Health · Garfield

Garfield, MI health

Garfield differs from Michigan on 7 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (9.8% vs 11.9%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (7.2% vs 8.7%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.6% vs 8.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 48634, 48650, 48652

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Garfield’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Garfield is healthier than 41% of U.S. towns and 54% of Michigan towns.

B-Self-rated healthCPhysical distressB-Mental distressC+ObesityC+DiabetesCSmokingB-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 41%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 54%

Towns with similar incomes, $72K–$121K (8,436)Healthier than 20%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Garfield is healthier than 41% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Garfield 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 Garfield 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. Garfield’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 Garfield 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 Garfield adults…

39 of every 100 Garfield adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 34.5–42.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Garfield, betterGarfield, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.8% Garfield
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.1% Garfield
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.7% Garfield
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.2% Garfield
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Garfield 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 15

working-age adults has no health insurance

Garfield 6.6% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Garfield adults are doing

1 in 3Garfield adults feel lonely

31.1% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 4Garfield adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.7% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 5Garfield adults lack social or emotional support

22.1% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 6Garfield adults are in frequent mental distress

17.4% · 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 8

Garfield adults worry about having enough food

13.1% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 10

Garfield adults worry about keeping their housing

9.8% · MI 11.9% · better

1 in 14

Garfield adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7.2% · MI 8.7% · better

1 in 14

Garfield adults lack reliable transportation

7% · MI 8.3% · better

12.2% of Garfield adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.1%

Thinking or memory14.6%

Hearing8.5%

Errands alone8.7%

Vision4.8%

Dressing or bathing3.9%

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

Around Garfield

Garfield and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.

31.3%38.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#7 of 12towns on this map, healthiest first

Mills33.8%

Beaver34.5%

Garfield37.6%

Fraser37.8%

Mount Forest38.2%

Care nearby

Saint Mary's Standish Community HospitalStandish · 15.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Mclaren Bay RegionBay City · 17.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Healthsource SaginawSaginaw · 22.3 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center GladwinGladwin · 24.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Great Lake Bay Health Centers Integrated Care MidlandMidland · 12.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers Bayside MonitorBay City · 12.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careGarfield's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Bay County · need score 14 of 25

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

! Mental healthGarfield's county is a federal shortage area.Bay/Arenac Counties · need score 8 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 Garfield. 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 Garfield

Measure	Garfield	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	38.6%	34.5–42.7%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	37.4%	33.2–41.7%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	37.6%	30.8–44.7%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	33.5%	30–37.1%	29.1%	worse
Depression	26.7%	23.2–30.8%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	11%	8.8–13.2%	10.2%	about the same
Asthma	11.5%	10.3–13%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.6%	9.7–11.7%	8.9%	worse
Diabetes	12.6%	10.9–14.6%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	9.5%	8.3–10.8%	8.1%	worse
Heart disease	8%	7.1–9%	7%	worse
Stroke	4%	3.6–4.4%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	16.2%	13.7–18.6%	14.6%	about the same
Binge drink	15.7%	13–18.7%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	25.8%	21.8–30.1%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	33.1%	27.7–38.6%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.4%	77.1–83.4%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	69.1%	65.9–72.2%	68%	about the same
Cholesterol check	88.4%	86.7–89.9%	87.4%	about the same
Colon screening	69.9%	65.4–74.1%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	77.7%	71–83.3%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79.1%	76.1–81.8%	77.6%	about the same
No health insurance	6.6%	5.4–7.9%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.1%	26.4–35.8%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	22.1%	18.9–25.5%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.4%	15.5–19.4%	17.6%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.5%	16.9–22.4%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.2%	13.5–17.2%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	13.1%	11–15.5%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	9.8%	8.2–11.4%	11.9%	better
Utility shut-off threat	7.2%	6.2–8.3%	8.7%	better
No reliable transportation	7%	6.1–8%	8.3%	better
Receive SNAP	12.2%	10.1–14.4%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	32.1%	28–36.4%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.1%	13.1–17.4%	14%
Thinking or memory	14.6%	12.9–16.5%	14.3%
Hearing	8.5%	7.6–9.6%	7.3%
Vision	4.8%	4.3–5.3%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	3.9%	3.5–4.4%	3.8%
Errands alone	8.7%	7.7–9.9%	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 Garfield door to door.

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

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