Health · Amber

Amber, MI health

Amber differs from Michigan on 5 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults who have had cancer (11.2% vs 8.9%) and more adults with heart disease (8.7% vs 7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 49431, 49454

CHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Amber’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Amber is healthier than 33% of U.S. towns.

C+Self-rated healthCPhysical distressC+Mental distressC-ObesityCDiabetesC+SmokingB-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 33%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 42%

Towns with similar incomes, $53K–$88K (9,637)Healthier than 36%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Amber 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 Michigan 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 Amber 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. Amber’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 Amber compares with Michigan

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 Amber adults…

40 of every 100 Amber adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35.7–44.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Amber, betterAmber, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.3% Amber
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.7% Amber
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.1% Amber
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.9% Amber
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

MI 80%

Dentist visit

MI 68%

Cholesterol check

MI 87%

Colon screening

MI 69%

Mammogram

MI 77%

Taking BP meds

MI 78%

1 in 14

working-age adults has no health insurance

Amber 6.9% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Amber adults are doing

1 in 3Amber adults feel lonely

30.7% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 4Amber adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.1% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 5Amber adults lack social or emotional support

21.4% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 6Amber adults are in frequent mental distress

17.5% · Michigan 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

Amber adults worry about having enough food

14.3% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 10

Amber adults worry about keeping their housing

10.4% · MI 11.9% · about the same

1 in 13

Amber adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8% · MI 8.7% · about the same

1 in 13

Amber adults lack reliable transportation

7.8% · MI 8.3% · about the same

14.3% of Amber adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.6%

Thinking or memory15%

Hearing9.2%

Errands alone9.5%

Vision5.4%

Dressing or bathing4.3%

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

Around Amber

Amber 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 Amber.

38.9%41.9%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#7 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first

Riverton39.9%

Pere Marquette40.3%

Amber40.6%

Victory40.7%

Custer41.4%

Scottville41.5%

Care nearby

Corewell Health Ludington HospitalLudington · 3.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Munson Healthcare Manistee HospitalManistee · 21.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mercy Health Lakeshore CampusShelby · 24.3 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Corewell Health Gerber HospitalFremont · 39.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Northwest Michigan Health ServicesManistee · 21.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Baldwin Family Health CareBaldwin · 24.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careAmber's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mason County · need score 13 of 25

! Dental careAmber's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mason County · need score 15 of 25

! Mental healthAmber's county is a federal shortage area.Mason County · need score 15 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 Amber. 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 Amber

Measure	Amber	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	39.9%	35.7–44.3%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	38.2%	33.8–42.6%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	40.6%	32.5–48.7%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	35.3%	31.7–39.1%	29.1%	worse
Depression	27.1%	23.2–31%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	11.3%	9.1–13.8%	10.2%	about the same
Asthma	11.7%	10.3–13.1%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	11.2%	10.1–12.2%	8.9%	worse
Diabetes	13.5%	11.7–15.5%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	10%	8.8–11.4%	8.1%	worse
Heart disease	8.7%	7.7–9.6%	7%	worse
Stroke	4.3%	3.9–4.7%	3.7%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.9%	13.6–18.4%	14.6%	about the same
Binge drink	15.1%	12.4–18.1%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	25.3%	21–29.9%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	33.7%	27.4–40.2%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.4%	78.1–84.2%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	66.6%	63.1–70.1%	68%	about the same
Cholesterol check	88.1%	86.6–89.5%	87.4%	about the same
Colon screening	71.3%	66.4–75.7%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	76.2%	68.7–82.6%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	80.2%	77.5–82.7%	77.6%	about the same
No health insurance	6.9%	5.8–8.1%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.7%	26.1–36.3%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.4%	18.4–25.3%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.5%	15.4–19.6%	17.6%	about the same
Fair or poor health	20.7%	18–23.6%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.7%	13.8–17.7%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	14.3%	12.1–17%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10.4%	8.9–12.3%	11.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8%	6.9–9.3%	8.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.8%	6.8–8.9%	8.3%	about the same
Receive SNAP	14.3%	12.1–16.9%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	34.9%	30.4–39.5%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	16.6%	14.5–19%	14%
Thinking or memory	15%	13.2–16.9%	14.3%
Hearing	9.2%	8.2–10.3%	7.3%
Vision	5.4%	4.8–6%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	4.3%	3.9–4.8%	3.8%
Errands alone	9.5%	8.4–10.7%	8.6%

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 Amber door to door.

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

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Amber by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Amber by how much of its land each one covers.

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