Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Shippen Township is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns
Shippen Township differs from Pennsylvania on 16 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 15834. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Shippen Township
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Shippen Township
1 in 8 adults have COPD (12.4%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 1 in 9 adults have heart disease (11.1%), vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. Stroke is also above the state: 5.4%, vs 3.7% across Pennsylvania. In all, Shippen Township runs above Pennsylvania on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More Shippen Township adults get no exercise
3 in 10 adults get no exercise outside work (30.5%), vs 23.8% across Pennsylvania. There are 219 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Dental care lags in Shippen Township
57.4% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 64.4% across Pennsylvania. Among those 65 and older, 20.2% have lost all their teeth (Pennsylvania 14.5%). Checkups ↓
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 Shippen Township’s likely range; Shippen Township’s figures come from ZIP code 15834, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Shippen Township’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shippen Township is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 36% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 5%).
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). Shippen Township’s median household income is $62,000; among the 9,417 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$78K), it’s healthier than 17%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Shippen Township compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 83.3% (U.S. 76.5%).
Out of every 100 Shippen Township adults…
Shippen Township runs above PA on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Shippen Township is an older town: 30% 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 Shippen Township as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania
Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.
219 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Shippen Township adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
Care in and near Shippen Township
No hospital or community health center in Shippen 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 Shippen 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).
How Shippen 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.
Shippen Township and the towns around it
Shippen Township’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shippen Township | D | 38% | 14.9% | 21.5% | ZIP 15834 |
| Benezette Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Lumber Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Portage Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Jones Township | C | 38.9% | 12.9% | 19.5% | ZIP codes |
| St. Marys | C+ | 38.1% | 12.2% | 18.6% | CDC place |
| Sergeant Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Gibson Township | — | — | — | — |
Benezette Township, Lumber Township, Portage Township, Sergeant Township and Gibson Township: 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 Shippen Township adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Shippen Township
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Shippen Township is better than Pennsylvania on 1 and worse on 15; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Shippen Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Shippen Township | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.3%22.8–28.1 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%16–20 | 13.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.9%16.2–19.9 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38%30–46.5 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.9%12.9–17 | 11.6% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41%36.3–45.7 | 32.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.8%34.8–45.1 | 33.8% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 40.2%36–44.3 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.1–13 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.1%10.1–12.3 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 11.1%10–12.2 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 12.4%11.1–13.7 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.4%5–5.9 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.2%16.6–24.2 | 14.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 21.5%19–24.2 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 30.5%25.9–35.4 | 23.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%12.8–19.1 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.4%32.3–47 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.3%6.7–10 | 5.8% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.3%76.7–83.6 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.4%53.5–61.3 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.1%82.6–87.4 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.3%80.3–86 | 79.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.8%60.4–71 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74%65.6–81.2 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.2%21.5–29.2 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.7%35.2–44.3 | 31.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 20.9%18.6–23.2 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.2%15.4–19.2 | 14.1% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 11.4%10.3–12.8 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 7.1%6.5–7.8 | 5.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.3%10.3–12.5 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.7%5.2–6.2 | 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 Shippen Township
Is Shippen Township a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Shippen Township is healthier than 14% of U.S. towns: D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 17%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Shippen Township?
CDC estimates 38% of adults have obesity, likely between 30% and 46.5%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Shippen Township?
Penn Highlands Elk in Saint Marys, 14.0 miles in a straight line from Shippen Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Shippen Township have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.7–10%), 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 Shippen Township more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Shippen 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.