Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Denver is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns
Denver differs from Pennsylvania on 4 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Denver. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Denver
Smoking is more common in Denver
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (20.3%), vs 15.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
1 in 13 working-age adults in Denver has no health insurance
7.9% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.8% across Pennsylvania. Checkups ↓
Denver has a community health center but no hospital
Union Community Care is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Wellspan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, 4 miles away. Getting care ↓
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 Denver’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Denver’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Denver is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns, #786 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 68% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Denver’s median household income is $85,531; among the 10,342 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($64K–$107K), it’s healthier than 26%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
1.1 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Denver adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
Care in and near Denver
1 community health center in Denver, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Denver; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 Denver adults…
Denver runs below PA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
How Denver adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, Denver 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.
Denver and the towns around it
Denver’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | C+ | 37.5% | 10.9% | 20.3% | CDC place |
| East Cocalico Township | B | 35.4% | 10.6% | 17.2% | ZIP codes |
| West Cocalico Township | B | 35.5% | 10.5% | 17.4% | ZIP codes |
| Stevens | — | — | — | — | |
| Reamstown | — | — | — | — |
Stevens: fewer than 1,000 residents. Reamstown: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Denver adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Denver
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Denver is better than Pennsylvania on 1 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Denver’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Denver | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.4%18.1–22.8 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.6–16.1 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.5%16.6–20.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.5%30.3–45.1 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.9%9.3–12.6 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.6%27.7–35.7 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.1%30.8–39.3 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.3%28.5–36.2 | 30.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.7–12.6 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.6%7.6–9.5 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.6–8.2 | 7.4% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 7.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.2–3.9 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.4%9.1–14.1 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.3%17.7–22.9 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 25.7%21.4–30.2 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.4%15–22.2 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.1%33.4–46.9 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.9%6.1–10 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.5%72.4–80.2 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.7%56.8–64.5 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.2%81.5–86.5 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.7%75.2–81.8 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 62.4%57–67.5 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 71.1%62.1–78.8 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.3%21.5–29.3 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.1%29.8–38.7 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.5%12.7–16.4 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.6%14.8–18.5 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.8%6.9–8.8 | 7.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.8–5.8 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.9%8–9.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.5–4.2 | 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 Denver
Is Denver a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Denver is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #786 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 26%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Denver?
CDC estimates 37.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.3% and 45.1%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Denver?
Wellspan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, 4.0 miles in a straight line from Denver’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Denver have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–10%), 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 Denver 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 Denver.
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.