Health · Monitor

Monitor, MI health

Monitor differs from Michigan on 5 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing housing insecurity (10% vs 11.9%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (7.5% 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 48706, 48631, 48611

C+Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

C⁺

Monitor’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Monitor is healthier than 45% of U.S. towns and 59% of Michigan towns.

B-Self-rated healthC+Physical distressB-Mental distressC+ObesityB-DiabetesC+SmokingB-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 45%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 59%

Towns with similar incomes, $57K–$96K (9,861)Healthier than 46%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Monitor could be anywhere from D to A−.

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 Monitor 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. Monitor’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 Monitor 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 Monitor adults…

38 of every 100 Monitor adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.6–42.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Monitor, betterMonitor, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.8% Monitor
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.4% Monitor
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.5% Monitor
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.2% Monitor
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Monitor 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

Monitor 6.8% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Monitor adults are doing

1 in 3Monitor adults feel lonely

31% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 4Monitor adults have been diagnosed with depression

26.8% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 5Monitor adults lack social or emotional support

21.5% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 6Monitor adults are in frequent mental distress

17.3% · 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 7

Monitor adults worry about having enough food

13.6% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 10

Monitor adults worry about keeping their housing

10% · MI 11.9% · better

1 in 13

Monitor adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7.5% · MI 8.7% · better

1 in 14

Monitor adults lack reliable transportation

7.4% · MI 8.3% · about the same

12.8% of Monitor adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

32.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.1%

Thinking or memory14.7%

Hearing8.5%

Errands alone9%

Vision4.9%

Dressing or bathing3.9%

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

Around Monitor

Monitor 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.

30.8%40.7%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#9 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first

Williams34.6%

Kawkawlin36.4%

Frankenlust36.4%

Monitor37.3%

Bangor37.5%

Bay City40.7%

Care nearby

Mclaren Bay RegionBay City · 6.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Healthsource SaginawSaginaw · 10.9 mi · ER Directions Medicare profile

Covenant Medical CenterSaginaw · 12.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center SaginawSaginaw · 12.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers Bayside MonitorBay City · 2.5 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers Women's Care Bay CityBay City · 3.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

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

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

! Mental healthMonitor'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 Monitor. 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 Monitor

Measure	Monitor	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	37.8%	33.6–42.1%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	36.6%	32.3–41.1%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	37.3%	30.2–44.9%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	33%	29.4–36.7%	29.1%	worse
Depression	26.8%	23.1–31%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	11.6%	9.3–14%	10.2%	about the same
Asthma	11.6%	10.3–13.1%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.6%	9.6–11.6%	8.9%	worse
Diabetes	12.5%	10.8–14.4%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	9.2%	8.3–10.3%	8.1%	worse
Heart disease	7.8%	7–8.7%	7%	about the same
Stroke	4%	3.6–4.3%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.2%	13–17.7%	14.6%	about the same
Binge drink	15.5%	12.7–18.6%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	25.8%	21.7–30.5%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	33.4%	27.7–39.4%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.4%	77.1–83.6%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	67.8%	64.3–71%	68%	about the same
Cholesterol check	88%	86.4–89.5%	87.4%	about the same
Colon screening	70.7%	66–75%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	78.3%	71.1–84.1%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79%	76–81.8%	77.6%	about the same
No health insurance	6.8%	5.8–8.2%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31%	26.3–36%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.5%	18.2–24.8%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.3%	15.4–19.6%	17.6%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19.3%	16.8–22.1%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14.9%	13.2–17%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	13.6%	11.6–15.8%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10%	8.6–11.6%	11.9%	better
Utility shut-off threat	7.5%	6.5–8.5%	8.7%	better
No reliable transportation	7.4%	6.5–8.3%	8.3%	about the same
Receive SNAP	12.8%	10.9–14.8%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	32.1%	28–36.6%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.1%	13.2–17.2%	14%
Thinking or memory	14.7%	13–16.6%	14.3%
Hearing	8.5%	7.6–9.6%	7.3%
Vision	4.9%	4.5–5.5%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	3.9%	3.6–4.3%	3.8%
Errands alone	9%	7.9–10.1%	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 Monitor door to door.

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

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