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Kauffman Mill, BerksCo PA 03Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 3.0
≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Upper Bern Township · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Upper Bern Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns

Upper Bern Township trails Pennsylvania on 2 of 26 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 19526, 19506, 19541, 19554. How CDC estimates town health

Health Grade

What’s behind Upper Bern Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Upper Bern Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 67% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 30%).

BSelf-rated health18.8% · PA 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
BPhysical distress13.7% · PA 13.2% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.2% · PA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.7% · PA 33.8% · U.S. 32.9%
BDiabetes11.5% · PA 11.6% · U.S. 12%
CSmoking16.9% smoke · PA 15.8% · U.S. 11.8%
BExercise23.9% · PA 23.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 58%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $61K–$102K (10,640)Healthier than 59%

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). Upper Bern Township’s median household income is $81,830; among the 10,640 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($61K–$102K), it’s healthier than 59%, 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, Upper Bern Township could be anywhere from C− to A−. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 19526,19506,19541,19554), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Upper Bern Township adults…

Upper Bern Township runs above PA on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

9 of every 100 Upper Bern Township adults have COPD
Pennsylvania: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 7.9–9.8%
Better than PAWorseAbout the samePennsylvania
Getting care

Care in and near Upper Bern Township

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

HNearest ERPenn State Health St. JosephReading · 11.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySchuylkill Medical Center - South Jackson Street★★★★★ · 12.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careKeystone Agricultural Worker Program - BerksReading · 13.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.4 mi
Geisinger St. Luke's Hospital
Orwigsburg · ★★★★★
11.2 mi
Penn State Health St. Joseph
Reading · ★★★★★
ER
12.2 mi
Surgical Institute of Reading
Wyomissing · not rated
12.7 mi
Schuylkill Medical Center - South Jackson Street
Pottsville · ★★★★★
ER
13.6 mi
Keystone Agricultural Worker Program - Berks
Reading · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
14 mi
Berks Community Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Reading
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
✓ Primary careUpper Bern Township is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careUpper Bern Township is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthUpper Bern Township is not a shortage area

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 Upper Bern Township; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Pennsylvania

Share of adults, with the Pennsylvania figure marked.

Get no exercise 23.9%PA 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 39.6%PA 37.9%
Binge drink 18.7%PA 18.3%
Smoke cigarettes 16.9%PA 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Upper Bern Township, betterUpper Bern Township, worseAbout the samePennsylvania
Where Upper Bern Township gets moving

8.8 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupPA 79%
66%Dentist visitPA 64%
87%Cholesterol checkPA 85%
67%Colon screeningPA 68%
78%MammogramPA 78%
80%Taking BP medsPA 79%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Upper Bern Township 7.3% · Pennsylvania 1 in 17 (5.8%)
Mind & connection

How Upper Bern Township adults are doing

About the same as Pennsylvania on each measure.

1 in 4Upper Bern Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.6% · PA 23% · About the same as PA
1 in 6Upper Bern Township adults are in frequent mental distress
16.2% · 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

Upper Bern Township and the towns around it

Upper Bern Township’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 5 graded towns around it.

Upper Tulpehocken Township: 33.7%South Manheim Township: 36.9%Shartlesville: 36.3%Tilden Township: 33.5%Centre Township: 33.9%Bethel Township: 34.2%Penn Township: 33.7%Wayne Township: 37.1%Jefferson Township: 33.7%Tulpehocken Township: 34.5%West Brunswick Township: 34.9%Auburn: 36.9%North Manheim Township: 37.9%Landingville: 36.8%Schuylkill Haven: 38.9%Hamburg: 34.2%West Hamburg: 33.6%Port Clinton: 33.6%Windsor Township: 33.4%Perry Township: 34.1%Shoemakersville: 35%Ontelaunee Township: 33.8%Leesport: 34.1%Bern Township: 33.6%Upper Bern Township: 33.7%Upper Bern TownshipUpper Tulpehocken TownshipSouth Manheim TownshipShartlesvilleTilden TownshipCentre TownshipGeisinger St. Luke's Hospital · Orwigsburg · 9.4 mi · 5★ MedicareHPenn State Health St. Joseph · Reading · 11.2 mi · 3★ MedicareHSurgical Institute of Reading · Wyomissing · 12.2 miHSchuylkill Medical Center - South Jackson Street · Pottsville · 12.7 mi · 4★ MedicareHBerks Community Health Center at Rockland · Reading · 14 mi+
Healthier than PANear PALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#6 of 25 towns on this map, healthiest first
Tilden Township33.5%
Upper Bern Township33.7%
Upper Tulpehocken Township33.7%
Centre Township33.9%
Shartlesville36.3%
South Manheim Township36.9%
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
Upper Bern TownshipB33.7%11.5%16.9%ZIP codes
Upper Tulpehocken TownshipB33.7%11.4%17.6%ZIP codes
South Manheim TownshipB36.9%11.3%17.3%ZIP codes
Tilden TownshipB33.5%11.6%16.7%ZIP codes
Shartlesville————
Centre TownshipB+33.9%11%16.6%ZIP codes

Shartlesville: 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.

31.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.7%
Thinking or memory14.3%
Hearing8.3%
Errands alone8.3%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing3.6%
Pennsylvania

Every CDC estimate for Upper Bern Township

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

On the 26 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Upper Bern Township is better than Pennsylvania on 0 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Upper Bern Township’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…Upper Bern TownshipPAU.S.vs PA
Overall health
Fair or poor health18.8%16.6–2118.7%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)13.7%12.1–15.413.2%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.2%14.5–1816.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33.7%26.9–41.133.8%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.5%9.8–13.211.6%12%About the same
High blood pressure34.2%30.1–38.532.8%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)34.6%30.4–39.133.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis32.5%28.7–36.430.4%25.3%About the same
Asthma10.9%9.5–12.310.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.8%8.8–10.88.8%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease8.2%7.3–97.4%6.4%About the same
COPD8.8%7.9–9.87.7%6.3%Worse
Stroke3.9%3.6–4.23.7%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)12.8%10.3–15.714.5%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.9%14.7–19.215.8%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work23.9%20.1–28.123.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking18.7%15.3–22.418.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours39.6%33–46.537.9%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.3%6–8.85.8%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year79.4%75.7–82.878.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year65.5%61.8–69.164.4%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.6%84.3–88.785.3%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)80.1%76.7–83.179.2%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)67.2%61.9–72.167.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)77.8%70.3–84.377.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression23.6%20–27.623%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability31.7%27.7–35.931.3%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs14.7%13–16.614.2%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.3%12.7–1614.1%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.3%7.4–9.37.6%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty5%4.5–5.55.1%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.3%7.4–9.18.2%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.6%3.3–3.93.7%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 Upper Bern Township

Is Upper Bern Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Upper Bern Township is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 59%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Upper Bern Township?

CDC estimates 33.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.9% and 41.1%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Upper Bern Township?

Penn State Health St. Joseph in Reading, 11.2 miles in a straight line from Upper Bern Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Upper Bern Township have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6–8.8%), 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 Upper Bern 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 Upper Bern 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.