Photo: Doug Kerr (Dougtone) · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Damascus Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns
Damascus Township differs from Pennsylvania on 8 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 18415, 18443, 18405, 18469. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Damascus Township
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Damascus Township
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.5%), vs 8.8% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.5%), vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. Arthritis is also above the state: 37.4%, vs 30.4% across Pennsylvania. In all, Damascus Township runs above Pennsylvania on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Damascus Township, and more people treating it
38.8% of adults have high blood pressure (Pennsylvania 32.8%), but 83% of them take medicine for it, vs 79.2% statewide. 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 Damascus Township’s likely range; Damascus Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 18415, 18443, 18405, 18469, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Damascus Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Damascus Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #515 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 81% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 37%).
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). Damascus Township’s median household income is $75,357; among the 10,839 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($57K–$94K), it’s healthier than 67%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Damascus Township adults…
Damascus Township runs above PA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Damascus Township is an older town: 28% 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 Damascus Township as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Damascus Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
Care in and near Damascus Township
No hospital or community health center in Damascus 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 Damascus Township; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
How Damascus Township adults are doing
About the same as Pennsylvania on each measure.
A hello is a start.
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Damascus Township and the towns around it
Damascus Township’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damascus Township | B | 33.7% | 12.9% | 16.1% | ZIP codes |
| Oregon Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Lebanon Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Berlin Township | B− | 34.3% | 12.5% | 16.4% | ZIP codes |
| Manchester Township | — | — | — | — |
Oregon Township, Lebanon Township and Manchester Township: 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 Damascus Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Damascus Township
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Damascus Township is better than Pennsylvania on 2 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Damascus Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Damascus Township | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.9%16.8–21.2 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.1%12.4–15.9 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.4–16.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.7%26.2–41.8 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.9%11.1–14.9 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.8%34.4–44 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.6%33.8–44.2 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 37.4%33–41.7 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.1–11.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.5%10.4–12.8 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.5%8.5–10.5 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.1%8.1–10.2 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.6%10.1–15.5 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.1%14–18.3 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.6%19.6–28 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.8%13.6–20.4 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.2%30.1–44.6 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.1%4.7–7.7 | 5.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81%77.4–84.3 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.4%62.7–70 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88%85.9–90 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83%80–86 | 79.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.1%65.9–75.7 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78%70.2–84.5 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.8%19.1–26.6 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.8%28.5–37.3 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.8%13.9–17.9 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.1%11.6–14.7 | 14.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.3–10.5 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.9%4.5–5.4 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%7.1–8.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.4–4.1 | 3.7% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Damascus Township
Is Damascus Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Damascus Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #515 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 67%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Damascus Township?
CDC estimates 33.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.2% and 41.8%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Damascus Township?
Garnet Health Medical Center Catskills in Callicoon, 8.1 miles in a straight line from Damascus Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Damascus Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.7–7.7%), 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 Damascus Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Damascus 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.