Health · Palmer

Palmer, OH health

On most measures Palmer looks like Ohio as a whole. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (11.9% vs 15.3%) and fewer adults facing a utility shut-off (6.6% vs 8.3%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 45831, 45856, 45875, 45864
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Palmer’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Palmer is healthier than 42% of U.S. towns and 63% of Ohio towns.

BSelf-rated healthB-Physical distressB-Mental distressD-ObesityB-DiabetesC+SmokingB-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 42%
Less healthyHealthier
Ohio towns we grade (1,692)Healthier than 63%
Towns with similar incomes, $62K–$103K (9,713)Healthier than 36%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Palmer could be anywhere from C− 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 Palmer 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. Palmer’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 Palmer 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 Palmer adults…

37 of every 100 Palmer adults have high blood pressure
Ohio: 37 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.7–40.4%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Palmer, betterPalmer, worseToo close to callOhio
Get no exerciseshare of adults 26.1% Palmer
OH 26.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.5% Palmer
OH 37.9%
Binge drinkshare of adults 19% Palmer
OH 16.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.2% Palmer
OH 15.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%
Yearly checkup
OH 80%
65%
Dentist visit
OH 63%
87%
Cholesterol check
OH 86%
68%
Colon screening
OH 65%
79%
Mammogram
OH 76%
79%
Taking BP meds
OH 79%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Palmer 8.1% · Ohio 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Palmer adults are doing

1 in 3Palmer adults feel lonely
34.2% · Ohio 35% · too close to call
1 in 4Palmer adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.7% · Ohio 25.4% · too close to call
1 in 5Palmer adults lack social or emotional support
20.7% · Ohio 21.3% · too close to call
1 in 6Palmer adults are in frequent mental distress
17.2% · Ohio 17.5% · 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 9
Palmer adults worry about having enough food
11.5% · OH 14.1% · better
1 in 10
Palmer adults worry about keeping their housing
9.7% · OH 11.3% · about the same
1 in 15
Palmer adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.6% · OH 8.3% · better
1 in 15
Palmer adults lack reliable transportation
6.5% · OH 7.7% · better

8.7% of Palmer adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.

Disability

Living with a disability

29.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.4%
Thinking or memory13.6%
Hearing6.9%
Errands alone7.6%
Vision4.3%
Dressing or bathing3.4%

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

Around Palmer

Palmer 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 Palmer.

Liberty: 44.4% Pleasant: 37.8% Greensburg: 43.8% Monroe: 44.6% Marion: 39.7% Van Buren: 44.4% Ottawa: 43.5% Flatrock: 37.8% Highland: 36.4% Union: 42.5% Perry: 43.8% Brown: 41.2% Palmer: 44.5% Palmer Liberty Pleasant Greensburg Monroe Mercy Health - Defiance Hospital · Defiance · 14.2 mi · 4★ MedicareH Promedica Defiance Regional Hospital · Defiance · 16.3 mi · 5★ MedicareH Defiance Community Health Center · Defiance · 16.1 mi+
36.4%44.6%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#12 of 13towns on this map, healthiest first
Pleasant37.8%
Greensburg43.8%
Liberty44.4%
Palmer44.5%
Monroe44.6%
6 places to get careNearest ER 14.2 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 Palmer

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

HNearest ERMercy Health - Defiance HospitalDefiance · 14.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyPromedica Defiance Regional Hospital★★★★★ · 16.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHealth Partners of Western OhioDefiance · 16.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
14.2 mi
Mercy Health - Defiance Hospital
Defiance · ★★★★★
ER
16.1 mi
Health Partners of Western Ohio
6 sites · nearest in Defiance
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
16.3 mi
Promedica Defiance Regional Hospital
Defiance · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
19.8 mi
Community Health Services - Napoleon
Napoleon · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
20 mi
Henry County Hospital
Napoleon · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
21.5 mi
Bluffton Hospital
Bluffton · not rated
ERRural critical access
! Primary carePalmer's county is a federal shortage area.Putnam County · need score 7 of 25
✓ Dental carePalmer is not a shortage area
! Mental healthPalmer's county is a federal shortage area.Putnam 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 Palmer. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Palmer
MeasurePalmerMarginOhio
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure36.5%32.7–40.4%37.2%about the same
High cholesterol36.4%32.4–40.4%36.7%about the same
Obesity44.5%37.1–51.7%37.1%about the same
Arthritis30.4%27.2–33.6%29.8%about the same
Depression24.7%21.3–28.3%25.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)11.9%9.8–14.3%15.3%better
Asthma10.7%9.5–12%11.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)9.4%8.5–10.3%8.7%about the same
Diabetes12.5%10.9–14.2%13.2%about the same
COPD7.8%6.8–8.8%8%about the same
Heart disease6.9%6.2–7.8%7.1%about the same
Stroke3.4%3–3.7%3.7%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.2%13–17.7%15.4%about the same
Binge drink19%15.9–22.2%16.6%about the same
Get no exercise26.1%22.1–30.4%26.9%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.5%29.3–39.9%37.9%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup79.7%76.4–82.6%79.9%about the same
Dentist visit64.7%61.5–67.9%62.9%about the same
Cholesterol check86.5%84.7–88.2%86.1%about the same
Colon screening68%63.6–72.1%65.2%about the same
Mammogram78.6%72.1–83.9%76%about the same
Taking BP meds79.4%76.8–81.8%79.2%about the same
No health insurance8.1%6.7–9.6%8%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely34.2%29–39.7%35%about the same
Lack emotional support20.7%17.4–24.3%21.3%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.2%15.3–19.2%17.5%about the same
Fair or poor health17.9%15.6–20.5%19.4%about the same
Frequent physical distress14%12.4–15.7%13.9%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity11.5%9.4–13.7%14.1%better
Housing insecurity9.7%8.1–11.4%11.3%about the same
Utility shut-off threat6.6%5.6–7.7%8.3%better
No reliable transportation6.5%5.6–7.4%7.7%better
Receive SNAP8.7%7.1–10.5%11.7%
Disability
Any disability29.1%25.1–33%29.5%
Walking or climbing stairs13.4%11.6–15.3%13.9%
Thinking or memory13.6%12–15.3%13.9%
Hearing6.9%6.1–7.7%6.8%
Vision4.3%3.8–4.8%4.8%
Dressing or bathing3.4%3–3.8%3.8%
Errands alone7.6%6.7–8.5%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 Palmer door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Ohio figure falls inside it, we don't call Palmer better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Palmer by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Palmer 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