Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Chester is healthier than 49%
Chester beats New York on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 10918, 10950. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Chester
Against towns with similar incomes, Chester’s lead shrinks
Chester is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns, but 49% of the 3,590 towns with similar household incomes ($105K–$175K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Fewer Chester adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below New York. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Stroke and heart disease are less common in Chester
Chester runs below New York on stroke (2.7% vs 3.4%), heart disease (5% vs 6.1%) and diabetes (9.6% vs 11.5%). Conditions ↓
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 Chester’s likely range; Chester’s figures come from ZIP codes 10918, 10950, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
What’s behind Chester’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chester is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns, #201 of 755 in New York. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 85% of towns); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 73%.
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). Chester’s median household income is $139,778; among the 3,590 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($105K–$175K), it’s healthier than 49%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10% of Chester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.
Out of every 100 Chester adults…
Chester runs below NY on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Chester
1 community health center in Chester, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Chester; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with New York
Share of adults, with the New York figure marked.
19 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Chester adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.
How Chester adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Chester does better than New York.
3 in 10 Chester 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.
Chester and the towns around it
Chester’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | A | 30% | 9.6% | 10.6% | ZIP codes |
| Blooming Grove | B+ | 31% | 9.8% | 12.3% | ZIP codes |
| Goshen | A | 29.3% | 10.3% | 10.1% | ZIP codes |
| Warwick | A | 29.2% | 10% | 10.1% | ZIP codes |
| Monroe | C+ | 33.1% | 9.5% | 16.7% | ZIP codes |
| Walton Park | — | — | — | — | |
| Chester | A− | 30.9% | 10.1% | 10.5% | CDC place |
Walton Park: 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 Chester adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Chester
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Chester is better than New York on 14 and worse on 0; on the rest, the New York figure falls inside Chester’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Chester | NY | U.S. | vs NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15%13.1–17.1 | 18.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.9%10.6–13.3 | 12.8% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.6–17 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30%25–35.3 | 28.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.6%8.3–11 | 11.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 29.8%26.5–33.2 | 32.6% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34%30.5–37.7 | 37.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 23.5%20.9–26.3 | 24% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.3–11.6 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8%7.3–8.8 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.5–5.6 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.2%4.6–5.9 | 6% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.7%2.5–3 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.9%7.9–12.1 | 12.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.6%9.1–12.4 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.1%18.9–25.6 | 25.9% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13.2–18.4 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.5%31.3–41.6 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.3%5.4–7.4 | 7.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%76.6–82.6 | 80.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69%65.8–72 | 63.5% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.7%88.3–90.9 | 89.2% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.4%72.2–78.3 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.6%65–73.8 | 66.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.8%73.1–85.3 | 78.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18%15.4–20.7 | 17.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.4%26.5–34.6 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.9%20.2–26.2 | 26.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.3%10.7–14 | 17.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.9%10.4–13.6 | 14.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.7%6–7.7 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.1%6.4–8 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10%8.8–11.5 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.6%20.6–26.8 | 27.2% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.5%9.2–12 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.3%10.1–12.7 | 12.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5%4.4–5.6 | 5.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.7–4.4 | 5.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.9–7.3 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 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 Chester
Is Chester a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chester is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns: A for health, #201 of 755 in New York. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Chester?
CDC estimates 30% of adults have obesity, likely between 25% and 35.3%, against 28.8% across New York and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Chester?
Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown, 8.9 miles in a straight line from Chester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Chester have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–7.4%), 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 Chester more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Chester.
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.