Health · Benton

Benton, MI health

Benton differs from Michigan on 10 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (81.2% vs 77.6%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (10.9% vs 8.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 49721 (all of Benton)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Benton’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Benton is healthier than 26% of U.S. towns.

CSelf-rated healthC-Physical distressB-Mental distressC-ObesityC-DiabetesCSmokingC+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 26%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 29%
Towns with similar incomes, $51K–$86K (9,500)Healthier than 28%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Benton 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 Benton 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. Benton’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 Benton 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 Benton adults…

42 of every 100 Benton adults have high blood pressure
Michigan: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 37.4–46.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Benton, betterBenton, worseToo close to callMichigan
Get no exerciseshare of adults 26.6% Benton
MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.7% Benton
MI 34.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.5% Benton
MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.9% Benton
MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%
Yearly checkup
MI 80%
66%
Dentist visit
MI 68%
89%
Cholesterol check
MI 87%
69%
Colon screening
MI 69%
74%
Mammogram
MI 77%
81%
Taking BP meds
MI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Benton 6.8% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Benton adults are doing

1 in 3Benton adults feel lonely
30.7% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Benton adults have been diagnosed with depression
27% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Benton adults lack social or emotional support
22.3% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Benton adults are in frequent mental distress
17.3% · 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
Benton adults worry about having enough food
14.5% · MI 15.4% · about the same
1 in 10
Benton adults worry about keeping their housing
10.3% · MI 11.9% · about the same
1 in 13
Benton adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.8% · MI 8.7% · about the same
1 in 13
Benton adults lack reliable transportation
7.9% · MI 8.3% · about the same

14.4% of Benton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

36%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.8%
Thinking or memory15.2%
Hearing10%
Errands alone9.8%
Vision5.7%
Dressing or bathing4.6%

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

Around Benton

Benton 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 Benton.

Inverness: 40.8% Cheboygan: 42.2% Grant: 40.8% Aloha: 40.8% Bearinger: 41.4% Mullett: 40.6% Beaugrand: 40.8% Munro: 37.9% Waverly: 42% Koehler: 41.9% North Allis: 42.4% Ocqueoc: 41.1% Benton: 40.8% Benton Inverness Cheboygan Grant Aloha Bearinger Alcona Health Center Cheboygan Campus · Cheboygan · 5.6 mi+
37.9%42.4%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#3 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first
Benton40.8%
Inverness40.8%
Grant40.8%
Aloha40.8%
Bearinger41.4%
Cheboygan42.2%
6 places to get careNearest ER 26.1 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 Benton

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

HNearest ERMackinac Straits Hospital and Health CenterSaint Ignace · 26.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMunson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital★★★★★ · 42.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careAlcona Citizens for HealthCheboygan · 5.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.6 mi
Alcona Citizens for Health
6 sites · nearest in Cheboygan
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
18.5 mi
Thunder Bay Community Health Service
2 sites · nearest in Onaway
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
26.1 mi
Mackinac Straits Hospital and Health Center
Saint Ignace · not rated
ERRural critical access
33.1 mi
Mclaren Northern Michigan
Petoskey · ★★★★★
ER
42.1 mi
Munson Healthcare Otsego Memorial Hospital
Gaylord · ★★★★★
47.9 mi
Charlevoix Area Hospital
Charlevoix · not rated
ERRural critical access
! Primary careBenton's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cheboygan County · need score 19 of 25
! Dental careBenton's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cheboygan County · need score 15 of 25
! Mental healthBenton's county is a federal shortage area.North Country Catchment Area · need score 10 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 Benton. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Benton
MeasureBentonMarginMichigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure41.9%37.4–46.4%36.7%worse
High cholesterol39.8%35.2–44.5%35.4%about the same
Obesity40.8%32.8–49.1%36.2%about the same
Arthritis36.2%32.4–40.1%29.1%worse
Depression27%23.2–31.2%25.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)12.6%10.2–15.4%10.2%about the same
Asthma11.8%10.4–13.4%11.5%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.7%10.7–12.9%8.9%worse
Diabetes14.3%12.4–16.4%11.9%worse
COPD10.9%9.8–12.1%8.1%worse
Heart disease9.4%8.4–10.3%7%worse
Stroke4.6%4.3–5%3.7%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.9%14.7–19.2%14.6%worse
Binge drink14.5%11.8–17.5%15.9%about the same
Get no exercise26.6%22.5–31.1%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.7%27.1–40.7%34.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup82.1%78.9–85.1%80.3%about the same
Dentist visit65.9%62.1–69.5%68%about the same
Cholesterol check88.5%87–90%87.4%about the same
Colon screening69.4%64.4–74.1%69%about the same
Mammogram74.4%66.1–81.6%76.9%about the same
Taking BP meds81.2%78.4–83.7%77.6%better
No health insurance6.8%5.7–7.9%6.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.7%25.6–35.8%32.4%about the same
Lack emotional support22.3%18.8–25.7%23.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.3%15.5–19.5%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health21.8%19.1–24.6%19.4%about the same
Frequent physical distress16.4%14.5–18.4%14%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity14.5%12.4–16.8%15.4%about the same
Housing insecurity10.3%8.8–11.9%11.9%about the same
Utility shut-off threat7.8%6.8–8.8%8.7%about the same
No reliable transportation7.9%6.9–8.8%8.3%about the same
Receive SNAP14.4%12.4–16.5%14.3%
Disability
Any disability36%31.6–40.6%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs17.8%15.6–20.1%14%
Thinking or memory15.2%13.6–17%14.3%
Hearing10%8.9–11.1%7.3%
Vision5.7%5.2–6.2%4.9%
Dressing or bathing4.6%4.2–5%3.8%
Errands alone9.8%8.8–10.9%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 Benton door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Michigan figure falls inside it, we don't call Benton better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Benton by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Benton 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01