Hotel Lykens · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Lykens is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Lykens trails Pennsylvania on 1 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lykens. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lykens
1 in 12 working-age adults in Lykens has no health insurance
8.4% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.8% across Pennsylvania. Checkups ↓
The nearest ER is 20 miles from Lykens
The closest emergency room is Milton S Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, 20.4 miles away in a straight line. For everyday care, Hamilton Health Center is closer (13.4 mi) and charges on a sliding scale. 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 Lykens’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Lykens’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lykens is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 68% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 26%).
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). Lykens’ median household income is $73,318; among the 10,774 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$92K), it’s healthier than 68%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lykens adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
Care in and near Lykens
No hospital or community health center in Lykens 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 Lykens; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 Lykens adults…
On every condition, Lykens is about the same as Pennsylvania. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
0.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
How Lykens 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.
Lykens and the towns around it
Lykens has the best Health Grade of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lykens | B | 33.6% | 11.1% | 17.3% | CDC place |
| Wiconisco Township | C+ | 34.2% | 12% | 20% | ZIP codes |
| Wiconsico | — | — | — | — | |
| Jackson Township | B− | 33.2% | 11.9% | 17.7% | ZIP 17032 |
Wiconsico: 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 Lykens adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lykens
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lykens is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Lykens’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lykens | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18%15.9–20.2 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%12–15.3 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.5%15.7–19.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.6%27–40.3 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.1%9.5–12.8 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.4%31.3–39.6 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.4%31.9–41.2 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.2%29.3–37.1 | 30.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.2%9.8–12.6 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.5%8.6–10.6 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.6%6.8–8.5 | 7.4% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.9%7–8.9 | 7.7% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.3–4 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.6%14.2–21.2 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.3%15–19.5 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.4%19.5–27.5 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.1%14.8–21.7 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.9%33.4–46.2 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.4%6.5–10.7 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.2%75.6–82.5 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.4%60.6–67.9 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.5%80.9–85.9 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.5%77.2–83.4 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.9%60.6–70.6 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.7%68.6–83.3 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.9%22.1–29.8 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.1%27.9–36.4 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.2%12.4–16.1 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.7%13–16.4 | 14.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.2–9.2 | 7.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.4–5.3 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.3%7.4–9.2 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.3–4 | 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 Lykens
Is Lykens a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lykens is healthier than 57% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 68%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lykens?
CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 27% and 40.3%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lykens?
Milton S Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, 20.4 miles in a straight line from Lykens’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lykens have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.5–10.7%), 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 Lykens 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 Lykens.
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.