Houghton Lake, Michigan is a small town located in Roscommon County with an estimated population of 2,726 as of 2019. Health care services in the area are provided by a few local hospitals and medical facilities such as West Branch Regional Medical Center and Mercy Hospital Grayling. The hospital provides basic medical services including general surgery, family medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics and laboratory services. There are also other local medical clinics offering outpatient care such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. The quality of health care available in Houghton Lake is good considering its size and population. Residents have access to a wide range of medical treatments and preventative health measures at the local hospitals and medical facilities. In addition to these services, there are several community-based programs available for residents to actively engage in their health management such as nutrition classes, disease prevention outreach programs and exercise classes. All together, Houghton Lake provides residents with access to comprehensive health care services that meet their needs.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 75 physicians per 100,000 population in Houghton Lake. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Houghton Lake area is 88.8 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
88.8 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Houghton Lake area is 59 (100=best). The US average is 55.
59 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Houghton Lake area is 87 (100=best). The US average is 87.
87 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Houghton Lake commutes 22.5 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Houghton Lake area is 87 (100=best). The US average is 58.
87 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.