Health · Vassar

Vassar, MI health

On every measure CDC estimates, Vassar looks like Michigan as a whole: no difference is outside the margin of error.

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

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Vassar’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Vassar is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns, and than 49% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthC+Physical distressC-Mental distressC-ObesityBDiabetesCSmokingC+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 31%

Less healthyHealthier

Michigan towns we grade (1,267)Healthier than 38%

Towns with similar incomes, $45K–$74K (8,069)Healthier than 49%

Better than its income would suggest. Vassar 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, Vassar 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 Vassar 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. Vassar 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 Vassar 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 Vassar adults…

36 of every 100 Vassar adults have high blood pressure

Michigan: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 31.4–39.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Vassar, betterVassar, worseToo close to callMichigan

Get no exerciseshare of adults 26.6% Vassar
MI 24.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 35.5% Vassar
MI 34.7%

Binge drinkshare of adults 17.1% Vassar
MI 15.9%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.8% Vassar
MI 14.6%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Vassar 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

Vassar 7.9% · Michigan 1 in 14 (6.9%)

Mind & connection

How Vassar adults are doing

1 in 3Vassar adults feel lonely

33.3% · Michigan 32.4% · too close to call

1 in 4Vassar adults have been diagnosed with depression

28.1% · Michigan 25.7% · too close to call

1 in 4Vassar adults lack social or emotional support

24% · Michigan 23.1% · too close to call

1 in 5Vassar 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 6

Vassar adults worry about having enough food

15.8% · MI 15.4% · about the same

1 in 8

Vassar adults worry about keeping their housing

11.9% · MI 11.9% · about the same

1 in 12

Vassar adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.5% · MI 8.7% · about the same

1 in 12

Vassar adults lack reliable transportation

8.5% · MI 8.3% · about the same

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

Disability

Living with a disability

33.4%

of Vassar adults live with a disability (Michigan 31.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.8%

Thinking or memory16.3%

Hearing7.6%

Errands alone9.4%

Vision5.2%

Dressing or bathing3.9%

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

Around Vassar

Vassar and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health.

31.1%42%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#5 of 9towns on this map, healthiest first

Tuscola40.5%

Vassar41.2%

Vassar41.6%

Care nearby

Mclaren Caro RegionCaro · 12 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Mymichigan Medical Center SaginawSaginaw · 18.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Covenant Medical CenterSaginaw · 19.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mclaren Bay RegionBay City · 21.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Great Lakes Bay Health Centers BridgeportBridgeport · 14.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Clio Heath CenterClio · 16.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careVassar's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Tuscola County · need score 11 of 25

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

! Mental healthVassar's county is a federal shortage area.Tuscola 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 Vassar. 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 Vassar

Measure	Vassar	Margin	Michigan
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	35.6%	31.4–39.7%	36.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	35.2%	30.9–39.4%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	41.2%	32.9–49.6%	36.2%	about the same
Arthritis	29.9%	26.5–33.3%	29.1%	about the same
Depression	28.1%	24–32.3%	25.7%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	12.4%	9.9–15.2%	10.2%	about the same
Asthma	11.8%	10.4–13.3%	11.5%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.8%	7.9–9.8%	8.9%	about the same
Diabetes	11.7%	10–13.4%	11.9%	about the same
COPD	9%	7.6–10.5%	8.1%	about the same
Heart disease	7%	6.1–7.9%	7%	about the same
Stroke	3.7%	3.2–4.1%	3.7%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	16.8%	13.7–19.8%	14.6%	about the same
Binge drink	17.1%	14.1–20.4%	15.9%	about the same
Get no exercise	26.6%	21.6–31.5%	24.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	35.5%	29.3–42.5%	34.7%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	78.3%	74.6–81.6%	80.3%	about the same
Dentist visit	65.5%	61.9–69%	68%	about the same
Cholesterol check	85.1%	83–87.4%	87.4%	about the same
Colon screening	65.4%	60.2–70.6%	69%	about the same
Mammogram	72.5%	64.4–79.9%	76.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	76.2%	73.2–78.8%	77.6%	about the same
No health insurance	7.9%	6.2–9.8%	6.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	33.3%	27.9–38.5%	32.4%	about the same
Lack emotional support	24%	20.1–27.9%	23.1%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	19.3%	16.8–21.7%	17.6%	about the same
Fair or poor health	20.7%	17.4–24.2%	19.4%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	15%	13–17.2%	14%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	15.8%	12.7–18.9%	15.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	11.9%	9.9–14%	11.9%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.5%	7.2–9.9%	8.7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8.5%	7.2–9.8%	8.3%	about the same
Receive SNAP	15%	12.1–17.9%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	33.4%	28.5–38.3%	31.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	14.8%	12.4–17.3%	14%
Thinking or memory	16.3%	13.8–18.8%	14.3%
Hearing	7.6%	6.7–8.6%	7.3%
Vision	5.2%	4.5–5.9%	4.9%
Dressing or bathing	3.9%	3.4–4.6%	3.8%
Errands alone	9.4%	8–10.9%	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 Vassar door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Vassar 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.