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≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Exeter · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Exeter is healthier than 85%

Exeter differs from Pennsylvania on 3 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 2 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Exeter. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Exeter

Cancer and arthritis run high in Exeter

1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.4%), vs 8.8% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (35.7%), vs 30.4% across Pennsylvania. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

Exeter is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Exeter is healthier than 56%. Against the 8,206 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 85%. 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 Exeter’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Exeter’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Exeter is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns, #534 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 69% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 39%).

BSelf-rated health18.4% · PA 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
B−Physical distress14% · PA 13.2% · U.S. 13%
B+Mental distress15.9% · PA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
B−Obesity36.3% · PA 33.8% · U.S. 32.9%
BDiabetes11.4% · PA 11.6% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking15.9% smoke · PA 15.8% · U.S. 11.8%
BExercise24.8% · PA 23.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 56%
Less healthyHealthier
Pennsylvania towns we grade (1,035)Healthier than 48%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $43K–$72K (8,206)Healthier than 85%

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). Exeter’s median household income is $57,639; among the 8,206 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$72K), it’s healthier than 85%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Exeter could be anywhere from C− to A−. The letter shows with “≈”.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Exeter adults…

Exeter runs below PA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Exeter adults have had cancer
Pennsylvania: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 9.3–11.5%
Better than PAWorseAbout the samePennsylvania
Why age matters here

Exeter is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 20% across Pennsylvania. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Exeter as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Exeter27%
Pennsylvania20%
Getting care

Care in and near Exeter

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

HNearest ERGeisinger Wyoming Valley Medical CenterWilkes Barre · 4.9 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyGeisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center★★★★★ · 4.9 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRural Health Corporation of Northeastern PennsylvaniaWilkes Barre · 3.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
3.8 mi
Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania
3 sites · nearest in Wilkes Barre
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
≈4.9 mi
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
Wilkes Barre · ★★★★★
ER
≈6.4 mi
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
Wilkes-Barre · ★★★★★
ER
≈6.4 mi
Wilkes Barre VA Medical Center
Wilkes-Barre · ★★★★★
ERFor veterans
6.4 mi
The Wright Center Medical Group
2 sites · nearest in Wilkes Barre
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
≈9.7 mi
Regional Hospital of Scranton
Scranton · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careExeter is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Exeter itself
✓ Mental healthExeter is not a shortage area

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 Exeter; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania

Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.8%PA 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 37.1%PA 37.9%
Binge drink 17.5%PA 18.3%
Smoke cigarettes 15.9%PA 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Exeter, betterExeter, worseAbout the samePennsylvania
Where Exeter gets moving

30 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%Yearly checkupPA 79%
67%Dentist visitPA 64%
86%Cholesterol checkPA 85%
69%Colon screeningPA 68%
74%MammogramPA 78%
81%Taking BP medsPA 79%
1 in 15
working-age adults has no health insurance
Exeter 6.7% · Pennsylvania 1 in 17 (5.8%)
Mind & connection

How Exeter adults are doing

About the same as Pennsylvania on each measure.

1 in 4Exeter adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.5% · PA 23% · About the same as PA
1 in 6Exeter adults are in frequent mental distress
15.9% · PA 16.4% · About the same as 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

Exeter and the towns around it

Exeter has the best Health Grade of the 6 graded towns around it.

West Pittston: 36.7%Exeter Township: 36.4%Pittston: 40.8%Duryea: 39.7%Jenkins Township: 38.1%Ransom Township: 30.5%Newton Township: 29.1%Franklin Township: 35.3%Upper Exeter: 37.3%Exeter Township: 35.7%Pittston Township: 37.6%Browntown: 35.5%Avoca: 36%Hughestown: 37.1%Old Forge: 31.7%Laflin: 32.4%Plains Township: 40.3%Yatesville: 35.5%Spring Brook Township: 32.7%Bear Creek Township: 40.1%Thornhurst Township: 34.9%Wyoming: 33.1%Exeter: 36.3%ExeterWest PittstonExeter TownshipPittstonDuryeaJenkins TownshipGeisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center · Wilkes Barre · 4.9 mi · 4★ MedicareHWilkes-Barre General Hospital · Wilkes-Barre · 6.4 mi · 2★ MedicareHWilkes Barre VA Medical Center · Wilkes-Barre · 6.4 mi · 5★ MedicareHRegional Hospital of Scranton · Scranton · 9.7 mi · 2★ MedicareHMckinney Clinic · Wilkes Barre · 3.8 mi+The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre Practice · Wilkes Barre · 6.4 mi+
Healthier than PANear PALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#13 of 23 towns on this map, healthiest first
Exeter36.3%
Exeter Township36.4%
West Pittston36.7%
Jenkins Township38.1%
Duryea39.7%
Pittston40.8%
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
ExeterB36.3%11.4%15.9%CDC place
West PittstonC+36.7%11.6%17.1%CDC place
Exeter TownshipB−36.4%11.5%16.5%ZIP codes
DuryeaC−39.7%12.4%20.8%CDC place
PittstonC−40.8%12.4%20.3%CDC place
Jenkins TownshipC+38.1%12.2%17.6%ZIP codes

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

33%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.3%
Thinking or memory13.6%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone8.4%
Vision4.9%
Dressing or bathing3.7%
Pennsylvania

Every CDC estimate for Exeter

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

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Exeter is better than Pennsylvania on 1 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Exeter’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…ExeterPAU.S.vs PA
Overall health
Fair or poor health18.4%16.4–20.718.7%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14%12.4–15.813.2%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)15.9%14.3–17.716.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity36.3%29.9–43.233.8%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.4%9.8–13.211.6%12%About the same
High blood pressure34.9%31–38.832.8%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)34.3%30.2–38.433.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis35.7%31.9–39.730.4%25.3%Worse
Asthma10.9%9.6–12.410.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.4%9.3–11.58.8%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease8.3%7.4–9.37.4%6.4%About the same
COPD8.4%7.5–9.57.7%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.9%3.5–4.33.7%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)10.1%8.1–12.514.5%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.9%13.9–18.115.8%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work24.8%21–28.723.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking17.5%14.4–2118.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.1%31.2–43.537.9%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.7%5–8.75.8%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year79.9%76.4–83.178.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year66.5%62.9–7064.4%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.4%84.1–88.485.3%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80.7%77.5–83.579.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)68.8%63.8–73.567.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)73.9%65.3–8177.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.5%20–27.223%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability33%29.1–3731.3%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.3%13.6–17.314.2%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering13.6%12.1–15.314.1%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.7%7.7–9.87.6%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty4.9%4.5–5.55.1%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.4%7.5–9.38.2%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.7%3.3–43.7%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 Exeter

Is Exeter a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Exeter is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #534 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Exeter?

CDC estimates 36.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.9% and 43.2%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Exeter?

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes Barre, 4.9 miles in a straight line from Exeter’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Exeter have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–8.7%), 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 Exeter 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 Exeter.

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.