Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Palmerton is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns
Palmerton trails Pennsylvania on 9 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Palmerton. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Palmerton
COPD and stroke run high in Palmerton
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.3%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.3%), vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and COPD and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
1 in 12 working-age adults in Palmerton has no health insurance
8.5% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.8% across Pennsylvania. Checkups ↓
Smoking is more common in Palmerton
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.9%), vs 15.8% 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 Palmerton’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Palmerton’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palmerton is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns, #863 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 58% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Palmerton’s median household income is $68,143; among the 10,341 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($51K–$85K), it’s healthier than 37%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Palmerton adults…
Palmerton runs above PA on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Palmerton is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 20% across Pennsylvania. Heart disease, COPD and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Palmerton as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Palmerton 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.
4.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Care in and near Palmerton
No hospital or community health center in Palmerton 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 Palmerton; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Palmerton adults are doing
On 1 of 2 measures, Palmerton 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.
Palmerton and the towns around it
Palmerton’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmerton | C | 35.1% | 12% | 19.9% | CDC place |
| Lower Towamensing Township | C+ | 35.4% | 12% | 19.2% | ZIP codes |
| East Penn Township | B− | 34.4% | 12.1% | 18.2% | ZIP codes |
| Bowmanstown | — | — | — | — |
Bowmanstown: 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 Palmerton adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Palmerton
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Palmerton is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Palmerton’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Palmerton | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 22.1%19.7–24.5 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.7%13.9–17.6 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.4%16.5–20.4 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.1%27.4–42.9 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12%10.3–13.8 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 34.4%29.7–38.9 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.9%29.2–38.8 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.4%29.6–37.2 | 30.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.1–13 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.9%8–9.9 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.6–9.4 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.3%9.2–11.5 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.9–4.7 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.2%12.3–18.5 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.9%17.4–22.4 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 27.1%22.8–31.6 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.8%15.3–22.6 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.9%31.7–46 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.5%6.6–10.8 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.4%73.4–81.1 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.3%56.3–64.2 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.8%82–87.3 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.9%76.5–82.9 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.6%59.3–69.5 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.1%69.3–83.6 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.8%22–29.9 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35%30.7–39.4 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.2%15.3–19.2 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.6%14.8–18.6 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.8%7.8–9.9 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.1%5.6–6.7 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10%9–11 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.5%4.1–5 | 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 Palmerton
Is Palmerton a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Palmerton is healthier than 31% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #863 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 37%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Palmerton?
CDC estimates 35.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.4% and 42.9%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Palmerton?
St. Luke's Hospital - Carbon Campus in Lehighton, 4.6 miles in a straight line from Palmerton’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Palmerton have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.6–10.8%), 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 Palmerton 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 Palmerton.
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.