.4%about the same
No reliable transportation6.9%6.1–7.8%7.7%about the same
Receive SNAP7.2%6.1–8.5%8.6%
Disability
Any disability31.8%27.9–36%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs14.6%12.7–16.6%14.2%
Thinking or memory15.3%13.6–17.2%15%
Hearing7.5%6.7–8.3%7.1%
Vision4.7%4.2–5.1%5%
Dressing or bathing3.7%3.3–4%3.7%
Errands alone8.1%7.2–9%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 Walker door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Indiana figure falls inside it, we don't call Walker better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Walker by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Walker by how much of its land each one covers.

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/15 · 2025-01-01