Health · Porter
Porter, MI health
On most measures Porter looks like Michigan as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (9.7% vs 8.1%) and more adults who have had cancer (10.5% vs 8.9%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 49061, 49099, 49130, 49095TownTapestry Health GradeNew
C+
Porter’s Health Grade: C+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Porter is healthier than 37% of U.S. towns.
C+Self-rated healthCPhysical distressC+Mental distressB-ObesityC+DiabetesCSmokingB-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 37%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 48%
Towns with similar incomes, $60K–$100K (9,817)Healthier than 32%
About what its income would suggest. Porter does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Porter 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 Porter 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. Porter’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 Porter 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
36.6% have obesity
0 better8 close4 worse
Habits
25.8% get no exercise
0 better4 close0 worse
Care & screenings
80.4% had a checkup
0 better7 close0 worse
Mind & connection
31.4% feel lonely
0 better5 close0 worse
Everyday needs
13.8% face food insecurity
0 better5 close0 worse
Disability
33.6% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Porter adults…
39 of every 100 Porter adults have high blood pressure
Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 35–43.5%
Bars show Porter; the black tick is Michigan. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Porter, betterPorter, worseToo close to callMichigan
Get no exerciseshare of adults
25.8% Porter
MI 24.9%
MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
34.3% Porter
MI 34.7%
MI 34.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults
15.5% Porter
MI 15.9%
MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
16.7% Porter
MI 14.6%
MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Porter 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 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Porter 7% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection
How Porter adults are doing
1 in 3Porter adults feel lonely
31.4% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Porter adults have been diagnosed with depression
27% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Porter adults lack social or emotional support
22.7% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Porter adults are in frequent mental distress
17.6% · 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
Porter adults worry about having enough food
13.8% · MI 15.4% · about the same
1 in 10
Porter adults worry about keeping their housing
10.3% · MI 11.9% · about the same
1 in 13
Porter adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.6% · MI 8.7% · about the same
1 in 14
Porter adults lack reliable transportation
7.4% · MI 8.3% · about the same
13% of Porter adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.
Disability
Living with a disability
33.6%
of Porter adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs15.7%
Thinking or memory15%
Hearing8.6%
Errands alone9%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Black tick: Michigan. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Around Porter
Porter 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.
36.2%47.3%· darker is worse for health
Obesity
#3 of 20towns on this map, healthiest first
Newberg36.2%
Porter36.6%
Mason36.8%
Calvin37%
Mottville38.4%
Constantine39.7%
Washington43.7%
Care nearby
Elkhart General HospitalElkhart · 10.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
Three Rivers HealthThree Rivers · 12.1 mi · ★★★★★
DirectionsMedicare profile
Goshen HospitalGoshen · 17.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
Ascension Borgess Lee HospitalDowagiac · 18.5 mi · ER · rural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
Heart City Health DentalElkhart · 10.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
Heart City Health CenterElkhart · 11 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
! Primary carePorter's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Cass County · need score 16 of 25
! Dental carePorter's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME-Cass County · need score 15 of 25
! Mental healthPorter's county is a federal shortage area.Cass County · need score 14 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 Porter. 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 Porter
| Measure | Porter | Margin | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 39.2% | 35–43.5% | 36.7% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 38.4% | 34.1–42.7% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 36.6% | 29.2–44.5% | 36.2% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 33.4% | 29.8–37.1% | 29.1% | worse |
| Depression | 27% | 23.3–30.9% | 25.7% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 10.9% | 8.9–13.4% | 10.2% | about the same |
| Asthma | 11.7% | 10.3–13.1% | 11.5% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 10.5% | 9.5–11.5% | 8.9% | worse |
| Diabetes | 13% | 11.2–14.9% | 11.9% | about the same |
| COPD | 9.7% | 8.4–11.2% | 8.1% | worse |
| Heart disease | 8.2% | 7.2–9.2% | 7% | worse |
| Stroke | 4% | 3.6–4.5% | 3.7% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.7% | 14.1–19.6% | 14.6% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 15.5% | 12.8–18.5% | 15.9% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 25.8% | 21.5–30.6% | 24.9% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.3% | 28.4–41.1% | 34.7% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 80.4% | 77–83.4% | 80.3% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 68% | 64.7–71.4% | 68% | about the same |
| Cholesterol check | 88.1% | 86.4–89.7% | 87.4% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 69.9% | 65.4–74.4% | 69% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 76.4% | 69.2–82.9% | 76.9% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 78.9% | 76–81.6% | 77.6% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 7% | 5.6–8.5% | 6.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 31.4% | 26.1–37.3% | 32.4% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 22.7% | 19–26.8% | 23.1% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.6% | 15.5–19.8% | 17.6% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 20.6% | 17.8–23.8% | 19.4% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 15.5% | 13.6–17.6% | 14% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 13.8% | 11.3–16.5% | 15.4% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 10.3% | 8.6–12.2% | 11.9% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 7.6% | 6.4–8.8% | 8.7% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 7.4% | 6.4–8.6% | 8.3% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 13% | 10.7–15.5% | 14.3% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.6% | 29.3–38.4% | 31.1% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 15.7% | 13.5–18.1% | 14% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15% | 13.1–17% | 14.3% | |
| Hearing | 8.6% | 7.6–9.7% | 7.3% | |
| Vision | 5% | 4.4–5.7% | 4.9% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.1% | 3.6–4.7% | 3.8% | |
| Errands alone | 9% | 7.9–10.3% | 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 Porter door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Michigan figure falls inside it, we don't call Porter better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Porter by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Porter 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.