Health · Backus

Backus, MI health

Backus differs from Michigan on 15 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (83% vs 77.6%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (14.4% vs 8.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 48651, 48656

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 378 people are less certain, so we show Backus's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Backus 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 Backus adults…

47 of every 100 Backus adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 41.9–51.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Backus, betterBackus, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 32.3% Backus
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.2% Backus
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 13.1% Backus
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 20.1% Backus
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Backus 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 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Backus 7.6% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Backus adults are doing

1 in 3Backus adults feel lonely

30.9% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 4Backus adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.5% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 5Backus adults lack social or emotional support

21.8% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 6Backus adults are in frequent mental distress

17.9% · 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 6

Backus adults worry about having enough food

17.8% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 9

Backus adults worry about keeping their housing

11.7% · MI 11.9% · about the same

1 in 11

Backus adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

9.4% · MI 8.7% · about the same

1 in 11

Backus adults lack reliable transportation

9.1% · MI 8.3% · about the same

19.5% of Backus adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

40.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs22.2%

Thinking or memory16.7%

Hearing12%

Errands alone11.9%

Vision7.2%

Dressing or bathing6.1%

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

Around Backus

Backus 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 Backus.

37%42.9%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#14 of 15towns on this map, healthiest first

Higgins38.9%

Denton40.1%

Nester40.7%

Backus41.6%

Richfield42.9%

Care nearby

Mymichigan Medical Center West BranchWest Branch · 15.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center GladwinGladwin · 20.6 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Munson Healthcare Grayling HospitalGrayling · 28.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center ClareClare · 33.3 mi · ★★★★★ Directions Medicare profile

Midmichigan Health Park - Houghton LakeHoughton Lake · 13.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Sterling Area Health Center - West Branch ClinicWest Branch · 14.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careBackus's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Roscommon County · need score 16 of 25

! Dental careBackus's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Roscommon County · need score 18 of 25

! Mental healthBackus's county is a federal shortage area.North Central · need score 16 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 Backus. 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 Backus

Measure	Backus	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	46.6%	41.9–51.3%	36.7%	worse
High cholesterol	41.7%	37–46.6%	35.4%	worse
Obesity	41.6%	33.1–50.5%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	39.8%	35.7–44%	29.1%	worse
Depression	27.5%	23.5–31.6%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	17.1%	14–20.4%	10.2%	worse
Asthma	12.1%	10.6–13.6%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	12.6%	11.4–13.8%	8.9%	worse
Diabetes	17.2%	14.9–19.6%	11.9%	worse
COPD	14.4%	12.6–16.1%	8.1%	worse
Heart disease	11.8%	10.5–13%	7%	worse
Stroke	5.8%	5.3–6.4%	3.7%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	20.1%	17.3–23%	14.6%	worse
Binge drink	13.1%	10.7–15.9%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	32.3%	27.1–37.4%	24.9%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	33.2%	26.9–39.8%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	82.6%	79.4–85.4%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	61.4%	57.6–65%	68%	worse
Cholesterol check	88.6%	87–90%	87.4%	about the same
Colon screening	70.6%	65.8–75.1%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	72.5%	64.1–79.7%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	83%	80.3–85.4%	77.6%	better
No health insurance	7.6%	6.3–9%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.9%	25.8–36.3%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.8%	18.5–25.5%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.9%	15.8–20.1%	17.6%	about the same
Fair or poor health	26.8%	23.4–30.2%	19.4%	worse
Frequent physical distress	19.3%	17–21.6%	14%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	17.8%	15–20.8%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	11.7%	10–13.5%	11.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	9.4%	8.2–10.8%	8.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	9.1%	7.9–10.3%	8.3%	about the same
Receive SNAP	19.5%	16.7–22.4%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	40.4%	35.4–45.2%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	22.2%	19.4–25.1%	14%
Thinking or memory	16.7%	14.7–18.7%	14.3%
Hearing	12%	10.7–13.4%	7.3%
Vision	7.2%	6.5–8.1%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	6.1%	5.4–6.8%	3.8%
Errands alone	11.9%	10.6–13.3%	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 Backus door to door.

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

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Backus by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Backus 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.