Portage Historic District · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Portage is healthier than 73%
Portage trails Pennsylvania on 10 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Portage. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Portage
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Portage
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.3%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.3%), vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. Stroke is also above the state: 4.5%, vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. In all, Portage runs above Pennsylvania on four of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
More Portage adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (28.4%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. Habits ↓
1 in 13 working-age adults in Portage has no health insurance
8% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.8% across Pennsylvania. Checkups ↓
Portage is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Portage is healthier than 28%. Against the 4,209 towns with similar household incomes ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 73%. 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 Portage’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Portage’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portage is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 48% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 12%).
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). Portage’s median household income is $45,556; among the 4,209 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($34K–$57K), it’s healthier than 73%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Portage adults…
Portage runs above PA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
0 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Portage adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
Care in and near Portage
No hospital or community health center in Portage 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 Portage; ≈ 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).
How Portage 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.
Portage and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | C | 37.7% | 12.9% | 19.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Portage adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Portage
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Portage is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Portage’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Portage | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.9%19.5–24.3 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.5%13.7–17.3 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.2%15.4–19 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.7%30.7–45.2 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.9%11.1–14.9 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.1%31.8–40.4 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.9%33.3–42.7 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 36.3%32.4–40.2 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%9.6–12.4 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.9%8.8–11 | 8.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.3%8.3–10.4 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.3%9.2–11.4 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4.1–5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.9%15.3–23.1 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.5%17.1–22 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.4%24.3–32.9 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 17.1%14–20.5 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.9%32.5–45.7 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8%6.1–10.2 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.7%76–83 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.7%56.8–64.4 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.9%81.3–86.4 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.9%77.9–83.7 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.6%58.2–68.7 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76%68–82.5 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.1%21.4–29 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.8%31.7–40.1 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.6%15.5–19.7 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.3%13.6–17.1 | 14.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.8%8.6–10.9 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6%5.4–6.6 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.5–10.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.7%4.3–5.1 | 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 Portage
Is Portage a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Portage is healthier than 28% 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 Portage?
CDC estimates 37.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.7% and 45.2%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Portage?
Chan Soon- Shiong Medical Center at Windber in Windber, 11.9 miles in a straight line from Portage’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Portage have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–10.2%), 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 Portage 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 Portage.
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.