On CDC estimates, Bear Creek Township is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns
Bear Creek Township trails Pennsylvania on 10 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 18702, 18661. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bear Creek Township
1 in 9 working-age adults in Bear Creek Township has no health insurance
11.2% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.8% across Pennsylvania. Checkups ↓
More Bear Creek Township adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.1%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. There are 45 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke run high in Bear Creek Township
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.2%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.3%), vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania figure falls outside Bear Creek Township’s likely range; Bear Creek Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 18702, 18661, 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 Bear Creek Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bear Creek Township is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns, #942 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 35% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 14%).
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). Bear Creek Township’s median household income is $88,333; among the 10,143 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($66K–$110K), it’s healthier than 6%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bear Creek Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
45 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Bear Creek Township adults…
Bear Creek Township runs above PA on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Bear Creek Township
No hospital or community health center in Bear Creek Township 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 Bear Creek Township; ≈ 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).
How Bear Creek Township adults are doing
About the same as Pennsylvania on each measure.
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.
Bear Creek Township and the towns around it
Bear Creek Township’s Health Grade ranks 6th of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Township | C− | 40.1% | 13.1% | 19.1% | ZIP codes |
| Kidder Township | B− | 35.7% | 13.1% | 16.1% | ZIP codes |
| Penn Lake Park | — | — | — | — | |
| Dennison Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Buck Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Thornhurst Township | B− | 34.9% | 12.9% | 18.2% | ZIP 18424 |
| Jenkins Township | C+ | 38.1% | 12.2% | 17.6% | ZIP codes |
| Fairview Township | A− | 34.3% | 10.3% | 13.2% | ZIP 18707 |
Penn Lake Park and Buck Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Dennison Township: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bear Creek Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bear Creek Township
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bear Creek Township is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Bear Creek Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bear Creek Township | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.6%21.1–26.1 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.2–17.8 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%16.1–19.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40.1%33.5–47 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.1%11.3–15 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.8%32–39.6 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.7%29.7–37.5 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.1%30.5–37.8 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.3%9.9–12.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.6%7.8–9.4 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.4%7.6–9.2 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%4–4.6 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.4%13.5–19.7 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.1%16.8–21.4 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 30.1%25.9–34.7 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%13.6–20 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.8%34.8–47.2 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.2%9.8–12.8 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79%75.4–82.3 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.1%54.4–61.7 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.6%81–85.9 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.5%76.5–82.2 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65%59.9–69.8 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.2%66.2–81.2 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.3%19.8–26.9 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.5%33.2–41.8 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.5%15.6–19.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.8%15.1–18.8 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.9–9.8 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7%6.4–7.6 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.4%9.5–11.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.1%4.7–5.5 | 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 Bear Creek Township
Is Bear Creek Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bear Creek Township is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #942 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 6%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bear Creek Township?
CDC estimates 40.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.5% and 47%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bear Creek Township?
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in Wilkes-barre, 8.4 miles in a straight line from Bear Creek Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bear Creek Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.8–12.8%), 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 Bear Creek Township 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 Bear Creek Township.
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.