Health · Sandusky

Sandusky, OH health

Sandusky differs from Ohio on 20 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults facing food insecurity (23.3% vs 14.1%) and more adults facing a utility shut-off (13.6% vs 8.3%).

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

Sandusky’s Health Grade: D

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Sandusky is healthier than 5% of U.S. towns.

C-Self-rated healthDPhysical distressDMental distressD-ObesityDDiabetesDSmokingDExercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 5%
Less healthyHealthier
Ohio towns we grade (1,692)Healthier than 5%
Towns with similar incomes, $38K–$63K (5,456)Healthier than 11%

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

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

44 of every 100 Sandusky adults have high blood pressure
Ohio: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 40.4–48.2%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Sandusky, betterSandusky, worseToo close to callOhio
Get no exerciseshare of adults 35.1% Sandusky
OH 26.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 41.6% Sandusky
OH 37.9%
Binge drinkshare of adults 14.6% Sandusky
OH 16.6%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 20.4% Sandusky
OH 15.4%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%
Yearly checkup
OH 80%
55%
Dentist visit
OH 63%
84%
Cholesterol check
OH 86%
65%
Colon screening
OH 65%
76%
Mammogram
OH 76%
79%
Taking BP meds
OH 79%
1 in 9
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sandusky 10.7% · Ohio 1 in 13 (8%)
Mind & connection

How Sandusky adults are doing

1 in 3Sandusky adults feel lonely
36.3% · Ohio 35% · too close to call
1 in 4Sandusky adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.1% · Ohio 25.4% · too close to call
1 in 4Sandusky adults lack social or emotional support
23.7% · Ohio 21.3% · too close to call
1 in 5Sandusky adults are in frequent mental distress
20.2% · 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 4
Sandusky adults worry about having enough food
23.3% · OH 14.1% · worse
1 in 6
Sandusky adults worry about keeping their housing
17.4% · OH 11.3% · worse
1 in 7
Sandusky adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
13.6% · OH 8.3% · worse
1 in 8
Sandusky adults lack reliable transportation
11.9% · OH 7.7% · worse

22.5% of Sandusky adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Ohio.

Disability

Living with a disability

35.2%

of Sandusky adults live with a disability (Ohio 29.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs18.6%
Thinking or memory17.5%
Hearing7.9%
Errands alone11.4%
Vision7.4%
Dressing or bathing5.8%

Black tick: Ohio. 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.

Margaretta: 41.3% Huron: 37.5% Perkins: 42.8% Danbury: 36.4% Portage: 39.1% Townsend: 40.1% Groton: 39.3% Milan: 36.8% Berlin: 38% Huron: 36.9% Oxford: 36.5% Bloomingville: 37.7% Catawba Island: 38.9% Sandusky: 45.8% Sandusky Margaretta Huron Perkins Danbury Firelands Regional Medical Center · Sandusky · 0.8 mi · 4★ MedicareH Magruder Hospital · Port Clinton · 11.9 mi · 3★ MedicareH Bellevue Hospital · Bellevue · 14.6 mi · 4★ MedicareH Family Health Services Medical Center · Sandusky · 0.2 mi+ Ecchc @ Sandusky Career Center · Sandusky · 1.5 mi+
36.4%45.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#14 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first
Danbury36.4%
Huron37.5%
Margaretta41.3%
Perkins42.8%
Sandusky45.8%
6 places to get careNearest ER 0.8 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 Sandusky

1 hospital and 2 community health centers in Sandusky, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERFirelands Regional Medical CenterSandusky · 0.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyBellevue Hospital★★★★★ · 14.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost careFamily Health Services of Erie CountySandusky · 0.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
0.2 mi
Family Health Services of Erie County
6 sites · nearest in Sandusky
Sliding-scale feesIn Sandusky
Directions to nearest
0.8 mi
Firelands Regional Medical Center
Sandusky · ★★★★★
ERIn Sandusky
1.5 mi
Erie, County of
3 sites · nearest in Sandusky
Sliding-scale feesIn Sandusky
Directions to nearest
11.9 mi
Magruder Hospital
Port Clinton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
14.6 mi
Bellevue Hospital
Bellevue · ★★★★★
16.9 mi
Fisher-Titus Hospital
Norwalk · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary carePart of Sandusky is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Erie · need score 18 of 25
! Dental carePart of Sandusky is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Sandusky · need score 19 of 25
✓ Mental healthSandusky is not a shortage area

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

All 40 measures for Sandusky
MeasureSanduskyMarginOhio
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure44.2%40.4–48.2%37.2%worse
High cholesterol37.8%34–42%36.7%about the same
Obesity45.8%39.1–52.9%37.1%worse
Arthritis33.3%30.2–36.7%29.8%worse
Depression26.1%22.7–29.9%25.4%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)21.2%17.9–24.7%15.3%worse
Asthma12.2%10.9–13.6%11.1%about the same
Cancer (not skin)8.4%7.7–9.2%8.7%about the same
Diabetes17.3%15.3–19.3%13.2%worse
COPD11.2%10.1–12.3%8%worse
Heart disease8.9%8–9.7%7.1%worse
Stroke4.9%4.5–5.2%3.7%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes20.4%18–22.8%15.4%worse
Binge drink14.6%12.1–17.5%16.6%about the same
Get no exercise35.1%30.6–39.7%26.9%worse
Sleep under 7 hours41.6%36.3–46.9%37.9%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup81.2%78.2–84.2%79.9%about the same
Dentist visit54.8%51.3–58.3%62.9%worse
Cholesterol check84.1%82.4–85.9%86.1%worse
Colon screening64.6%60–68.9%65.2%about the same
Mammogram76.4%69.8–82.1%76%about the same
Taking BP meds78.5%76–80.9%79.2%about the same
No health insurance10.7%9.3–12.3%8%worse
Mind & connection
Feel lonely36.3%31.3–41.8%35%about the same
Lack emotional support23.7%20.4–27.4%21.3%about the same
Frequent mental distress20.2%18.1–22.3%17.5%worse
Fair or poor health25.3%22.6–28.1%19.4%worse
Frequent physical distress17%15.1–18.9%13.9%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity23.3%20.5–26.3%14.1%worse
Housing insecurity17.4%15.2–19.7%11.3%worse
Utility shut-off threat13.6%12–15.3%8.3%worse
No reliable transportation11.9%10.6–13.4%7.7%worse
Receive SNAP22.5%20–25.3%11.7%
Disability
Any disability35.2%31.1–39.3%29.5%
Walking or climbing stairs18.6%16.6–20.7%13.9%
Thinking or memory17.5%15.7–19.4%13.9%
Hearing7.9%7.1–8.7%6.8%
Vision7.4%6.7–8%4.8%
Dressing or bathing5.8%5.3–6.3%3.8%
Errands alone11.4%10.3–12.6%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 Sandusky door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Ohio 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 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/18 · 2025-01-01