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DHealth Grade
Health in Brown Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Brown Township is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns

Brown Township trails Pennsylvania on 15 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 17084, 17004. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Brown Township

COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Brown Township

1 in 8 adults have COPD (12.9%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 18 adults have had a stroke (5.5%), vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. Heart disease is also above the state: 10.9%, vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. In all, Brown Township runs above Pennsylvania on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

More Brown Township adults get no exercise

1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. There are 39 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓

Dental care lags in Brown Township

55.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 64.4% across Pennsylvania. Among those 65 and older, 21.2% have lost all their teeth (Pennsylvania 14.5%). 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 Pennsylvania figure falls outside Brown Township’s likely range; Brown Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 17084, 17004, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Brown Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brown Township is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns, #992 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 35% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 3%).

DSelf-rated health27.1% · PA 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
DPhysical distress18.4% · PA 13.2% · U.S. 13%
C−Mental distress18.8% · PA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
CObesity38.1% · PA 33.8% · U.S. 32.9%
C−Diabetes14.4% · PA 11.6% · U.S. 12%
D−Smoking22.5% smoke · PA 15.8% · U.S. 11.8%
C−Exercise32% · PA 23.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 11%
Less healthyHealthier
Pennsylvania towns we grade (1,035)Healthier than 4%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $60K–$100K (10,757)Healthier 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). Brown Township’s median household income is $79,821; among the 10,757 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($60K–$100K), it’s healthier than 3%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Brown Township could be anywhere from D− to C+. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 17084,17004), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Brown Township adults…

Brown Township runs above PA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

13 of every 100 Brown Township adults have COPD
Pennsylvania: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 11.7–14.3%
Better than PAWorseAbout the samePennsylvania
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania

Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.

Get no exercise 32%PA 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 39.4%PA 37.9%
Binge drink 16%PA 18.3%
Smoke cigarettes 22.5%PA 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Brown Township, betterBrown Township, worseAbout the samePennsylvania
Where Brown Township gets moving

39 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Brown Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.

80%Yearly checkupPA 79%
55%Dentist visitPA 64%
83%Cholesterol checkPA 85%
65%Colon screeningPA 68%
75%MammogramPA 78%
82%Taking BP medsPA 79%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Brown Township 9.3% · Pennsylvania 1 in 17 (5.8%)
Getting care

Care in and near Brown Township

No hospital or community health center in Brown Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERGeisinger-Lewistown HospitalLewistown · 7.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyGeisinger-Lewistown Hospital★★★★★ · 7.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLewistown Community Health CenterLewistown · 4.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
4.4 mi
Lewistown Community Health Center
Lewistown · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
5.9 mi
The Broad Top Area Medical Center
7 sites · nearest in Belleville
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.2 mi
Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital
Lewistown · ★★★★★
ER
15.8 mi
Mount Nittany Medical Center
State College · ★★★★★
ER
22.6 mi
Penn Highlands Huntingdon
Huntingdon · ★★★★★
ER
31.5 mi
Penn Highlands Tyrone
Tyrone · not rated
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careBrown Township is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Brown Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Brown Township itself

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 Brown 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).

Mind & connection

How Brown Township adults are doing

On 1 of 2 measures, Brown Township runs above Pennsylvania.

1 in 4Brown Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
26% · PA 23% · About the same as PA
1 in 5Brown Township adults are in frequent mental distress
18.8% · PA 16.4% · Worse than PA
The one neighbors can help with

A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Around town

Brown Township and the towns around it

Brown Township’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 5 graded towns around it.

Jackson Township: 34.2%Derry Township: 38.5%Granville Township: 38.5%Union Township: 36.9%Armagh Township: 38.5%Menno Township: 36.7%Barree Township: 34.3%Harris Township: 30.3%Miller Township: 33.8%Ferguson Township: 29.9%Lewistown: 41.6%Fermanagh Township: 36.7%Decatur Township: 38.9%Highland Park: 35.7%Milford Township: 36.5%Oliver Township: 36.8%Bratton Township: 37.5%Potter Township: 33.7%Haines Township: 33.4%Hartley Township: 35%Gregg Township: 34.9%West Beaver Township: 38.6%Brown Township: 38.1%Brown TownshipJackson TownshipDerry TownshipGranville TownshipUnion TownshipArmagh TownshipGeisinger-Lewistown Hospital · Lewistown · 7.2 mi · 5★ MedicareHMount Nittany Medical Center · State College · 15.8 mi · 5★ MedicareHPenn Highlands Huntingdon · Huntingdon · 22.6 mi · 3★ MedicareHLewistown Community Health Center · Lewistown · 4.4 mi+Btamc Belleville Wellness Center · Belleville · 5.9 mi+
Healthier than PANear PALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#17 of 23 towns on this map, healthiest first
Jackson Township34.2%
Union Township36.9%
Brown Township38.1%
Derry Township38.5%
Granville Township38.5%
Armagh Township38.5%
PA33.8%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Brown TownshipD38.1%14.4%22.5%ZIP codes
Jackson Township————
Derry TownshipC−38.5%13.5%21.6%ZIP codes
Granville TownshipD38.5%13.7%21.6%ZIP codes
Union TownshipD36.9%14.1%20.7%ZIP 17004
Armagh TownshipD38.5%13.5%22.7%ZIP codes

Jackson Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

41.2%

of Brown Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs21.6%
Thinking or memory18.4%
Hearing11.5%
Errands alone12%
Vision7.6%
Dressing or bathing6%
Pennsylvania

Every CDC estimate for Brown Township

Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brown Township is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 15; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Brown Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Brown TownshipPAU.S.vs PA
Overall health
Fair or poor health27.1%24.4–29.918.7%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)18.4%16.4–20.513.2%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)18.8%16.9–20.816.4%15.9%Worse
Conditions
Obesity38.1%30.5–46.233.8%32.9%About the same
Diabetes14.4%12.5–16.611.6%12%Worse
High blood pressure38.3%33.6–42.432.8%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)37.5%32.5–41.933.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis38.5%34.5–42.430.4%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.9%10.5–13.510.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.3%9.3–11.38.8%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease10.9%9.9–12.17.4%6.4%Worse
COPD12.9%11.7–14.37.7%6.3%Worse
Stroke5.5%5–5.93.7%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)21.2%17.6–25.314.5%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes22.5%19.9–25.315.8%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work32%27.2–36.923.8%24.7%Worse
Binge drinking16%13–19.318.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours39.4%32.5–46.637.9%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)9.3%7.5–11.15.8%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year79.5%75.7–82.978.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year55.3%51.4–59.264.4%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years83.2%80.4–85.685.3%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)81.8%78.7–84.379.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)64.5%59–69.667.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)74.5%66.2–81.677.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26%22.1–30.123%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability41.2%36.7–45.831.3%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs21.6%19.3–2414.2%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering18.4%16.5–20.514.1%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty11.5%10.2–12.87.6%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty7.6%6.9–8.35.1%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone12%10.9–13.38.2%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing6%5.5–6.53.7%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 Brown Township

Is Brown Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brown Township is healthier than 11% of U.S. towns: D for health, #992 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 3%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Brown Township?

CDC estimates 38.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.5% and 46.2%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Brown Township?

Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital in Lewistown, 7.2 miles in a straight line from Brown Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

How many people in Brown Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 9.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.5–11.1%), 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 Brown Township 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 Brown Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.