Health · Sandusky

Sandusky, MI health

On most measures Sandusky looks like Michigan as a whole. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (14.4% vs 10.2%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Sandusky

CHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Sandusky’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Sandusky is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns, and than 52% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthCPhysical distressCMental distressCObesityB-DiabetesCSmokingCExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 30%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 36%

Towns with similar incomes, $42K–$71K (7,286)Healthier than 52%

Better than its income would suggest. Sandusky is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Sandusky 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 Sandusky 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. Sandusky uses CDC’s own estimate for it. 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 Sandusky 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 Sandusky adults…

38 of every 100 Sandusky adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.8–42.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Sandusky, betterSandusky, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 28.9% Sandusky
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.1% Sandusky
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.4% Sandusky
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.1% Sandusky
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Sandusky 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

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

Mind & connection

How Sandusky adults are doing

1 in 3Sandusky adults feel lonely

33% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 4Sandusky adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.9% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Sandusky adults lack social or emotional support

23.4% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 5Sandusky adults are in frequent mental distress

18.6% · 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

Sandusky adults worry about having enough food

14.9% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 9

Sandusky adults worry about keeping their housing

11.2% · MI 11.9% · about the same

1 in 12

Sandusky adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.2% · MI 8.7% · about the same

1 in 13

Sandusky adults lack reliable transportation

8% · MI 8.3% · about the same

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

Disability

Living with a disability

34.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.8%

Thinking or memory15.8%

Hearing8.5%

Errands alone9.6%

Vision5.2%

Dressing or bathing4.1%

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

Around Sandusky

Sandusky 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 Sandusky.

39.2%40.7%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#1 of 9towns on this map, healthiest first

Sandusky39.2%

Custer39.6%

Watertown39.7%

Care in and near Sandusky

1 hospital in Sandusky, plus the nearest outside it. Nearest first.

Mckenzie Health SystemSandusky · 0.2 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Deckerville Community HospitalDeckerville · 8.9 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Marlette Regional HospitalMarlette · 13.8 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Hills & Dales General HospitalCass City · 21.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers Integrated Care Thumb AreaBad Axe · 28.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Lapeer ClinicLapeer · 35 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careSandusky's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Sanilac County · need score 15 of 25

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

! Mental healthSandusky's county is a federal shortage area.Sanilac County · need score 11 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 Sandusky. 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 Sandusky

Measure	Sandusky	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	38%	33.8–42.3%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	36.5%	32.4–40.8%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	39.2%	31–47.4%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	31.9%	28.5–35.5%	29.1%	about the same
Depression	27.9%	24–31.9%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	14.4%	11.6–17.7%	10.2%	worse
Asthma	11.7%	10.3–13.2%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.9%	8.9–11%	8.9%	about the same
Diabetes	12.1%	10.4–14.1%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	9.6%	7.9–11.2%	8.1%	about the same
Heart disease	7.7%	6.7–8.7%	7%	about the same
Stroke	3.9%	3.4–4.5%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.1%	14–20.3%	14.6%	about the same
Binge drink	16.4%	13.6–19.5%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	28.9%	23.6–33.9%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	32.1%	26–38.8%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.6%	76.1–82.8%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	65.5%	62–69%	68%	about the same
Cholesterol check	86.6%	84.5–88.6%	87.4%	about the same
Colon screening	67.3%	62.5–72%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	75.6%	67.9–82.2%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77.7%	74.7–80.3%	77.6%	about the same
No health insurance	7.5%	5.7–9.7%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33%	27.7–38.6%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	23.4%	19.6–27.5%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.6%	16.2–20.8%	17.6%	about the same
Fair or poor health	20.6%	17.2–24%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15.3%	13.2–17.5%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	14.9%	12–18.4%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	11.2%	9.2–13.5%	11.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.2%	6.8–9.6%	8.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8%	6.7–9.4%	8.3%	about the same
Receive SNAP	14.3%	11.5–17.7%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	34.9%	30–39.7%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	15.8%	13.1–18.5%	14%
Thinking or memory	15.8%	13.4–18.1%	14.3%
Hearing	8.5%	7.4–9.7%	7.3%
Vision	5.2%	4.4–6%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	4.1%	3.5–4.7%	3.8%
Errands alone	9.6%	8.1–11.1%	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 Sandusky door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Sandusky directly, so these are its own figures.

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.