Health · Superior

Superior, MI health

Superior differs from Michigan on 13 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more smokers (18.9% vs 14.6%) and more adults without reliable transportation (10.7% vs 8.3%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 49715, 49728
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Superior’s Health Grade: C−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Superior is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns.

CSelf-rated healthDPhysical distressC-Mental distressB-ObesityC-DiabetesDSmokingC+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 22%
Less healthyHealthier
Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 20%
Towns with similar incomes, $55K–$91K (9,792)Healthier than 17%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Superior 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 Superior 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. Superior’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 Superior 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 Superior adults…

41 of every 100 Superior adults have high blood pressure
Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 36.3–44.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Superior, betterSuperior, worseToo close to callMichigan
Get no exerciseshare of adults 27.1% Superior
MI 24.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.5% Superior
MI 34.7%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.2% Superior
MI 15.9%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 18.9% Superior
MI 14.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%
Yearly checkup
MI 80%
66%
Dentist visit
MI 68%
87%
Cholesterol check
MI 87%
68%
Colon screening
MI 69%
77%
Mammogram
MI 77%
78%
Taking BP meds
MI 78%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Superior 6.8% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)
Mind & connection

How Superior adults are doing

1 in 3Superior adults feel lonely
33.2% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Superior adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.3% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call
1 in 4Superior adults lack social or emotional support
24.3% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call
1 in 5Superior adults are in frequent mental distress
19.3% · 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 5
Superior adults worry about having enough food
19.1% · MI 15.4% · worse
1 in 7
Superior adults worry about keeping their housing
14.1% · MI 11.9% · worse
1 in 9
Superior adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.7% · MI 8.7% · worse
1 in 9
Superior adults lack reliable transportation
10.7% · MI 8.3% · worse

17.6% of Superior adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Michigan.

Disability

Living with a disability

36.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.4%
Thinking or memory16.4%
Hearing9.4%
Errands alone10.2%
Vision6.3%
Dressing or bathing4.6%

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

Around Superior

Superior 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 Superior.

Bay Mills: 36.1% Kinross: 35.2% Dafter: 34.4% Chippewa: 33.8% Whitefish: 34.2% Soo: 34.1% Rudyard: 34.2% Pickford: 37.3% Trout Lake: 34.5% Bruce: 34.3% Hulbert: 35.9% Superior: 36.6% Superior Bay Mills Kinross Dafter Chippewa Chippewa County War Memorial Hospital · Sault Ste Marie · 17.5 mi · 2★ MedicareH Bay Mills Health Center · Brimley · 6.1 mi+ Alcona Health Center Pickford Medical Clinic · Pickford · 21.2 mi+
33.8%37.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 12towns on this map, healthiest first
Chippewa33.8%
Dafter34.4%
Kinross35.2%
Bay Mills36.1%
Superior36.6%
6 places to get careNearest ER 17.5 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 Superior

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

HNearest ERChippewa County War Memorial HospitalSault Ste Marie · 17.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMclaren Northern Michigan★★★★★ · 70.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBay Mills Indian CommunityBrimley · 6.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.1 mi
Bay Mills Indian Community
5 sites · nearest in Brimley
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.5 mi
Chippewa County War Memorial Hospital
Sault Ste Marie · ★★★★★
ER
21.2 mi
Alcona Citizens for Health
3 sites · nearest in Pickford
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
33.7 mi
Mackinac Straits Hospital and Health Center
Saint Ignace · not rated
ERRural critical access
40.3 mi
Helen Newberry Joy Hospital
Newberry · not rated
ERRural critical access
70.8 mi
Mclaren Northern Michigan
Petoskey · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careSuperior's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Chippewa County · need score 16 of 25
! Dental careSuperior's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Chippewa County · need score 17 of 25
! Mental healthSuperior's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Chippewa County · need score 17 of 25

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 Superior. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Superior
MeasureSuperiorMarginMichigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure40.6%36.3–44.7%36.7%about the same
High cholesterol37.4%33.3–41.8%35.4%about the same
Obesity36.6%29.2–44.4%36.2%about the same
Arthritis33.4%30–36.9%29.1%worse
Depression27.3%23.6–31.2%25.7%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)11.3%9.2–13.8%10.2%about the same
Asthma13.1%11.7–14.7%11.5%worse
Cancer (not skin)9.6%8.7–10.5%8.9%about the same
Diabetes14.2%12.4–16.2%11.9%worse
COPD9.8%8.8–11%8.1%worse
Heart disease8.5%7.6–9.5%7%worse
Stroke4.4%4–4.8%3.7%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes18.9%16.3–21.9%14.6%worse
Binge drink15.2%12.4–18.2%15.9%about the same
Get no exercise27.1%22.7–31.9%24.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours33.5%27.6–40.1%34.7%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup81%77.6–84.1%80.3%about the same
Dentist visit66.2%62.8–69.5%68%about the same
Cholesterol check87.4%85.5–89.1%87.4%about the same
Colon screening68.1%63.3–72.6%69%about the same
Mammogram76.7%69.3–83.2%76.9%about the same
Taking BP meds78.3%75.4–81%77.6%about the same
No health insurance6.8%5.6–8.2%6.9%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely33.2%28.3–38.4%32.4%about the same
Lack emotional support24.3%20.7–28%23.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress19.3%17.2–21.7%17.6%about the same
Fair or poor health22.7%19.9–25.8%19.4%worse
Frequent physical distress16.9%14.9–19.1%14%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity19.1%16.2–22.2%15.4%worse
Housing insecurity14.1%12–16.3%11.9%worse
Utility shut-off threat10.7%9.3–12.2%8.7%worse
No reliable transportation10.7%9.5–12.2%8.3%worse
Receive SNAP17.6%15–20.4%14.3%
Disability
Any disability36.5%32.2–41.3%31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs17.4%15.3–19.7%14%
Thinking or memory16.4%14.5–18.5%14.3%
Hearing9.4%8.3–10.5%7.3%
Vision6.3%5.7–6.9%4.9%
Dressing or bathing4.6%4.1–5.1%3.8%
Errands alone10.2%9.1–11.4%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 Superior door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Michigan figure falls inside it, we don't call Superior better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Superior by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Superior 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.

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