Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Houston is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Houston trails Pennsylvania on 11 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Houston. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Houston
Every town around Houston scores healthier
All three graded neighbors are ahead of Houston’s C−, from Chartiers Township (B) to North Strabane Township (A−). Around town ↓
COPD, arthritis and obesity run high in Houston
1 in 10 adults have COPD (9.7%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 2 in 5 adults have arthritis (37.8%), vs 30.4% across Pennsylvania. Obesity is also above the state: 41.2%, vs 33.8% across Pennsylvania. In all, Houston runs above Pennsylvania on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
More Houston adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (28.9%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
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 Houston’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Houston’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Houston is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 39% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Houston’s median household income is $64,773; among the 9,894 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($49K–$81K), it’s healthier than 24%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Houston and the towns around it
Houston’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | C− | 41.2% | 12.8% | 20.9% | CDC place |
| Chartiers Township | B | 37.5% | 11.1% | 15.7% | ZIP codes |
| McGovern | — | — | — | — | |
| North Strabane Township | A− | 36.2% | 10.5% | 13.6% | ZIP codes |
| Strabane | — | — | — | — | |
| Midland | — | — | — | — | |
| Canonsburg | B+ | 37.1% | 9.6% | 15.2% | CDC place |
McGovern: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Strabane and Midland: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Out of every 100 Houston adults…
Houston runs above PA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Care in and near Houston
No hospital or community health center in Houston 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 Houston; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Houston adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How Houston 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Houston adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Houston
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Houston is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Houston’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Houston | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.2%19.9–24.7 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%14–17.6 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18%16.3–19.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 41.2%34.6–48.6 | 33.8% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 12.8%11.1–14.7 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.5%35.7–44 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35%30.7–39.3 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 37.8%34.1–41.9 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.2–12.9 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10%9–11 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.8%7.9–9.8 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.7%8.7–10.8 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.9–4.7 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.1%9.7–14.9 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.9%18.6–23.5 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.9%24.8–33.7 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.5%14.5–21 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.3%33.4–45.9 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.5%5.8–9.9 | 5.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80%76.7–83.3 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.7%57.1–64.4 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86%83.6–88.2 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.1%78–83.7 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.5%62.7–72.2 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.6%71.7–84.7 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.4%21–28.3 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37%32.8–41.6 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.3%15.4–19.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.3%14.6–18.1 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.1%8.1–10.2 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.9%5.4–6.4 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.8–10.7 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%4.1–4.9 | 3.7% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Houston
Is Houston a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Houston is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 24%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Houston?
CDC estimates 41.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 34.6% and 48.6%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Houston?
Canonsburg General Hospital in Canonsburg, 1.1 miles in a straight line from Houston’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Houston have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–9.9%), 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 Houston 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 Houston.
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.