Health · Dowagiac

Dowagiac, MI health

Dowagiac differs from Michigan on 15 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (16.2% vs 10.2%) and more adults facing a utility shut-off (12.1% vs 8.7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Dowagiac

C-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁻

Dowagiac’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Dowagiac is healthier than 16% of U.S. towns, and than 42% of towns with similar incomes.

C-Self-rated healthC-Physical distressDMental distressCObesityCDiabetesDSmokingCExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 16%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 11%

Towns with similar incomes, $36K–$60K (4,778)Healthier than 42%

Better than its income would suggest. Dowagiac 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, Dowagiac 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 Dowagiac 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. Dowagiac uses CDC’s own estimate for it. 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 Dowagiac 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 Dowagiac adults…

38 of every 100 Dowagiac adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.4–41.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dowagiac, betterDowagiac, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 29.9% Dowagiac
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 37.4% Dowagiac
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.5% Dowagiac
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 19.1% Dowagiac
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Dowagiac 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 11

working-age adults has no health insurance

Dowagiac 9.2% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Dowagiac adults are doing

1 in 3Dowagiac adults feel lonely

34.8% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 3Dowagiac adults have been diagnosed with depression

28.9% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Dowagiac adults lack social or emotional support

25.6% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 5Dowagiac adults are in frequent mental distress

20.8% · 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 5

Dowagiac adults worry about having enough food

21.4% · MI 15.4% · worse

1 in 6

Dowagiac adults worry about keeping their housing

15.9% · MI 11.9% · worse

1 in 8

Dowagiac adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

12.1% · MI 8.7% · worse

1 in 9

Dowagiac adults lack reliable transportation

11.4% · MI 8.3% · worse

21.8% of Dowagiac adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

37%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.9%

Thinking or memory18.5%

Hearing8%

Errands alone11.3%

Vision6.5%

Dressing or bathing5%

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

Around Dowagiac

Dowagiac 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 Dowagiac.

36.6%41.4%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#12 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first

LaGrange37.3%

Silver Creek37.3%

Wayne37.4%

Pokagon37.5%

Dowagiac39.2%

Care in and near Dowagiac

1 hospital in Dowagiac, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.

Ascension Borgess Lee HospitalDowagiac · 0.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Corewell Health Watervliet HospitalWatervliet · 15.6 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Elkhart General HospitalElkhart · 19.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Unity Physicians HospitalMishawaka · 19.7 mi Directions Medicare profile

Cass Family Clinic DowagiacDowagiac · 2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Intercare Eau ClaireEau Claire · 9.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

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

! Dental careDowagiac's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME-Cass County · need score 15 of 25

! Mental healthDowagiac's county is a federal shortage area.Cass County · need score 14 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 Dowagiac. 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 Dowagiac

Measure	Dowagiac	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	37.6%	33.4–41.8%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	35.1%	31–39.2%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	39.2%	31.2–47.4%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	30.3%	27.1–33.6%	29.1%	about the same
Depression	28.9%	25–33%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	16.2%	13.3–19.4%	10.2%	worse
Asthma	12.8%	11.4–14.4%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.1%	7.4–8.9%	8.9%	about the same
Diabetes	13.2%	11.5–15%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	10.1%	9–11.2%	8.1%	worse
Heart disease	7.5%	6.8–8.3%	7%	about the same
Stroke	4.2%	3.9–4.6%	3.7%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	19.1%	16.7–21.8%	14.6%	worse
Binge drink	15.5%	12.7–18.6%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	29.9%	25.3–34.8%	24.9%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	37.4%	30.8–44%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.6%	75–81.9%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	61.6%	57.9–65%	68%	worse
Cholesterol check	84.2%	82.2–86.1%	87.4%	worse
Colon screening	64.7%	59.5–69.5%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	72.7%	64.3–79.8%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	75.9%	73.1–78.6%	77.6%	about the same
No health insurance	9.2%	7.9–10.8%	6.9%	worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	34.8%	28.9–41.1%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	25.6%	21.5–30.1%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	20.8%	18.6–23.2%	17.6%	worse
Fair or poor health	24.2%	21.3–27.2%	19.4%	worse
Frequent physical distress	16.4%	14.5–18.4%	14%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	21.4%	18.3–24.9%	15.4%	worse
Housing insecurity	15.9%	13.5–18.5%	11.9%	worse
Utility shut-off threat	12.1%	10.5–14%	8.7%	worse
No reliable transportation	11.4%	10–13%	8.3%	worse
Receive SNAP	21.8%	18.9–24.9%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	37%	32.5–41.6%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	16.9%	14.8–19%	14%
Thinking or memory	18.5%	16.5–20.6%	14.3%
Hearing	8%	7.1–8.9%	7.3%
Vision	6.5%	5.9–7.2%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	5%	4.5–5.5%	3.8%
Errands alone	11.3%	10.1–12.6%	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 Dowagiac door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Dowagiac directly, so these are its own figures.

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.