Photo: Pubdog · Public domainOn CDC estimates, St. Marys is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns
St. Marys trails Pennsylvania on 6 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. Marys. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in St. Marys
COPD, arthritis and heart disease run high in St. Marys
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.5%), vs 7.7% across Pennsylvania. 36.7% of adults have arthritis, vs 30.4% across Pennsylvania. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.9%, vs 7.4% across Pennsylvania. In all, St. Marys runs above Pennsylvania on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 27% of residents are 65 or older (Pennsylvania 20%), and COPD, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
St. Marys has a top-rated hospital
Penn Highlands Elk is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 St. Marys’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind St. Marys’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Marys is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns, #785 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 56% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 17%).
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). St. Marys’ median household income is $67,167; among the 10,232 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 50%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 St. Marys adults…
St. Marys runs above PA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
St. Marys is an older town: 27% 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 St. Marys as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near St. Marys
1 hospital in St. Marys, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 St. Marys; ≈ 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.
99 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of St. Marys adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Pennsylvania.
How St. Marys 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.
St. Marys and the towns around it
St. Marys’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys | C+ | 38.1% | 12.2% | 18.6% | CDC place |
| Ridgway Township | C | 39.2% | 12.6% | 19.2% | ZIP codes |
| Fox Township | B− | 37.5% | 11.8% | 16.7% | ZIP codes |
| Jones Township | C | 38.9% | 12.9% | 19.5% | ZIP codes |
| Shippen Township | D | 38% | 14.9% | 21.5% | ZIP 15834 |
| Jay Township | C | 38.6% | 13% | 19.8% | ZIP 15868 |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of St. Marys adults live with a disability (Pennsylvania 31.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for St. Marys
Share of adults, 33 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. Marys is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside St. Marys’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | St. Marys | PA | U.S. | vs PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.3%18.1–22.8 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%13–16.5 | 13.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%15–18.5 | 16.4% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 38.1%30.4–46.3 | 33.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.2%10.5–14.1 | 11.6% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.6%31.3–40.1 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.5%31.9–41.4 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 36.7%32.7–41 | 30.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.8%9.4–12.2 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.5%9.4–11.6 | 8.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.9%8–9.9 | 7.4% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.5%8.5–10.6 | 7.7% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.9–4.6 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.8%10.3–15.6 | 14.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.6%16.3–21.1 | 15.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26.8%22.5–31.7 | 23.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.3%14.1–21.1 | 18.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.3%30.4–44.6 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.8%5.6–8.3 | 5.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.4%75.8–83 | 78.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.8%58.9–66.5 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86%83.8–88.2 | 85.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.9%78.9–84.6 | 79.2% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.3%63.3–73.4 | 67.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75.1%67.2–82.3 | 77.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.5%20–27.6 | 23% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.9%29.6–38.6 | 31.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.5%14.5–18.5 | 14.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.9%13.2–16.6 | 14.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.3–10.5 | 7.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.3%4.8–5.8 | 5.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9%8.1–9.9 | 8.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4%3.7–4.4 | 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 St. Marys
Is St. Marys a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. Marys is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health, #785 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 50%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in St. Marys?
CDC estimates 38.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.4% and 46.3%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to St. Marys?
Penn Highlands Elk in Saint Marys, 3.5 miles in a straight line from St. Marys’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in St. Marys have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.6–8.3%), 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 St. Marys 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 St. Marys.
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.