Health · Custer

Custer, MI health

Custer differs from Michigan on 8 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (15.5% vs 10.2%) and more adults with COPD (10% vs 8.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 49405, 49454
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Custer’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Custer is healthier than 26% of U.S. towns, and than 47% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthC-Physical distressCMental distressDObesityCDiabetesC-SmokingB-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 26%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 30%
Towns with similar incomes, $42K–$70K (7,141)Healthier than 47%

Better than its income would suggest. Custer 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, Custer 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 Custer 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. Custer’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 Custer 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 Custer adults…

39 of every 100 Custer adults have high blood pressure
Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 34.5–43%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Custer, betterCuster, worseToo close to callMichigan
Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.7% Custer
MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 35.1% Custer
MI 34.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16% Custer
MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.4% Custer
MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
MI 80%
64%
Dentist visit
MI 68%
87%
Cholesterol check
MI 87%
69%
Colon screening
MI 69%
75%
Mammogram
MI 77%
79%
Taking BP meds
MI 78%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Custer 7.2% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Custer adults are doing

1 in 3Custer adults feel lonely
31.7% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Custer adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.7% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Custer adults lack social or emotional support
22.6% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call
1 in 5Custer adults are in frequent mental distress
18.5% · 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
Custer adults worry about having enough food
15.3% · MI 15.4% · about the same
1 in 9
Custer adults worry about keeping their housing
11.3% · MI 11.9% · about the same
1 in 12
Custer adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.5% · MI 8.7% · about the same
1 in 12
Custer adults lack reliable transportation
8.2% · MI 8.3% · about the same

15.1% of Custer adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

35%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.2%
Thinking or memory15.9%
Hearing8.9%
Errands alone9.7%
Vision5.4%
Dressing or bathing4.3%

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

Around Custer

Custer 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 Custer.

Scottville: 41.5% Eden: 41.4% Sherman: 41.3% Branch: 41.5% Amber: 40.6% Riverton: 39.9% Logan: 41.5% Crystal: 40.8% Sheridan: 41.5% Victory: 40.7% Free Soil: 41% Sweetwater: 41.6% Sauble: 40.2% Pere Marquette: 40.3% Weare: 38.9% Summit: 39.4% Custer: 41.4% Custer Scottville Eden Sherman Branch Amber Riverton Corewell Health Ludington Hospital · Ludington · 9.9 mi · 4★ MedicareH
38.9%41.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 17towns on this map, healthiest first
Riverton39.9%
Amber40.6%
Sherman41.3%
Custer41.4%
Eden41.4%
Scottville41.5%
Branch41.5%
6 places to get careNearest ER 9.9 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 Custer

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

HNearest ERCorewell Health Ludington HospitalLudington · 9.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMunson Healthcare Manistee Hospital★★★★★ · 22.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBaldwin Family Health CareBaldwin · 18.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.9 mi
Corewell Health Ludington Hospital
Ludington · ★★★★★
ER
18.3 mi
Baldwin Family Health Care
6 sites · nearest in Baldwin
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
22.6 mi
Northwest Michigan Health Services
2 sites · nearest in Manistee
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
22.8 mi
Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital
Manistee · ★★★★★
ER
24.5 mi
Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus
Shelby · not rated
ERRural critical access
34.8 mi
Corewell Health Reed City Hospital
Reed City · not rated
ERRural critical access
! Primary careCuster's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mason County · need score 13 of 25
! Dental careCuster's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mason County · need score 15 of 25
! Mental healthCuster's county is a federal shortage area.Mason County · need score 15 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 Custer. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Custer
MeasureCusterMarginMichigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure38.8%34.5–43%36.7%about the same
High cholesterol37.1%32.7–41.4%35.4%about the same
Obesity41.4%33.4–49.6%36.2%about the same
Arthritis33.7%30.3–37.3%29.1%worse
Depression27.7%23.8–31.8%25.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)15.5%12.7–18.8%10.2%worse
Asthma11.8%10.4–13.2%11.5%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.1%9.2–11.1%8.9%worse
Diabetes13.2%11.4–15.1%11.9%about the same
COPD10%8.7–11.3%8.1%worse
Heart disease8.4%7.4–9.3%7%worse
Stroke4.1%3.8–4.6%3.7%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17.4%14.7–20.2%14.6%worse
Binge drink16%13.1–19.1%15.9%about the same
Get no exercise25.7%21.3–30.3%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours35.1%28.8–41.8%34.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup80.1%76.5–83.2%80.3%about the same
Dentist visit64.3%60.6–67.9%68%worse
Cholesterol check87%85.2–88.6%87.4%about the same
Colon screening69%64–73.5%69%about the same
Mammogram75.4%67.7–82.1%76.9%about the same
Taking BP meds78.7%75.7–81.3%77.6%about the same
No health insurance7.2%5.9–8.7%6.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.7%26.9–37.4%32.4%about the same
Lack emotional support22.6%19.3–26.6%23.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress18.5%16.3–20.8%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health21.2%18.4–24.2%19.4%about the same
Frequent physical distress15.9%14–17.9%14%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity15.3%12.8–18.2%15.4%about the same
Housing insecurity11.3%9.5–13.3%11.9%about the same
Utility shut-off threat8.5%7.3–10%8.7%about the same
No reliable transportation8.2%7.1–9.5%8.3%about the same
Receive SNAP15.1%12.5–17.9%14.3%
Disability
Any disability35%30.4–39.5%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs16.2%14.1–18.4%14%
Thinking or memory15.9%14–17.9%14.3%
Hearing8.9%7.9–10%7.3%
Vision5.4%4.8–6%4.9%
Dressing or bathing4.3%3.9–4.9%3.8%
Errands alone9.7%8.5–10.9%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 Custer door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Michigan figure falls inside it, we don't call Custer better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Custer by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Custer 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