Photo: The original uploader was Duke53 at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5Within New York, Tupper Lake is healthier than 12% of graded towns
Tupper Lake differs from New York on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 12986. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Tupper Lake
COPD, obesity and arthritis run high in Tupper Lake
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.1%), vs 6% across New York. 2 in 5 adults have obesity (40.4%), vs 28.8% across New York. Arthritis is also above the state: 32.7%, vs 24% across New York. In all, Tupper Lake runs above New York on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (New York 18%), and COPD and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Tupper Lake
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (15.7%), vs 11.3% across New York. Habits ↓
Tupper Lake has a community health center but no hospital
Hudson Headwaters Health Network is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Adirondack Medical Center - Saranac Lake in Saranac Lake, 17.4 miles away. Getting care ↓
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 Tupper Lake’s likely range; Tupper Lake’s figures come from ZIP code 12986, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Tupper Lake’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tupper Lake is healthier than 35% of U.S. towns, #663 of 755 in New York. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 53% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 19%).
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). Tupper Lake’s median household income is $65,433; among the 10,015 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$82K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.
Where Tupper Lake compares well: no health insurance (ages 18–64), 6.2% (U.S. 11%).
Out of every 100 Tupper Lake adults…
Tupper Lake runs above NY on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Tupper Lake is an older town: 26% 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 Tupper Lake as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with New York
Share of adults, with the New York figure marked.
46 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Care in and near Tupper Lake
1 community health center in Tupper Lake, 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 Tupper Lake; ≈ 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 Tupper Lake adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.
How Tupper Lake adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Tupper Lake runs above New York.
1 in 3 Tupper Lake 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.
13.7% of Tupper Lake adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.
Tupper Lake and the towns around it
Tupper Lake’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tupper Lake | C+ | 40.4% | 12.4% | 15.7% | ZIP 12986 |
| Harrietstown | B− | 39.5% | 12.1% | 14.7% | ZIP codes |
| Piercefield | — | — | — | — | |
| Waverly | — | — | — | — | |
| Santa Clara | — | — | — | — | |
| Long Lake | — | — | — | — | |
| Hopkinton | B− | 39.9% | 11.9% | 13.4% | ZIP codes |
Piercefield, Waverly, Santa Clara and Long Lake: 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 Tupper Lake adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Tupper Lake
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Tupper Lake is better than New York on 2 and worse on 11; on the rest, the New York figure falls inside Tupper Lake’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Tupper Lake | NY | U.S. | vs NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.7%17.2–22.5 | 18.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.6–17.3 | 12.8% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.9%15–18.9 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.4%34–47 | 28.8% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 12.4%10.7–14 | 11.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.8%33.9–41.7 | 32.6% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.9%34.9–43 | 37.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.7%29.4–36 | 24% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.2–12.8 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.5–11.5 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%7.1–8.9 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.1%7.9–10.2 | 6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.7%11.3–16.4 | 12.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.7%13.4–18.2 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.7%24.5–33.2 | 25.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.2%13.5–19.2 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36%30.5–41.8 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.2%5–7.4 | 7.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.5%77.2–83.4 | 80.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.9%55.4–62.4 | 63.5% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89%87.6–90.5 | 89.2% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.3%76.4–81.8 | 77.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.8%66.2–75 | 66.8% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.8%71.3–83.4 | 78.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%19.1–25.6 | 17.5% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 31.6%27.1–36.2 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.4%20.2–26.9 | 26.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.5%12.3–17.2 | 17.2% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.7%10.1–13.6 | 14.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.4%6.4–8.5 | 8.2% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.9%6.9–9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.7%11.6–16.2 | 14.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.8%27.9–36 | 27.2% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.3%14.3–18.5 | 13.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.7%12–15.5 | 12.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.6%6.7–8.5 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.7–5.8 | 5.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.1%8–10.1 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%3.9–4.9 | 3.8% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Tupper Lake
Is Tupper Lake a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Tupper Lake is healthier than 35% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #663 of 755 in New York. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Tupper Lake?
CDC estimates 40.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 34% and 47%, against 28.8% across New York and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Tupper Lake?
Adirondack Medical Center - Saranac Lake in Saranac Lake, 17.4 miles in a straight line from Tupper Lake’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Tupper Lake have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 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 Tupper Lake more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Tupper Lake.
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.