Health · Big Rapids

Big Rapids, MI health

Big Rapids differs from Michigan on 9 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (7.8% vs 8.9%) and fewer adults with high blood pressure (32.4% vs 36.7%). Where it trails the state: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (14% vs 10.2%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 49307 (all of Big Rapids)

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Big Rapids’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Big Rapids is healthier than 44% of U.S. towns, and than 64% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthB-Physical distressDMental distressBObesityB+DiabetesC+SmokingB-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 44%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 58%

Towns with similar incomes, $48K–$80K (8,865)Healthier than 64%

Better than its income would suggest. Big Rapids is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.

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

32 of every 100 Big Rapids adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · better · margin 29–35.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Big Rapids, betterBig Rapids, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.5% Big Rapids
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.6% Big Rapids
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 17.4% Big Rapids
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.4% Big Rapids
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Big Rapids 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

Big Rapids 7% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Big Rapids adults are doing

1 in 3Big Rapids adults feel lonely

35% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 3Big Rapids adults have been diagnosed with depression

30.7% · Michigan 25.7% · worse

1 in 4Big Rapids adults lack social or emotional support

22.6% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 5Big Rapids adults are in frequent mental distress

20.9% · Michigan 17.6% · worse

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

Big Rapids adults worry about having enough food

17.4% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 8

Big Rapids adults worry about keeping their housing

12.3% · MI 11.9% · about the same

1 in 10

Big Rapids adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

9.7% · MI 8.7% · about the same

1 in 10

Big Rapids adults lack reliable transportation

10.3% · MI 8.3% · worse

17.8% of Big Rapids adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.2%

of Big Rapids adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13.9%

Thinking or memory18.1%

Hearing7.5%

Errands alone10.5%

Vision5.5%

Dressing or bathing4%

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

Around Big Rapids

Big Rapids 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 Big Rapids.

35.7%39.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#1 of 15towns on this map, healthiest first

Big Rapids35.7%

Colfax35.9%

Mecosta36.6%

Norwich36.8%

Green37.4%

Care in and near Big Rapids

1 community health center in Big Rapids, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.

Corewell Health Big Rapids HospitalBig Rapids · 1.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Corewell Health Reed City HospitalReed City · 13.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Corewell Health Gerber HospitalFremont · 26.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Spectrum Health United HospitalGreenville · 36.8 mi · ★★★★★ Directions Medicare profile

Family Health Care - Big RapidsBig Rapids · 0.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Farwell Health CenterFarwell · 33.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careBig Rapids's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mecosta/Osceola Counties · need score 15 of 25

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

! Mental healthBig Rapids's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Central Michigan MHCA · need score 19 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 Big Rapids. 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 Big Rapids

Measure	Big Rapids	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	32.4%	29–35.9%	36.7%	better
High cholesterol	31.9%	28.4–35.5%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	35.7%	29.1–42.9%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	26.5%	23.9–29.3%	29.1%	about the same
Depression	30.7%	26.8–34.8%	25.7%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	14%	11.6–16.6%	10.2%	worse
Asthma	12.2%	10.9–13.6%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	7.8%	7.2–8.5%	8.9%	better
Diabetes	10.5%	9.2–11.9%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	8.7%	7.9–9.7%	8.1%	about the same
Heart disease	6.8%	6.2–7.5%	7%	about the same
Stroke	3.4%	3.2–3.7%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.4%	13.5–17.4%	14.6%	about the same
Binge drink	17.4%	14.5–20.6%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	25.5%	21.7–29.4%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	34.6%	28.7–40.5%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.2%	74.7–81.4%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	64%	60.5–67.2%	68%	worse
Cholesterol check	81.7%	79.5–83.7%	87.4%	worse
Colon screening	68.4%	63.7–72.5%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	74.1%	66.7–80.4%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	74%	71.8–76.1%	77.6%	worse
No health insurance	7%	5.9–8.2%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	35%	29.8–40.4%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	22.6%	19.2–26.3%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	20.9%	18.8–23.1%	17.6%	worse
Fair or poor health	20.4%	18–22.8%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14.4%	12.8–16%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	17.4%	14.7–20.3%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.3%	10.4–14.2%	11.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	9.7%	8.4–11.1%	8.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	10.3%	9–11.7%	8.3%	worse
Receive SNAP	17.8%	15.3–20.4%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	35.2%	31.1–39.4%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	13.9%	12.4–15.6%	14%
Thinking or memory	18.1%	16.2–20%	14.3%
Hearing	7.5%	6.7–8.3%	7.3%
Vision	5.5%	5.1–6%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	4%	3.7–4.4%	3.8%
Errands alone	10.5%	9.4–11.6%	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 Big Rapids door to door.

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

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