Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Bell Township is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns
Bell Township trails Pennsylvania on 12 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 15767, 15772. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bell Township
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Bell Township
1 in 9 adults have COPD (10.8%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.4%), vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. Stroke is also above the state: 4.5%, vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. In all, Bell Township runs above Pennsylvania on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Bell Township adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (28.7%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. There are 13 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Smoking is more common in Bell Township
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (20.7%), vs 15.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
Bell Township is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Bell Township is healthier than 23%. Against the 7,936 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 41%. Health Grade ↓
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 Bell Township’s likely range; Bell Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 15767, 15772, 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 Bell Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bell Township is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 47% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 7%).
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). Bell Township’s median household income is $56,731; among the 7,936 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 41%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Bell Township adults…
Bell Township runs above PA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Bell Township is an older town: 26% of residents are 65 or older, vs 20% across Pennsylvania. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Bell Township as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
Care in and near Bell Township
No hospital or community health center in Bell 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 Bell 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Bell Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How Bell 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.
Bell Township and the towns around it
Bell Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Township | C− | 36.6% | 12.9% | 20.7% | ZIP codes |
| Punxsutawney | C+ | 35.8% | 12.7% | 18% | CDC place |
| Young Township | C | 36.4% | 12.8% | 20.4% | ZIP codes |
| McCalmont Township | C− | 36.9% | 13.1% | 21.6% | ZIP codes |
| Gaskill Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Canoe Township | D | 40.2% | 13.7% | 22.8% | ZIP codes |
| Henderson Township | C− | 36.6% | 12.9% | 21.1% | ZIP codes |
| Banks Township | — | — | — | — |
Gaskill Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Banks Township: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bell Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bell Township
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bell Township is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Bell Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bell Township | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.2%20.8–25.6 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.2%14.4–17.9 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16.3–20 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.6%29.1–44.1 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.9%11.1–14.7 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.8%33–40.9 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.3%33.2–41.6 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 36.3%32.3–40.1 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.3%9.9–12.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.9%9–10.8 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.4%8.4–10.3 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.8%9.7–11.9 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4.2–4.9 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.8%14.5–21.3 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.7%18.3–23.2 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.7%24.3–33.2 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.4%14.2–20.8 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.9%31.1–44.8 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.1%6.8–9.5 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.5%74.6–81.8 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.1%55.2–62.7 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.9%81.5–86.3 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.4%78.5–84.1 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%60.8–70.9 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.6%66.3–81.2 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.2%21.4–29 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.6%33.1–41.9 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.1%16.1–20.1 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.8%15–18.7 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.9%8.7–11 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.3%5.7–6.8 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.3%9.3–11.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.8%4.4–5.1 | 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 Bell Township
Is Bell Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bell Township is healthier than 23% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 41%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bell Township?
CDC estimates 36.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.1% and 44.1%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bell Township?
Punxsutawney Area Hospital in Punxsutawney, 4.0 miles in a straight line from Bell Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bell Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–9.5%), 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 Bell 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 Bell 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.