Photo: Vasiliymeshko · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Luzerne is healthier than 52%
Luzerne trails Pennsylvania on 12 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Luzerne. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Luzerne
Luzerne is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Luzerne is healthier than 13%. Against the 3,085 towns with similar household incomes ($32K–$53K), it’s healthier than 52%. Health Grade ↓
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Luzerne
1 in 9 adults have COPD (11.5%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.4%), vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. Stroke is also above the state: 4.7%, vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. In all, Luzerne runs above Pennsylvania on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Luzerne adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.6%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
Smoking is more common in Luzerne
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (22.1%), vs 15.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
Luzerne has a top-rated hospital
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. 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 Luzerne’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Luzerne’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Luzerne is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns, #978 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 30% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 4%).
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). Luzerne’s median household income is $42,135; among the 3,085 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($32K–$53K), it’s healthier than 52%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Luzerne adults…
Luzerne runs above PA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Luzerne 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 Luzerne as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
0.2 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Luzerne
1 hospital in Luzerne, 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 Luzerne; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Luzerne adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How Luzerne adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, Luzerne 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.
Luzerne and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luzerne | D | 39.9% | 13.4% | 22.1% | CDC place |
| Kingston Township | B+ | 34.7% | 10.8% | 14.6% | ZIP codes |
| Pringle | — | — | — | — | |
| Courtdale | — | — | — | — |
Pringle and Courtdale: 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 Luzerne adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Luzerne
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Luzerne is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Luzerne’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Luzerne | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.4%21.8–27 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.6%15.7–19.7 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.8%16.9–20.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 39.9%33.2–47.1 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 13.4%11.5–15.4 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.1%33–40.9 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.1%30.9–39.2 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 38%34.2–41.9 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.9%10.5–13.6 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.8%8.7–10.8 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.4%8.5–10.5 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.5%10.3–12.8 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.7%4.3–5.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16%12.9–19.4 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 22.1%19.5–24.8 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 30.6%26.2–35.2 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%13.8–20.3 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.1%33.9–46.6 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%6.4–10.6 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.8%75.2–82.2 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.8%53.8–61.6 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.5%82–86.8 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.5%77.4–83.2 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.5%60.3–70.2 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.4%64.1–79.7 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.7%22.1–29.7 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.4%35.1–44 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 19.6%17.4–21.9 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.5%15.7–19.6 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.8%8.7–11 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.7%6.1–7.4 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.2%10.1–12.3 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.3%4.9–5.8 | 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 Luzerne
Is Luzerne a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Luzerne is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns: D for health, #978 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 Luzerne?
CDC estimates 39.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.2% and 47.1%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Luzerne?
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes Barre, 0.1 miles in a straight line from Luzerne’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Luzerne have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.4–10.6%), 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 Luzerne more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Luzerne.
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.