Health · Fork

Fork, MI health

Fork differs from Michigan on 12 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (80.4% vs 77.6%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (11.4% vs 8.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 49305, 49679
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Fork’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Fork is healthier than 21% of U.S. towns, and than 38% of towns with similar incomes.

C-Self-rated healthDPhysical distressC+Mental distressC+ObesityC-DiabetesC-SmokingCExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 21%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 20%
Towns with similar incomes, $42K–$70K (7,141)Healthier than 38%

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

42 of every 100 Fork adults have high blood pressure
Michigan: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 38–45.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Fork, betterFork, worseToo close to callMichigan
Get no exerciseshare of adults 29% Fork
MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.3% Fork
MI 34.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15% Fork
MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 18.1% Fork
MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%
Yearly checkup
MI 80%
65%
Dentist visit
MI 68%
88%
Cholesterol check
MI 87%
69%
Colon screening
MI 69%
74%
Mammogram
MI 77%
80%
Taking BP meds
MI 78%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Fork 7.4% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Fork adults are doing

1 in 3Fork adults feel lonely
31.9% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Fork adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.5% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Fork adults lack social or emotional support
23% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Fork adults are in frequent mental distress
17.9% · 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 6
Fork adults worry about having enough food
15.4% · MI 15.4% · about the same
1 in 9
Fork adults worry about keeping their housing
10.9% · MI 11.9% · about the same
1 in 12
Fork adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.3% · MI 8.7% · about the same
1 in 12
Fork adults lack reliable transportation
8.2% · MI 8.3% · about the same

15.4% of Fork adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

37.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs18.3%
Thinking or memory16%
Hearing10%
Errands alone10.2%
Vision5.9%
Dressing or bathing4.8%

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

Around Fork

Fork 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 Fork.

Coldwater: 39.8% Sheridan: 38.7% Chippewa: 39% Orient: 38% Gilmore: 39.9% Sherman: 41.1% Garfield: 40% Martiny: 36.9% Wheatland: 38.8% Grant: 36.7% Evart: 39.9% Sylvan: 38.8% Fork: 38.3% Fork Coldwater Sheridan Chippewa Orient Farwell Health Center · Farwell · 15 mi+
36.7%41.1%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#4 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first
Orient38%
Fork38.3%
Sheridan38.7%
Chippewa39%
Coldwater39.8%
6 places to get careNearest ER 17.2 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 Fork

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

HNearest ERCorewell Health Big Rapids HospitalBig Rapids · 17.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMclaren Central Michigan★★★★★ · 22.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careIsabella Citizens for HealthFarwell · 15 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
15 mi
Isabella Citizens for Health
3 sites · nearest in Farwell
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.2 mi
Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital
Big Rapids · ★★★★★
ER
18.3 mi
Baldwin Family Health Care
4 sites · nearest in Big Rapids
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
19.2 mi
Mymichigan Medical Center Clare
Clare · ★★★★★
20.3 mi
Corewell Health Reed City Hospital
Reed City · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.5 mi
Mclaren Central Michigan
Mount Pleasant · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careFork's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mecosta/Osceola Counties · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careFork's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Mecosta County · need score 18 of 25
! Mental healthFork's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Central Michigan MHCA · need score 19 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 Fork. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Fork
MeasureForkMarginMichigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure41.8%38–45.8%36.7%worse
High cholesterol39.4%35.4–43.5%35.4%about the same
Obesity38.3%31.4–45.7%36.2%about the same
Arthritis35.7%32.5–39.2%29.1%worse
Depression27.5%24–31.2%25.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)14%11.6–16.7%10.2%worse
Asthma11.6%10.4–12.9%11.5%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.1%10.1–12.2%8.9%worse
Diabetes14.2%12.4–16.1%11.9%worse
COPD11.4%9.9–12.8%8.1%worse
Heart disease9.6%8.5–10.6%7%worse
Stroke4.7%4.2–5.2%3.7%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes18.1%15.7–21%14.6%worse
Binge drink15%12.5–17.7%15.9%about the same
Get no exercise29%24.9–33.5%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.3%28.6–40.3%34.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup81.3%78.3–84.1%80.3%about the same
Dentist visit64.9%61.5–68.3%68%about the same
Cholesterol check87.7%86.1–89.2%87.4%about the same
Colon screening68.6%64.1–73%69%about the same
Mammogram73.8%66.1–80.3%76.9%about the same
Taking BP meds80.4%77.9–82.8%77.6%better
No health insurance7.4%6–8.9%6.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.9%27.1–36.8%32.4%about the same
Lack emotional support23%19.6–26.5%23.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.9%16–19.9%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health23.2%20.2–26.3%19.4%worse
Frequent physical distress16.9%15–18.9%14%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity15.4%12.9–18.1%15.4%about the same
Housing insecurity10.9%9.2–12.7%11.9%about the same
Utility shut-off threat8.3%7.1–9.5%8.7%about the same
No reliable transportation8.2%7.2–9.3%8.3%about the same
Receive SNAP15.4%12.9–17.9%14.3%
Disability
Any disability37.7%33.4–42.1%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs18.3%16–20.8%14%
Thinking or memory16%14.2–18%14.3%
Hearing10%9–11.1%7.3%
Vision5.9%5.3–6.6%4.9%
Dressing or bathing4.8%4.3–5.4%3.8%
Errands alone10.2%8.9–11.4%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 Fork door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Michigan figure falls inside it, we don't call Fork better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Fork by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Fork 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