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Brightwaters Village Hall; April 2019-3Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0
A+Health Grade
Health in Brightwaters · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Brightwaters is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns

Brightwaters differs from New York on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 1 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Brightwaters. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Brightwaters

Against towns with similar incomes, Brightwaters’ lead shrinks

Brightwaters is healthier than 99% of U.S. towns, but 69% of the 744 towns with similar household incomes ($164K–$273K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓

Brightwaters is an active town

Only 16.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 25.9% across New York. Habits ↓

Brightwaters keeps up with checkups

It beats New York on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (75.8% vs 63.5%) and cholesterol checks (92.7% vs 89.2%). Checkups ↓

Brightwaters adults report less loneliness

Loneliness (26.5% vs 34.2%), frequent mental distress (12.9% vs 15%) and lack of emotional support (19.5% vs 26.4%) all run below New York. Mind & connection ↓

Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the New York figure falls outside Brightwaters’ likely range.

Health Grade

What’s behind Brightwaters’ grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brightwaters is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, #30 of 755 in New York. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than almost every town); the weakest is obesity, still better than 92%.

A+Self-rated health10.6% · NY 18.1% · U.S. 19.4%
A+Physical distress9.7% · NY 12.8% · U.S. 13%
AMental distress12.9% · NY 15% · U.S. 15.9%
AObesity26.7% · NY 28.8% · U.S. 32.9%
A+Diabetes7.7% · NY 11.5% · U.S. 12%
A+Smoking7% smoke · NY 11.3% · U.S. 11.8%
AExercise16.8% · NY 25.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 98%
Less healthyHealthier
New York towns we grade (755)Healthier than 96%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $164K–$273K (744)Healthier than 69%

Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Brightwaters’ median household income is $218,000; among the 744 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($164K–$273K), it’s healthier than 69%, about where its income would put it.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Brightwaters could be anywhere from A to A+.

How TownRatings grades health →

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with New York

Share of adults, with the New York figure marked.

Get no exercise 16.8%NY 25.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.5%NY 37.9%
Binge drink 18.3%NY 16.3%
Smoke cigarettes 7%NY 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Brightwaters, betterBrightwaters, worseAbout the sameNew York
Where Brightwaters gets moving

0.1 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Brightwaters adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.

83%Yearly checkupNY 81%
76%Dentist visitNY 64%
93%Cholesterol checkNY 89%
72%Colon screeningNY 67%
80%MammogramNY 79%
77%Taking BP medsNY 77%
1 in 29
working-age adults has no health insurance
Brightwaters 3.4% · New York 1 in 13 (7.9%)
Mind & connection

How Brightwaters adults are doing

On 3 of 4 measures, Brightwaters does better than New York.

1 in 4Brightwaters adults feel lonely
26.5% · NY 34.2% · Better than NY
1 in 5Brightwaters adults lack social or emotional support
19.5% · NY 26.4% · Better than NY
1 in 6Brightwaters adults have been diagnosed with depression
16.4% · NY 17.5% · About the same as NY
1 in 8Brightwaters adults are in frequent mental distress
12.9% · NY 15% · Better than NY
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 4 Brightwaters adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Brightwaters adults…

Brightwaters runs below NY on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Brightwaters adults have diabetes
New York: 12 in 100 · better · likely 6.6–8.9%
Better than NYWorseAbout the sameNew York
Getting care

Care in and near Brightwaters

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

HNearest ERNS/Lij HS Southside HospitalBay Shore · 1.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySt. Catherine of Siena Hospital★★★★★ · 10.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSun River HealthBrentwood · 4.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.2 mi
NS/Lij HS Southside Hospital
Bay Shore · ★★★★★
ER
2.2 mi
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center
West Islip · ★★★★★
ER
4.5 mi
Sun River Health
7 sites · nearest in Brentwood
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10.5 mi
St. Catherine of Siena Hospital
Smithtown · ★★★★★
ER
10.7 mi
Ronkonkoma Health Center
Ronkonkoma · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
11.4 mi
Chsli St. Joseph Hospital
Bethpage · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careBrightwaters is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careBrightwaters is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthBrightwaters 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 Brightwaters; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

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 16
Brightwaters adults worry about having enough food
6.2% · NY 17.2%
Better than NY
1 in 15
Brightwaters adults worry about keeping their housing
6.6% · NY 14.5%
Better than NY
1 in 27
Brightwaters adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
3.7% · NY 8.2%
Better than NY
1 in 25
Brightwaters adults lack reliable transportation
4% · NY 8.6%
Better than NY

4.4% of Brightwaters adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.

