Ulster House Hotel · Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Shandaken is healthier than 83%
Shandaken differs from New York on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 12464, 12410, 12480, 12416. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Shandaken
Cancer, heart disease and COPD run high in Shandaken
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12%), vs 7.7% across New York. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9%), vs 6.1% across New York. COPD is also above the state: 8.8%, vs 6% across New York. In all, Shandaken runs above New York on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (New York 18%), and cancer, heart disease and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Shandaken is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Shandaken is healthier than 63%. Against the 10,095 towns with similar household incomes ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 83%. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Shandaken, and more people treating it
42.9% of adults have high blood pressure (New York 32.6%), but 81.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 77.2% statewide. Checkups ↓
Shandaken keeps up with checkups
It beats New York on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.9% vs 80.8%) and cholesterol checks (91.4% vs 89.2%). Checkups ↓
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 Shandaken’s likely range; Shandaken’s figures come from ZIP codes 12464, 12410, 12480, 12416, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Shandaken’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shandaken is healthier than 63% of U.S. towns, #435 of 755 in New York. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 88% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 30%).
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). Shandaken’s median household income is $66,031; among the 10,095 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 83%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most New York towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Shandaken is healthier than 42% of graded towns, against 63% nationally.
Out of every 100 Shandaken adults…
Shandaken runs above NY on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Shandaken is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across New York. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Shandaken as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Shandaken adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.
Care in and near Shandaken
No hospital or community health center in Shandaken 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 Shandaken; ≈ 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.
118 miles of trails across 36 parks and preserves
How Shandaken adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Shandaken does better than New York.
3 in 10 Shandaken 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.
11.6% of Shandaken adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.
Shandaken and the towns around it
Shandaken’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shandaken | B | 31% | 13.4% | 12.3% | ZIP codes |
| Olive | A− | 28.9% | 11% | 10.8% | ZIP codes |
| Middletown | B− | 32.2% | 13.4% | 14.1% | ZIP codes |
| Hardenburgh | — | — | — | — | |
| Woodstock | A | 28.7% | 11.6% | 9.2% | ZIP codes |
| Denning | — | — | — | — | |
| Lexington | — | — | — | — | |
| Hunter | B− | 36% | 12.7% | 14.5% | ZIP codes |
Hardenburgh, Denning and Lexington: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Shandaken adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Shandaken
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Shandaken is better than New York on 12 and worse on 7; on the rest, the New York figure falls inside Shandaken’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Shandaken | NY | U.S. | vs NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.4%15.2–21.9 | 18.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%12.7–17.1 | 12.8% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.4–16.2 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31%25.7–36.7 | 28.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.4%11.4–15.4 | 11.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 42.9%38.8–46.7 | 32.6% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.2%38.3–46.2 | 37.7% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 33.5%30–37 | 24% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.4–11.8 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12%10.9–13.2 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9%7.8–10.3 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.8%7.1–10.7 | 6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.8–5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.6%12–17.4 | 12.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.3%9.6–15.1 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 25.2%20.7–30 | 25.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%11–15.6 | 16.3% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.4%30.3–40.7 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.8%4.5–7.4 | 7.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.9%81.3–86.2 | 80.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.1%60.7–67.2 | 63.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.4%90–92.7 | 89.2% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.9%79.3–84.2 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.6%67.2–75.5 | 66.8% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.6%69.8–82.5 | 78.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.2%16.5–22.1 | 17.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.9%23.6–32.5 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.8%17.6–24.4 | 26.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.2%9.6–15.1 | 17.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%8.3–12.3 | 14.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.3–7.6 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.1%5.9–8.4 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.6%8.9–14.5 | 14.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.1%24.7–33.6 | 27.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%13.2–18.9 | 13.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.6%9.8–13.5 | 12.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.2%7.1–9.3 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.2%4.4–6.2 | 5.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%6.8–9.6 | 7.7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%3.6–5.2 | 3.8% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Shandaken
Is Shandaken a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shandaken is healthier than 63% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #435 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 Shandaken?
CDC estimates 31% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.7% and 36.7%, against 28.8% across New York and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Shandaken?
Margaretville Memorial Hospital in Margaretville, 16.3 miles in a straight line from Shandaken’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Shandaken have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.5–7.4%), 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 Shandaken more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Shandaken.
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.