Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Penn Forest Township is healthier than 66%
Penn Forest Township differs from Pennsylvania on 6 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 18229, 18210, 18235. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Penn Forest Township
COPD and heart disease run high in Penn Forest Township
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.2%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (8.7%), vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. In all, Penn Forest Township runs above Pennsylvania on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and COPD and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Penn Forest Township is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Penn Forest Township is healthier than 49%. Against the 10,218 towns with similar household incomes ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 66%. 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 Penn Forest Township’s likely range; Penn Forest Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 18229, 18210, 18235, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Penn Forest Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Penn Forest Township is healthier than 49% of U.S. towns, #626 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 68% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 25%).
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). Penn Forest Township’s median household income is $67,045; among the 10,218 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 66%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Penn Forest Township adults…
Penn Forest Township runs above PA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Penn Forest Township is an older town: 28% 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 Penn Forest Township as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Penn Forest Township
No hospital or community health center in Penn Forest Township 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 Penn Forest Township; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
75 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Penn Forest Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How Penn Forest Township 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.
Penn Forest Township and the towns around it
Penn Forest Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Forest Township | B− | 35% | 12.7% | 17.4% | ZIP codes |
| Kidder Township | B− | 35.7% | 13.1% | 16.1% | ZIP codes |
| Lehigh Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Jim Thorpe | B | 33.7% | 11.8% | 16.6% | CDC place |
| Polk Township | B− | 36.9% | 11.7% | 18.1% | ZIP codes |
| Towamensing Trails | — | — | — | — | |
| Tunkhannock Township | C− | 40.4% | 14.2% | 18.9% | ZIP codes |
| Franklin Township | B− | 34.3% | 12.1% | 18.3% | ZIP codes |
Lehigh Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Towamensing Trails: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Penn Forest Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Penn Forest Township
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Penn Forest Township is better than Pennsylvania on 1 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Penn Forest Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Penn Forest Township | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.5%17.4–21.8 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.7–16.1 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.4–17.8 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35%27.9–42.3 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.7%10.9–14.6 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.8%32.3–41.2 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.6%31.7–41.3 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 35.4%31.5–39.3 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.5–12.2 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.1%9.2–11.1 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.7%7.8–9.6 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.2%8.2–10.2 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.8–4.5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.8%10.3–15.5 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.4%15.2–19.7 | 15.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24.9%21–29 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.5%14.3–20.8 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38%31.5–44.6 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.9%5.8–8.3 | 5.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.8%76.2–83 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.8%61–68.3 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.6%85.4–89.6 | 85.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.6%78.4–84.5 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.7%65–74.2 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.6%70.3–83.8 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.4%20–27.1 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.4%28.4–36.5 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%14–17.8 | 14.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.9%12.3–15.5 | 14.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.7%7.7–9.7 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.2%4.8–5.7 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.3%7.5–9.1 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.6–4.2 | 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 Penn Forest Township
Is Penn Forest Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Penn Forest Township is healthier than 49% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #626 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 Penn Forest Township?
CDC estimates 35% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.9% and 42.3%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Penn Forest Township?
St. Luke's Hospital - Carbon Campus in Lehighton, 9.5 miles in a straight line from Penn Forest Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Penn Forest Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–8.3%), 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 Penn Forest Township 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 Penn Forest Township.
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.