Around town

Brightwaters and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Bay Shore: 32.8%West Bay Shore: 27.3%North Bay Shore: 34.2%Baywood: 32.9%West Islip: 27.2%Brightwaters: 26.7%BrightwatersBay ShoreWest Bay ShoreNS/Lij HS Southside Hospital · Bay Shore · 1.2 mi · 3★ MedicareHGood Samaritan Hospital Medical Center · West Islip · 2.2 mi · 3★ MedicareH
Healthier than NYNear NYLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#1 of 6 towns on this map, healthiest first
Brightwaters26.7%
West Bay Shore27.3%
Bay Shore32.8%
NY28.8%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
BrightwatersA+26.7%7.7%7%CDC place
Bay Shore————
West Bay Shore————

Bay Shore and West Bay Shore: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

20.3%

of Brightwaters adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs8.7%
Thinking or memory8.5%
Hearing4.6%
Errands alone4.6%
Vision2.5%
Dressing or bathing2.1%
New York

Every CDC estimate for Brightwaters

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brightwaters is better than New York on 22 and worse on 1; on the rest, the New York figure falls inside Brightwaters’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…BrightwatersNYU.S.vs NY
Overall health
Fair or poor health10.6%8.8–12.618.1%19.4%Better
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)9.7%8.3–11.212.8%13%Better
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)12.9%11.2–14.715%15.9%Better
Conditions
Obesity26.7%23.2–30.328.8%32.9%About the same
Diabetes7.7%6.6–8.911.5%12%Better
High blood pressure29%26.3–31.732.6%34.4%Better
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.3%36.4–42.237.7%37.1%About the same
Arthritis23.3%20.8–25.724%25.3%About the same
Asthma10%8.9–11.210.3%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.7%8.8–10.67.7%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease4.8%4.1–5.56.1%6.4%Better
COPD4.1%3.3–56%6.3%Better
Stroke2.3%2–2.73.4%3.4%Better
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)10.5%8.7–12.612.8%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes7%5.4–911.3%11.8%Better
No exercise outside work16.8%14–19.825.9%24.7%Better
Binge drinking18.3%16–20.716.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.5%31.4–37.737.9%36%Better
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)3.4%2.6–4.37.9%11%Better
Checkup in the past year82.5%80.3–84.780.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year75.8%73.7–77.963.5%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years92.7%91.4–93.989.2%87.1%Better
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.1%74.2–79.877.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)72.2%69.3–75.266.8%65.5%Better
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)79.9%75.4–8478.9%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression16.4%14.3–18.617.5%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely26.5%23.3–3034.2%32.5%Better
Lack social and emotional support19.5%16.7–22.426.4%23.6%Better
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food6.2%4.7–7.817.2%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing6.6%5.2–814.5%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off3.7%3–4.58.2%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation4%3.3–4.78.6%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)4.4%3.2–5.714.1%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability20.3%17.5–23.327.2%30.1%Lower
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs8.7%7.2–10.513.4%13.6%Lower
Difficulty concentrating or remembering8.5%7.1–1012.1%13.9%Lower
Hearing difficulty4.6%4–5.35.6%6.7%Lower
Vision difficulty2.5%2.2–35.2%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone4.6%3.8–5.57.7%7.9%Lower
Difficulty dressing or bathing2.1%1.8–2.53.8%3.8%Lower

Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the New York figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Brightwaters

Is Brightwaters a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brightwaters is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #30 of 755 in New York. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 69%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Brightwaters?

CDC estimates 26.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.2% and 30.3%, against 28.8% across New York and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Brightwaters?

NS/Lij HS Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, 1.2 miles in a straight line from Brightwaters’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Brightwaters have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 3.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.6–4.3%), against 7.9% across New York.

How accurate are these numbers?

They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Brightwaters more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Brightwaters.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New York figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.