Photo: Publichall · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, North East is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns
North East trails Pennsylvania on 8 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for North East. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in North East
Smoking is more common in North East
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (20.7%), vs 15.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
More North East adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (27.8%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
COPD runs high in North East
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. Conditions ↓
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 North East’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind North East’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, North East is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns, #875 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 65% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 7%).
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). North East’s median household income is $68,828; among the 10,433 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$86K), it’s healthier than 33%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 North East adults…
North East runs above PA on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near North East
No hospital or community health center in North East 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 North East; ≈ 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 North East adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How North East adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, North East 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.
North East and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | C | 37.9% | 11.1% | 20.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of North East adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for North East
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, North East is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside North East’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | North East | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.5%18.4–22.9 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.5–17 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.6%17.7–21.7 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.9%32.1–44.2 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.1%9.6–12.7 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.7%29.1–36.5 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.8%32.1–40 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.2%30.9–37.7 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.1–12.9 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.7%7.8–9.7 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.8%7–8.7 | 7.4% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 9%8–10 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.2 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.5%12.6–18.9 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.7%18.3–23.3 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 27.8%24–32.1 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 19.2%16–22.8 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38%32.6–43.8 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.8%5.8–10.1 | 5.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.5%76.2–82.8 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.5%56.9–64.2 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 82.5%80–85 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.1%76.2–82 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.5%64.7–73.9 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.6%69.4–82.9 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.9%22.5–29.8 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.3%31.4–39.7 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.6%13.9–17.6 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.1%15.3–19 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.3%7.4–9.3 | 7.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.5%5–6.1 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.8–10.8 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.9–4.6 | 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 North East
Is North East a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, North East is healthier than 30% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #875 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 33%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in North East?
CDC estimates 37.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.1% and 44.2%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to North East?
Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, 13.0 miles in a straight line from North East’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in North East have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–10.1%), 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 North East 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 North East.
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.