Health · North Star

North Star, MI health

North Star differs from Michigan on 5 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (13.7% vs 10.2%) and more adults with COPD (10.2% vs 8.1%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 48847, 48806

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 867 people are less certain, so we show North Star's figures without a grade.

Report card

How North Star 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 North Star adults…

38 of every 100 North Star adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 34.2–42.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

North Star, betterNorth Star, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 27.3% North Star
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.7% North Star
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.7% North Star
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.7% North Star
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of North Star 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

North Star 8% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How North Star adults are doing

1 in 3North Star adults feel lonely

33.1% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 4North Star adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.2% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 5North Star adults lack social or emotional support

22.2% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 6North Star adults are in frequent mental distress

18.1% · 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

North Star adults worry about having enough food

15.3% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 9

North Star adults worry about keeping their housing

11.1% · MI 11.9% · about the same

1 in 12

North Star adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.2% · MI 8.7% · about the same

1 in 12

North Star adults lack reliable transportation

8.1% · MI 8.3% · about the same

15% of North Star adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

35%

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

Walking or climbing stairs16.5%

Thinking or memory15.8%

Hearing9.2%

Errands alone9.7%

Vision5.5%

Dressing or bathing4.3%

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

Around North Star

North Star 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 North Star.

34.5%39.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#7 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first

North Star36.3%

Ithaca36.4%

Hamilton36.5%

Emerson36.5%

Washington37.2%

Care nearby

Mymichigan Medical Center AlmaAlma · 12 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

University of Michigan Health-Sparrow CarsonCarson City · 15.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

University of Michigan Health- Sparrow ClintonSaint Johns · 17.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Memorial HealthcareOwosso · 24.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers Integrated Care ShiawasseeOwosso · 26.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Women's Health Center of Isabella Citizens for HealthMount Pleasant · 26.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careNorth Star's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Gratiot County · need score 13 of 25

! Dental careNorth Star's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Gratiot County · need score 15 of 25

! Mental healthNorth Star's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Gratiot County · need score 12 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 North Star. 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 North Star

Measure	North Star	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	38.4%	34.2–42.7%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	37.8%	33.5–42.3%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	36.3%	29–44.2%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	33.3%	29.8–36.9%	29.1%	worse
Depression	27.2%	23.4–31.3%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	13.7%	11.1–16.5%	10.2%	worse
Asthma	11.5%	10.2–12.9%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.4%	9.3–11.3%	8.9%	worse
Diabetes	12.8%	11–14.7%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	10.2%	8.9–11.6%	8.1%	worse
Heart disease	8.5%	7.6–9.4%	7%	worse
Stroke	4.2%	3.7–4.6%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	16.7%	14.2–19.4%	14.6%	about the same
Binge drink	15.7%	12.9–18.8%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	27.3%	22.8–32%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	32.7%	26.5–39.5%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80%	76.5–83.2%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	65.3%	61.5–68.8%	68%	about the same
Cholesterol check	86.7%	84.8–88.4%	87.4%	about the same
Colon screening	68.6%	63.5–73.2%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	73.2%	65.2–80.5%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79.1%	76.3–81.6%	77.6%	about the same
No health insurance	8%	6.6–9.6%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33.1%	28.3–38.7%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	22.2%	18.9–26%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.1%	16–20.3%	17.6%	about the same
Fair or poor health	21.7%	18.8–24.9%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.9%	14–18%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	15.3%	12.6–18%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	11.1%	9.3–12.9%	11.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.2%	7–9.4%	8.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8.1%	7–9.3%	8.3%	about the same
Receive SNAP	15%	12.2–17.5%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	35%	30.5–39.6%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	16.5%	14.2–18.9%	14%
Thinking or memory	15.8%	13.7–17.8%	14.3%
Hearing	9.2%	8.2–10.3%	7.3%
Vision	5.5%	4.9–6.2%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	4.3%	3.8–4.9%	3.8%
Errands alone	9.7%	8.4–11%	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 North Star door to door.

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

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