Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Foster Township is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns
Foster Township trails Pennsylvania on 7 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 18661, 18224, 18255. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Foster Township
What’s behind Foster Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Foster Township is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns, #726 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 66% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 25%).
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). Foster Township’s median household income is $68,384; among the 10,375 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$85K), it’s healthier than 55%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Foster Township adults…
Foster Township runs above PA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Foster Township is an older town: 27% 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 Foster Township as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Foster Township
No hospital or community health center in Foster 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 Foster 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
27 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Foster Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How Foster Township adults are doing
About the same as Pennsylvania on each measure.
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.
Foster Township and the towns around it
Foster 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster Township | C+ | 37% | 12.6% | 17.4% | ZIP codes |
| Kidder Township | B− | 35.7% | 13.1% | 16.1% | ZIP codes |
| Dennison Township | — | — | — | — | |
| White Haven | B | 37.2% | 11.3% | 15% | CDC place |
| Lausanne Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Hazle Township | D | 41.4% | 15.2% | 20.1% | ZIP codes |
| Jeddo | — | — | — | — | |
| Butler Township | B− | 36.5% | 11.8% | 16.4% | ZIP codes |
Dennison Township: not graded. Lausanne Township and Jeddo: 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 Foster Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Foster Township
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Foster Township is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Foster Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Foster Township | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.9%17.8–22.1 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.8%13.2–16.5 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.5–17.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37%30.6–43.5 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.6%10.9–14.4 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.3%33.4–41.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.2%32–40.2 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 36.9%33.2–40.6 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.5–12.1 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.6%9.6–11.6 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9%8.1–9.8 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.8–4.5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.2%11.6–17.1 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.4%15.3–19.6 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.3%22.5–30.3 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%14–20 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.8%31.9–43.7 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.5%6.3–8.9 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.1%76.8–83.1 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.3%60.7–67.6 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%84.5–88.5 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.8%78.9–84.3 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.4%62.5–71.9 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.9%69.7–82.9 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.2%19.9–26.6 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.4%30.5–38.4 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.4%14.6–18.3 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.2%12.7–15.8 | 14.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.9–5.8 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.7%7.9–9.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.7–4.4 | 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 Foster Township
Is Foster Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Foster Township is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #726 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 55%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Foster Township?
CDC estimates 37% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.6% and 43.5%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Foster Township?
Lehigh Valley Hospital - Hazleton in Hazleton, 6.8 miles in a straight line from Foster Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Foster Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–8.9%), 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 Foster Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Foster 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.