Photo: NChanq at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0On CDC estimates, Forest Hills is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns
Forest Hills differs from Pennsylvania on 16 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Forest Hills. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Forest Hills
Forest Hills is an active town
Only 17.6% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
Cancer runs high in Forest Hills
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (10.3%), vs 8.8% across Pennsylvania. Conditions ↓
Health varies a lot right around Forest Hills
Grades next door run from Churchill (A) to North Braddock (C−). Forest Hills is an A. Around town ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Forest Hills
Forest Hills runs below Pennsylvania on COPD (5.7% vs 7.7%) and stroke (3% vs 3.7%). Conditions ↓
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 Forest Hills’ likely range.
What’s behind Forest Hills’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Hills is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #82 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 95% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 81%.
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). Forest Hills’ median household income is $89,688; among the 9,976 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($67K–$112K), it’s healthier than 98%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
2 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Forest Hills adults…
Forest Hills runs below PA on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Forest Hills and the towns around it
Forest Hills’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills | A | 29.4% | 10% | 11.1% | CDC place |
| Braddock Hills | C | 37.3% | 15.3% | 18.1% | CDC place |
| Wilkins Township | C+ | 36.2% | 13.9% | 17.2% | ZIP codes |
| Churchill | A | 28.2% | 10.9% | 9.2% | CDC place |
| North Braddock | C− | 39.4% | 15.2% | 19.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Care in and near Forest Hills
No hospital or community health center in Forest Hills 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 Forest Hills; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Forest Hills adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How Forest Hills adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, Forest Hills does better than 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Forest Hills adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Forest Hills
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Forest Hills is better than Pennsylvania on 15 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Forest Hills’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Forest Hills | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.5%12–15.1 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.9%9.6–12.2 | 13.2% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.6–14.3 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.4%25.6–33.6 | 33.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10%8.7–11.5 | 11.6% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.2%28.6–33.8 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34%31–37 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.6%28.7–34.6 | 30.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.7–11.2 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.3%9.3–11.3 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.5%5.9–7.2 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.7%5.1–6.4 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.8–3.3 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.7%5.4–8.3 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.1%9.7–12.6 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.6%15.2–20.2 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 19.1%16.5–21.9 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.9%29.1–36.8 | 37.9% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.4%3.5–5.3 | 5.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.1%77.3–82.8 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73%70.1–75.7 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89%87.3–90.5 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.6%78.8–84 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.1%67.1–74.8 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.5%74.9–85.4 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.4%18.7–24.3 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.1%22.4–28.1 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.2%9.9–12.7 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.1%9–11.3 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.6%5.8–7.4 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.5%3.1–3.8 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.7%5.1–6.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.3–2.7 | 3.7% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Forest Hills
Is Forest Hills a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Hills is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #82 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 98%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Forest Hills?
CDC estimates 29.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.6% and 33.6%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Forest Hills?
UPMC St. Margaret in Pittsburgh, 4.8 miles in a straight line from Forest Hills’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Forest Hills have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.5–5.3%), 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 Forest Hills more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Forest Hills.
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.