Health · Isabella

Isabella, MI health

Isabella differs from Michigan on 7 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (15% vs 10.2%) and more adults without reliable transportation (10.1% vs 8.3%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 48878, 48858

CHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Isabella’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Isabella is healthier than 27% of U.S. towns.

C+Self-rated healthCPhysical distressDMental distressC-ObesityBDiabetesCSmokingC+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 27%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 32%

Towns with similar incomes, $46K–$77K (8,608)Healthier than 39%

About what its income would suggest. Isabella does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

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

36 of every 100 Isabella adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.1–40%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Isabella, betterIsabella, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 26.9% Isabella
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.9% Isabella
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.8% Isabella
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17% Isabella
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Isabella 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 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Isabella 7.5% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Isabella adults are doing

1 in 3Isabella adults feel lonely

35.8% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 3Isabella adults have been diagnosed with depression

29.2% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Isabella adults lack social or emotional support

23.1% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 5Isabella adults are in frequent mental distress

20.4% · 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 6

Isabella adults worry about having enough food

17.9% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 8

Isabella adults worry about keeping their housing

12.8% · MI 11.9% · about the same

1 in 10

Isabella adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

9.8% · MI 8.7% · about the same

1 in 10

Isabella adults lack reliable transportation

10.1% · MI 8.3% · worse

17.7% of Isabella adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.9%

Thinking or memory17.5%

Hearing8%

Errands alone10.3%

Vision5.6%

Dressing or bathing4.2%

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

Around Isabella

Isabella 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.

36.4%41.1%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#13 of 15towns on this map, healthiest first

Denver39.4%

Union40.2%

Vernon40.6%

Isabella40.9%

Nottawa41.1%

Care nearby

Mclaren Central MichiganMount Pleasant · 6.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center ClareClare · 9.6 mi · ★★★★★ Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center AlmaAlma · 21.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center GladwinGladwin · 25.3 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Women's Health Center of Isabella Citizens for HealthMount Pleasant · 6.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Isabella Citizens for HealthMount Pleasant · 6.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

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

! Dental careIsabella's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Isabella County · need score 20 of 25

! Mental healthIsabella's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Central Michigan MHCA · need score 19 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 Isabella. 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 Isabella

Measure	Isabella	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	36%	32.1–40%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	33.9%	29.9–37.9%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	40.9%	33.7–48.5%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	29%	25.8–32.2%	29.1%	about the same
Depression	29.2%	25.3–33.3%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	15%	12.6–18.3%	10.2%	worse
Asthma	12.1%	10.7–13.6%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.5%	7.7–9.4%	8.9%	about the same
Diabetes	11.7%	10.1–13.3%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	9.1%	8–10.2%	8.1%	about the same
Heart disease	7%	6.2–7.8%	7%	about the same
Stroke	3.6%	3.3–3.9%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17%	14.7–19.6%	14.6%	worse
Binge drink	16.8%	13.8–20.1%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	26.9%	22.7–31.5%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	34.9%	29.9–42.3%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.1%	75.6–82.3%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	63.5%	60.3–67.3%	68%	worse
Cholesterol check	83.3%	81.2–85.3%	87.4%	worse
Colon screening	67.1%	63–72.3%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	74.3%	68–81.9%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	73.9%	71–76.5%	77.6%	worse
No health insurance	7.5%	6.2–9%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	35.8%	30.2–41.7%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	23.1%	19.3–27.2%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	20.4%	18.1–22.8%	17.6%	worse
Fair or poor health	21.3%	18.5–24.1%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.3%	13.4–17.2%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	17.9%	15.1–20.9%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.8%	10.8–15%	11.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	9.8%	8.3–11.3%	8.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	10.1%	8.8–11.5%	8.3%	worse
Receive SNAP	17.7%	15–20.5%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	35.3%	30.9–39.9%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	14.9%	12.9–17%	14%
Thinking or memory	17.5%	15.5–19.6%	14.3%
Hearing	8%	7–8.9%	7.3%
Vision	5.6%	5.1–6.2%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	4.2%	3.7–4.6%	3.8%
Errands alone	10.3%	9.2–11.6%	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 Isabella door to door.

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

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