Health · Decatur

Decatur, OH health

Decatur differs from Ohio on 22 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more older adults who have lost all their teeth (24.2% vs 15.3%) and more adults with COPD (11.9% vs 8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 45659 (all of Decatur)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Decatur’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Decatur is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns.

BSelf-rated healthC+Physical distressC+Mental distressDObesityCDiabetesCSmokingC+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 31%
Less healthyHealthier
Ohio towns we grade (1,692)Healthier than 48%
Towns with similar incomes, $54K–$91K (9,792)Healthier than 31%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Decatur 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 Ohio 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 Decatur 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. Decatur’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 Decatur compares with Ohio

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 Decatur adults…

43 of every 100 Decatur adults have high blood pressure
Ohio: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 39.6–46.5%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Decatur, betterDecatur, worseToo close to callOhio
Get no exerciseshare of adults 35.1% Decatur
OH 26.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 42.8% Decatur
OH 37.9%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.6% Decatur
OH 16.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 22.8% Decatur
OH 15.4%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%
Yearly checkup
OH 80%
51%
Dentist visit
OH 63%
83%
Cholesterol check
OH 86%
59%
Colon screening
OH 65%
69%
Mammogram
OH 76%
79%
Taking BP meds
OH 79%
1 in 10
working-age adults has no health insurance
Decatur 10% · Ohio 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Decatur adults are doing

1 in 3Decatur adults feel lonely
38.7% · Ohio 35% · too close to call
1 in 3Decatur adults have been diagnosed with depression
28.9% · Ohio 25.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Decatur adults lack social or emotional support
22.6% · Ohio 21.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Decatur adults are in frequent mental distress
21.3% · Ohio 17.5% · worse
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
Decatur adults worry about having enough food
19.7% · OH 14.1% · worse
1 in 7
Decatur adults worry about keeping their housing
13.9% · OH 11.3% · worse
1 in 9
Decatur adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.6% · OH 8.3% · worse
1 in 10
Decatur adults lack reliable transportation
10% · OH 7.7% · worse

18.7% of Decatur adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.

Disability

Living with a disability

39.3%

of Decatur adults live with a disability (Ohio 29.5%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.4%
Thinking or memory18.6%
Hearing8.5%
Errands alone11.1%
Vision6.5%
Dressing or bathing5.2%

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

Around Decatur

Decatur 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 Decatur.

Washington: 44% Elizabeth: 43.4% Bloom: 44.2% Symmes: 44.7% Vernon: 41.6% Jefferson: 43.4% Upper: 43.7% Green: 42.7% Hamilton: 43.7% Aid: 42.6% Harrison: 45% Hamilton: 43.6% Madison: 44% Walnut: 37.9% Greenfield: 40.7% Porter: 42.7% Decatur: 43.2% Decatur Washington Elizabeth Bloom Symmes Vernon Ovp - Wheelersburg, Ohio · Wheelersburg · 11.4 mi+ Aid Family Medical Center · Kitts Hill · 12.1 mi+
37.9%45%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#7 of 17towns on this map, healthiest first
Vernon41.6%
Decatur43.2%
Elizabeth43.4%
Washington44%
Bloom44.2%
Symmes44.7%
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 Decatur

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

HNearest ERKing's Daughters' Medical CenterAshland · 17.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySouthern Ohio Medical Center★★★★★ · 17.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careOvp - Wheelersburg, OhioWheelersburg · 11.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11.4 mi
Ovp - Wheelersburg, Ohio
Wheelersburg · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
12.1 mi
Ironton and Lawrence County Area Community Action Organizati
6 sites · nearest in Kitts Hill
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.5 mi
King's Daughters' Medical Center
Ashland · ★★★★★
ER
17.9 mi
Southern Ohio Medical Center
Portsmouth · ★★★★★
ER
18.7 mi
Kings Daughters Medical Center Ohio
Portsmouth · not rated
ER
21.2 mi
Holzer Medical Center Jackson
Jackson · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
! Primary careDecatur's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lawrence County · need score 16 of 25
! Dental careDecatur's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Lawrence County · need score 9 of 25
! Mental healthDecatur's county is a federal shortage area.Adams-Lawrence-Scioto MHCA · need score 13 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 Decatur. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Decatur
MeasureDecaturMarginOhio
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure43.1%39.6–46.5%37.2%worse
High cholesterol39.6%35.9–43.1%36.7%about the same
Obesity43.2%37.5–48.6%37.1%worse
Arthritis34.2%31.2–37.1%29.8%worse
Depression28.9%25.3–32.2%25.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)24.2%20.4–28.2%15.3%worse
Asthma12.1%10.7–13.4%11.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)8.8%8–9.7%8.7%about the same
Diabetes15.7%13.8–17.5%13.2%worse
COPD11.9%10.4–13.4%8%worse
Heart disease8.9%8–9.9%7.1%worse
Stroke4.4%4–4.9%3.7%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes22.8%19.5–25.8%15.4%worse
Binge drink14.6%12.1–17.1%16.6%about the same
Get no exercise35.1%30.2–39.2%26.9%worse
Sleep under 7 hours42.8%37.7–47.8%37.9%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.3%76.2–82.1%79.9%about the same
Dentist visit50.9%47.4–54.2%62.9%worse
Cholesterol check83%80.8–85.2%86.1%worse
Colon screening59.3%54.6–63.8%65.2%worse
Mammogram68.7%61.5–75.3%76%worse
Taking BP meds79.4%76.8–81.6%79.2%about the same
No health insurance10%8.1–12%8%worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely38.7%33.2–44%35%about the same
Lack emotional support22.6%18.8–26.2%21.3%about the same
Frequent mental distress21.3%18.9–23.4%17.5%worse
Fair or poor health26.5%23.1–29.6%19.4%worse
Frequent physical distress17.6%15.5–19.6%13.9%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity19.7%16.2–23.3%14.1%worse
Housing insecurity13.9%11.6–16.4%11.3%worse
Utility shut-off threat10.6%8.9–12.3%8.3%worse
No reliable transportation10%8.5–11.5%7.7%worse
Receive SNAP18.7%15.2–22.2%11.7%
Disability
Any disability39.3%34.8–43.2%29.5%
Walking or climbing stairs18.4%16–20.6%13.9%
Thinking or memory18.6%16.3–20.8%13.9%
Hearing8.5%7.5–9.5%6.8%
Vision6.5%5.7–7.2%4.8%
Dressing or bathing5.2%4.6–5.9%3.8%
Errands alone11.1%9.7–12.4%8.1%
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 Decatur door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Ohio figure falls inside it, we don't call Decatur better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Decatur by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Decatur by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Ohio 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