On CDC estimates, Cayuga Heights is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Cayuga Heights differs from New York on 25 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cayuga Heights. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cayuga Heights
Cayuga Heights is older than New York, yet healthier on chronic conditions
Cayuga Heights runs below New York on seven chronic conditions, most of all diabetes (7.1% vs 11.5%), COPD (3.9% vs 6%) and stroke (2.4% vs 3.4%). That’s despite an older population: 31% of residents are 65 or older (New York 18%). Conditions ↓
Cayuga Heights is an active town
Only 15.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 25.9% across New York. Habits ↓
Few Cayuga Heights adults smoke
5.9% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 11.3% across New York. Habits ↓
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 Cayuga Heights’ likely range.
What’s behind Cayuga Heights’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cayuga Heights is among the healthiest U.S. towns, #19 of 755 in New York. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than almost every town); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 91%.
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). Cayuga Heights’ median household income is $166,526; among the 1,822 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($125K–$208K), it’s healthier than 97%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Cayuga Heights adults…
Cayuga Heights runs below NY on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Cayuga Heights is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across New York. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Cayuga Heights as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with New York
Share of adults, with the New York figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Cayuga Heights
No hospital or community health center in Cayuga Heights itself. These are the nearest.
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 Cayuga Heights; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Cayuga Heights adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.
How Cayuga Heights adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Cayuga Heights does better than New York.
1 in 3 Cayuga Heights adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.1% of Cayuga Heights adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.
Cayuga Heights and the towns around it
Cayuga Heights has the best Health Grade of the 5 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayuga Heights | A+ | 20.6% | 7.1% | 5.9% | CDC place |
| Lansing | A− | 28.8% | 9.8% | 12.4% | ZIP codes |
| Ithaca | A | 23.2% | 6.2% | 7.9% | ZIP 14850 |
| Ithaca | A | 22.6% | 4.7% | 7.8% | CDC place |
| Lansing | A+ | 22.9% | 7.4% | 7.8% | CDC place |
| Northeast Ithaca | — | — | — | — |
Northeast Ithaca: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cayuga Heights adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cayuga Heights
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cayuga Heights is better than New York on 22 and worse on 3; on the rest, the New York figure falls inside Cayuga Heights’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cayuga Heights | NY | U.S. | vs NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 11.1%9.4–13.2 | 18.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.1%7.9–10.6 | 12.8% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.7%11.9–15.5 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 20.6%16.7–24.5 | 28.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 7.1%6.1–8.2 | 11.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 25.9%23.2–28.8 | 32.6% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30.1%27.1–33.2 | 37.7% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 21.4%19.2–23.7 | 24% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 9.5%8.5–10.7 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9%8.1–9.8 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.4–5.8 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.9%3.3–4.8 | 6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.1–2.9 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.1%5.7–8.6 | 12.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 5.9%4.8–7.2 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 15.8%13.1–19.2 | 25.9% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.5%14.9–20.3 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.2%25.7–35 | 37.9% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4%3.2–5 | 7.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.6%74.4–80.6 | 80.8% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.9%69–74.8 | 63.5% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.4%85.6–89.1 | 89.2% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75%72.7–77.3 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 75.8%72–79.4 | 66.8% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.2%77.9–87.8 | 78.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.7%17–22.4 | 17.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.8%29.2–38.5 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.4%18.3–24.8 | 26.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.7%6.2–9.4 | 17.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.7%5.5–8 | 14.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.7%3.1–4.4 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.4%4.5–6.3 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.1%4.1–6.3 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22%18.9–25.6 | 27.2% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.6%7.2–10.4 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.8%8.3–11.4 | 12.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.8–6.4 | 5.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.7–3.6 | 5.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.5%4.7–6.5 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2%1.8–2.4 | 3.8% | 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 Cayuga Heights
Is Cayuga Heights a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cayuga Heights is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health, #19 of 755 in New York. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 97%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cayuga Heights?
CDC estimates 20.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 16.7% and 24.5%, against 28.8% across New York and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cayuga Heights?
Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca in Ithaca, 2.5 miles in a straight line from Cayuga Heights’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cayuga Heights have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.2–5%), 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 Cayuga Heights 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 Cayuga Heights.
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.