Photo: Diana · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Ashley is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns
Ashley trails Pennsylvania on 17 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ashley. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ashley
Ashley is in the bottom 6% of U.S. towns for health
On the seven CDC estimates behind the Health Grade, Ashley is healthier than only 6% of U.S. towns. It earns a D on six of the seven. Health Grade ↓
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Ashley
1 in 9 adults have COPD (11.5%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 20 adults have had a stroke (5.1%), vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. Heart disease is also above the state: 9.7%, vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. In all, Ashley runs above Pennsylvania on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
More Ashley adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.6%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
More Ashley adults live with a disability
2 in 5 adults live with a disability (40.9%, vs 31.3% across Pennsylvania). The biggest difference is vision loss: 7.7% vs 5.1%. Disability ↓
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 Pennsylvania figure falls outside Ashley’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
What’s behind Ashley’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ashley is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns, #1,015 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 21% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 3%).
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). Ashley’s median household income is $56,500; among the 7,884 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$71K), it’s healthier than 8%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Ashley adults…
Ashley runs above PA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Ashley adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Care in and near Ashley
No hospital or community health center in Ashley 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 Ashley; ≈ 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 Ashley adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How Ashley adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, Ashley runs above Pennsylvania.
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.
Ashley and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley | D | 43.4% | 14.3% | 23% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Every CDC estimate for Ashley
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ashley is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Ashley’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ashley | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 26.1%23.4–28.9 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.4%16.3–20.5 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.9%17.9–21.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43.4%36.5–50.6 | 33.8% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 14.3%12.4–16.4 | 11.6% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 39.9%35.7–43.8 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.1%31.9–40.1 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 38.3%34.4–42.3 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.6–13.7 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.1%8.1–10 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.7%8.7–10.7 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.5%10.3–12.7 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.1%4.6–5.5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 19.7%16–23.6 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 23%20.2–25.8 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32.6%28–37.4 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%12.8–19.1 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42%35.7–48.6 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.2%8.1–12.5 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%76.1–83.1 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53.6%49.7–57.6 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80.2%77.4–82.7 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.7%77.8–83.3 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 59.9%54.4–65.2 | 67.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.5%62.7–79 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.2%22.4–30.2 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 40.9%36.4–45.6 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.3%18.1–22.6 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.5%16.5–20.6 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.3%9.2–11.6 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.7%7–8.4 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 12.1%10.9–13.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.3%5.8–6.9 | 3.7% | 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 Pennsylvania figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Ashley
Is Ashley a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ashley is healthier than 6% of U.S. towns: D for health, #1,015 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 8%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ashley?
CDC estimates 43.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 36.5% and 50.6%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ashley?
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in Wilkes-barre, 2.6 miles in a straight line from Ashley’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ashley have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.1–12.5%), against 5.8% across Pennsylvania.
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 Ashley more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Ashley.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Pennsylvania 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.