Health · Peninsula

Peninsula, MI health

Peninsula differs from Michigan on 9 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (10.7% vs 15.4%) and fewer adults facing housing insecurity (8.4% vs 11.9%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.8% vs 8.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 49686 (all of Peninsula)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Peninsula’s Health Grade: B+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Peninsula is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns and 82% of Michigan towns.

B+Self-rated healthB+Physical distressB+Mental distressBObesityB+DiabetesB+SmokingB+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 71%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 82%
Towns with similar incomes, $103K–$172K (3,626)Healthier than 22%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Peninsula is healthier than 71% 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, Peninsula could be anywhere from C+ 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 Peninsula 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. Peninsula’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 Peninsula 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 Peninsula adults…

35 of every 100 Peninsula adults have high blood pressure
Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 31.5–39.5%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Peninsula, betterPeninsula, worseToo close to callMichigan
Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.5% Peninsula
MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 30% Peninsula
MI 34.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.5% Peninsula
MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 12.2% Peninsula
MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%
Yearly checkup
MI 80%
74%
Dentist visit
MI 68%
88%
Cholesterol check
MI 87%
75%
Colon screening
MI 69%
78%
Mammogram
MI 77%
79%
Taking BP meds
MI 78%
1 in 18
working-age adults has no health insurance
Peninsula 5.5% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Peninsula adults are doing

1 in 3Peninsula adults feel lonely
30.8% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Peninsula adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.5% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call
1 in 5Peninsula adults lack social or emotional support
19.5% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Peninsula adults are in frequent mental distress
16.2% · 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 9
Peninsula adults worry about having enough food
10.7% · MI 15.4% · better
1 in 12
Peninsula adults worry about keeping their housing
8.4% · MI 11.9% · better
1 in 16
Peninsula adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.2% · MI 8.7% · better
1 in 16
Peninsula adults lack reliable transportation
6.3% · MI 8.3% · better

9.8% of Peninsula adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

30.6%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13%
Thinking or memory13%
Hearing7.8%
Errands alone7.6%
Vision4.2%
Dressing or bathing3.3%

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

Around Peninsula

Peninsula 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 Peninsula.

Traverse City: 35.1% Garfield: 34.9% East Bay: 34.8% Elmwood: 34.2% Peninsula: 34.8% Peninsula Traverse City Munson Medical Center · Traverse City · 10.6 mi · 4★ MedicareH Northwest Michigan Health Services · Traverse City · 10 mi+ Traverse Health Clinic and Coalition · Traverse City · 11.2 mi+
34.2%35.1%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#2 of 5towns on this map, healthiest first
Peninsula34.8%
Traverse City35.1%
6 places to get careNearest ER 10.6 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 Peninsula

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

HNearest ERMunson Medical CenterTraverse City · 10.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNorthwest Michigan Health ServicesTraverse City · 10 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10 mi
Northwest Michigan Health Services
3 sites · nearest in Traverse City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10.6 mi
Munson Medical Center
Traverse City · ★★★★★
ER
11.2 mi
Traverse Health Clinic and Coalition
Traverse City · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
19.8 mi
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
Kalkaska · not rated
ERRural critical access
30.2 mi
Charlevoix Area Hospital
Charlevoix · not rated
ERRural critical access
39.5 mi
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
Frankfort · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary carePeninsula is not a shortage area
✓ Dental carePeninsula is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthPeninsula is not a shortage area

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 Peninsula. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

All 40 measures for Peninsula
MeasurePeninsulaMarginMichigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure35.3%31.5–39.5%36.7%about the same
High cholesterol35.9%31.8–40.2%35.4%about the same
Obesity34.8%28.2–42%36.2%about the same
Arthritis30.4%27.2–33.9%29.1%about the same
Depression25.5%22–29.5%25.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)9%7.3–11.2%10.2%about the same
Asthma11.1%9.8–12.5%11.5%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.8%9.8–11.9%8.9%worse
Diabetes10.8%9.3–12.5%11.9%about the same
COPD7.6%6.7–8.6%8.1%about the same
Heart disease7%6.3–7.8%7%about the same
Stroke3.4%3.1–3.8%3.7%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes12.2%10.5–14.3%14.6%better
Binge drink16.5%13.5–19.7%15.9%about the same
Get no exercise22.5%19–26.6%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours30%24.7–35.8%34.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup80.9%77.6–83.9%80.3%about the same
Dentist visit73.5%70.5–76.5%68%better
Cholesterol check88.4%86.8–89.8%87.4%about the same
Colon screening74.8%70.6–78.9%69%better
Mammogram78.2%71.1–84.4%76.9%about the same
Taking BP meds78.8%76–81.4%77.6%about the same
No health insurance5.5%4.6–6.6%6.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.8%26.5–37.2%32.4%about the same
Lack emotional support19.5%16.7–23.5%23.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress16.2%14.4–18.3%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health17%15–19.5%19.4%about the same
Frequent physical distress13.2%11.7–15%14%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity10.7%9.1–12.8%15.4%better
Housing insecurity8.4%7.2–10%11.9%better
Utility shut-off threat6.2%5.3–7.2%8.7%better
No reliable transportation6.3%5.5–7.2%8.3%better
Receive SNAP9.8%8.4–11.5%14.3%
Disability
Any disability30.6%26.8–34.8%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs13%11.4–14.9%14%
Thinking or memory13%11.5–14.7%14.3%
Hearing7.8%6.9–8.7%7.3%
Vision4.2%3.8–4.6%4.9%
Dressing or bathing3.3%2.9–3.6%3.8%
Errands alone7.6%6.8–8.6%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 Peninsula door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Michigan figure falls inside it, we don't call Peninsula better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Peninsula by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Peninsula 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.

The coffee’s on

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01