Christiana Lindsey House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Mercer is healthier than 79%
Mercer trails Pennsylvania on 9 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Mercer. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Mercer
1 in 12 working-age adults in Mercer has no health insurance
8.1% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.8% across Pennsylvania. Checkups ↓
Smoking is more common in Mercer
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.6%), vs 15.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
COPD runs high in Mercer
1 in 10 adults have COPD (9.7%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. Conditions ↓
Mercer is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Mercer is healthier than 36%. Against the 4,685 towns with similar household incomes ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 79%. Health Grade ↓
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 Mercer’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Mercer’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mercer is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 56% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Mercer’s median household income is $47,054; among the 4,685 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($35K–$59K), it’s healthier than 79%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Keeping up with care
Share of Mercer adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
0.1 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Out of every 100 Mercer adults…
Mercer runs above PA on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Mercer
No hospital or community health center in Mercer 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 Mercer; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Mercer adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, Mercer 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.
Mercer and the towns around it
Mercer’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | C+ | 35.5% | 11.7% | 19.6% | CDC place |
| Coolspring Township | C+ | 35.7% | 11.9% | 19.6% | ZIP 16137 |
| East Lackawannock Township | B− | 34.8% | 11.7% | 18.7% | ZIP codes |
| Findley Township | C+ | 35.4% | 11.8% | 19.3% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Mercer adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Mercer
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Mercer is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Mercer’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Mercer | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.9%18.7–23.4 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.3%13.5–17.1 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.4%16.6–20.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.5%29.2–42.7 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.7%10.1–13.4 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.8%29.8–38 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.6%29.3–38.1 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.8%31.2–38.7 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.1–13.1 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.7%8.8–10.8 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.6–9.5 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.7%8.7–10.8 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.8–4.5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.6%11.1–16.6 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.6%17.2–22.2 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26%22.2–30.4 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.1%14.2–20.7 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.5%33.6–46.2 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.1%6.1–10.5 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.8%75.3–82.3 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.9%56–63.7 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.2%82.8–87.4 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80%76.8–82.9 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.9%61.1–70.8 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.5%69.3–83.2 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.4%21.9–29.5 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.3%31.3–39.8 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.2%14.3–18.2 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.4%14.7–18.3 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.1%8.1–10.2 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.7%5.2–6.2 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.8–10.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 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 Mercer
Is Mercer a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Mercer is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Mercer?
CDC estimates 35.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.2% and 42.7%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Mercer?
Grove City Medical Center in Grove City, 9.3 miles in a straight line from Mercer’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Mercer have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–10.5%), 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 Mercer 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 Mercer.
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.