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Porter Township Nittany ValleyPhoto: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0
≈ C+Health Grade
Health in Porter Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Porter Township is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns

Porter Township trails Pennsylvania on 8 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 17751, 16841. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out

What stands out about health in Porter Township

Health Grade

What’s behind Porter Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Porter Township is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 66% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 18%).

C+Self-rated health20.7% · PA 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.1% · PA 13.2% · U.S. 13%
B−Mental distress17.1% · PA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.9% · PA 33.8% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes12% · PA 11.6% · U.S. 12%
C−Smoking18.4% smoke · PA 15.8% · U.S. 11.8%
B−Exercise25.9% · PA 23.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 43%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $55K–$91K (10,742)Healthier than 48%

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). Porter Township’s median household income is $73,100; among the 10,742 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($55K–$91K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Porter Township could be anywhere from D to B+. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 17751,16841), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Porter Township adults…

Porter Township runs above PA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Porter Township adults have COPD
Pennsylvania: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 8.7–10.8%
Better than PAWorseAbout the samePennsylvania
Getting care

Care in and near Porter Township

No hospital or community health center in Porter Township itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERGeisinger Jersey Shore HospitalJersey Shore · 17.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyGeisinger Jersey Shore Hospital★★★★★ · 17.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careRiver Valley HealthLock Haven · 7.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
7.6 mi
River Valley Health
3 sites · nearest in Lock Haven
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.1 mi
Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital
Jersey Shore · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
23.8 mi
Bucktail Medical Center
Renovo · not rated
ERRural critical access
26 mi
Mount Nittany Medical Center
State College · ★★★★★
ER
27.1 mi
Lewistown Community Health Center
Lewistown · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
29.5 mi
UPMC Williamsport
Williamsport · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary carePorter Township is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careNo HRSA shortage area covers Porter Township itself
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Porter Township itself

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 Porter Township; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania

Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.

Get no exercise 25.9%PA 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 40.1%PA 37.9%
Binge drink 17.9%PA 18.3%
Smoke cigarettes 18.4%PA 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Porter Township, betterPorter Township, worseAbout the samePennsylvania
Where Porter Township gets moving

9.1 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Porter Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.

79%Yearly checkupPA 79%
62%Dentist visitPA 64%
85%Cholesterol checkPA 85%
67%Colon screeningPA 68%
77%MammogramPA 78%
80%Taking BP medsPA 79%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Porter Township 7.3% · Pennsylvania 1 in 17 (5.8%)
Mind & connection

How Porter Township adults are doing

About the same as Pennsylvania on each measure.

1 in 4Porter Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.7% · PA 23% · About the same as PA
1 in 6Porter Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.1% · PA 16.4% · About the same as PA
The one neighbors can help with

A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Around town

Porter Township and the towns around it

Porter Township’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 graded towns around it.

Logan Township: 32.8%Beech Creek Township: 34.9%Liberty Township: 34.4%Lamar Township: 33.8%Marion Township: 34.5%Greene Township: 32.8%Miles Township: 34%Curtin Township: 34%Beech Creek: 34.1%Bald Eagle Township: 34%Monument: 35.6%Noyes Township: 36.6%East Keating Township: 36.5%Burnside Township: 36.3%Blanchard: 35.6%Howard Township: 34.2%Castanea Township: 34.4%Wayne Township: 34.2%Mill Hall: 34.4%Walker Township: 34.5%Boggs Township: 34.5%Mingoville: 35.3%Porter Township: 33.9%Porter TownshipLogan TownshipBeech Creek TownshipLiberty TownshipLamar TownshipMarion TownshipGeisinger Jersey Shore Hospital · Jersey Shore · 17.1 mi · 3★ MedicareHBucktail Medical Center · Renovo · 23.8 miHRiver Valley Health - Lock Haven Medical and Dental · Lock Haven · 7.6 mi+
Healthier than PANear PALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#4 of 23 towns on this map, healthiest first
Logan Township32.8%
Lamar Township33.8%
Porter Township33.9%
Liberty Township34.4%
Marion Township34.5%
Beech Creek Township34.9%
PA33.8%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Porter TownshipC+33.9%12%18.4%ZIP codes
Logan Township————
Beech Creek Township————
Liberty TownshipB−34.4%11.4%17.5%ZIP codes
Lamar TownshipC+33.8%12%18.5%ZIP codes
Marion TownshipB34.5%10.6%17%ZIP codes

Logan Township and Beech Creek Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

34.8%

of Porter Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs16.3%
Thinking or memory15.4%
Hearing9.3%
Errands alone9.1%
Vision5.5%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Pennsylvania

Every CDC estimate for Porter Township

Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Porter Township is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 8; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Porter Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Porter TownshipPAU.S.vs PA
Overall health
Fair or poor health20.7%18.5–23.218.7%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.1%13.3–1713.2%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.1%15.4–19.116.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33.9%26.8–41.633.8%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12%10.4–13.911.6%12%About the same
High blood pressure35.6%31.1–40.332.8%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)36%31.2–40.833.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis35.9%32–39.930.4%25.3%Worse
Asthma11%9.6–12.510.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.1%9.1–11.28.8%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease9%8.1–9.97.4%6.4%Worse
COPD9.7%8.7–10.87.7%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.3%3.9–4.63.7%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)14.6%11.7–17.814.5%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes18.4%16.1–20.915.8%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work25.9%21.7–30.223.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking17.9%14.6–21.518.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours40.1%33.2–47.437.9%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.3%6.1–8.75.8%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year79.3%75.5–82.878.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year62.4%58.5–66.364.4%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years84.9%82.3–87.185.3%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80.3%76.9–83.379.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)67.4%62.3–72.267.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)76.9%69.2–83.577.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression24.7%20.9–28.723%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability34.8%30.6–39.331.3%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs16.3%14.4–18.314.2%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering15.4%13.7–17.314.1%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty9.3%8.3–10.57.6%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.5%5–65.1%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone9.1%8.1–10.18.2%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.1%3.8–4.53.7%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 Porter Township

Is Porter Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Porter Township is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Porter Township?

CDC estimates 33.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.8% and 41.6%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Porter Township?

Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital in Jersey Shore, 17.1 miles in a straight line from Porter Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Porter Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–8.7%), 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 Porter Township 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 Porter Township.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.