Health in Custer
Custer differs from Michigan on 7 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (16.7% vs 10.2%) and more adults with COPD (10.1% vs 8.1%).
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Custer. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Custer
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
Care in and near Custer
No hospital or community health center in Custer itself. These are the nearest.
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; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Michigan
Share of adults, with the Michigan figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Out of every 100 Custer adults…
Custer runs above MI on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Custer is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Michigan. Copd, arthritis and cancer (not skin) rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Custer as about how healthy they are.
Custer’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Custer is healthier than 41% of U.S. towns and 54% of Michigan towns.
About what its income would suggest. Custer does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
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 the 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): A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D and D− the bottom 15%. There’s no F.
- 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. 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.
Keeping up with care
Share of Custer adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Michigan.
How Custer adults are doing
About the same as Michigan on each measure.
1 in 3 Custer adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
16.3% of Custer adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Custer adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
All 40 CDC measures for Custer
| Measure | Custer | Likely range | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 38.9% | 34.5–43.3% | 36.7% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 36.8% | 32.4–41.2% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 42.4% | 34.2–50.6% | 36.2% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 34.6% | 30.8–38.3% | 29.1% | worse |
| Depression | 28.1% | 24.1–32.2% | 25.7% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 16.7% | 13.9–20.2% | 10.2% | worse |
| Asthma | 12% | 10.6–13.5% | 11.5% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 10.2% | 9.2–11.3% | 8.9% | worse |
| Diabetes | 13% | 11.1–14.9% | 11.9% | about the same |
| COPD | 10.1% | 8.6–11.8% | 8.1% | worse |
| Heart disease | 7.8% | 7–8.9% | 7% | about the same |
| Stroke | 4.2% | 3.7–4.7% | 3.7% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.2% | 15–21.5% | 14.6% | worse |
| Binge drink | 15.8% | 13–18.8% | 15.9% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 26.6% | 21.9–31.5% | 24.9% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.1% | 28.8–41.8% | 34.7% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 80.3% | 76.8–83.4% | 80.3% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 64.7% | 61.1–68.1% | 68% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 87.8% | 85.9–89.5% | 87.4% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 63.7% | 58.6–68.6% | 69% | worse |
| Mammogram | 75.4% | 67.6–82.2% | 76.9% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 78.3% | 75.1–81.1% | 77.6% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 7.2% | 5.6–9% | 6.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 31.4% | 26.2–37.3% | 32.4% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 22.4% | 18.8–26.8% | 23.1% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 18.6% | 16.3–21% | 17.6% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 21.6% | 18.4–25.1% | 19.4% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 16.4% | 14.2–18.6% | 14% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 15.9% | 12.7–19.3% | 15.4% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 11.9% | 9.8–14.2% | 11.9% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 9.2% | 7.7–10.8% | 8.7% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 8.2% | 6.9–9.6% | 8.3% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 16.3% | 13.1–19.6% | 14.3% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.2% | 30.4–40% | 31.1% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 17% | 14.4–19.7% | 14% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15.9% | 13.7–18.3% | 14.3% | |
| Hearing | 8.6% | 7.6–9.7% | 7.3% | |
| Vision | 5.6% | 4.9–6.4% | 4.9% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.6% | 4–5.3% | 3.8% | |
| Errands alone | 10.2% | 8.7–11.7% | 8.6% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC 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.
Every figure has a likely range. When the Michigan figure falls inside it, we don’t call Custer better or worse.
CDC publishes Custer directly, so these are its own figures.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Custer.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Michigan figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.