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Scenery of Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania 1Photo: Jakec · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ CHealth Grade
Health in Upper Paxton Township · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Upper Paxton Township is healthier than 55%

Upper Paxton Township differs from Pennsylvania on 13 of 26 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 12 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 17061, 17017. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Upper Paxton Township

COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Upper Paxton Township

1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.2%), 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, Upper Paxton Township 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, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

1 in 12 working-age adults in Upper Paxton Township has no health insurance

8.2% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.8% across Pennsylvania. Checkups ↓

More high blood pressure in Upper Paxton Township, and more people treating it

37.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Pennsylvania 32.8%), but 82.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 79.2% statewide. Checkups ↓

Upper Paxton Township is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Upper Paxton Township is healthier than 33%. Against the 8,375 towns with similar household incomes ($44K–$73K), it’s healthier than 55%. 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 Upper Paxton Township’s likely range; Upper Paxton Township’s figures come from ZIP codes 17061, 17017, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.

Health Grade

What’s behind Upper Paxton Township’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Upper Paxton Township is healthier than 33% of U.S. towns, #845 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 62% of U.S. towns); smoking pulls it down (better than 13%).

CSelf-rated health21.7% · PA 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.5% · PA 13.2% · U.S. 13%
C+Mental distress17.4% · PA 16.4% · U.S. 15.9%
BObesity34.5% · PA 33.8% · U.S. 32.9%
C+Diabetes12.9% · PA 11.6% · U.S. 12%
DSmoking19.3% smoke · PA 15.8% · U.S. 11.8%
CExercise27.9% · PA 23.8% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 33%
Less healthyHealthier
Pennsylvania towns we grade (1,035)Healthier than 18%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $44K–$73K (8,375)Healthier than 55%

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 Paxton Township’s median household income is $58,105; among the 8,375 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$73K), it’s healthier than 55%, about where its income would put it.

Where Upper Paxton Township compares well: taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure), 82.2% (U.S. 76.5%).

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Upper Paxton Township could be anywhere from D to B. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 17061,17017), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Upper Paxton Township adults…

Upper Paxton Township runs above PA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

10 of every 100 Upper Paxton Township adults have COPD
Pennsylvania: 8 in 100 · worse · likely 9.1–11.4%
Better than PAWorseAbout the samePennsylvania
Why age matters here

Upper Paxton Township 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 Upper Paxton Township as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Upper Paxton Township27%
Pennsylvania20%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

80%Yearly checkupPA 79%
60%Dentist visitPA 64%
85%Cholesterol checkPA 85%
68%Colon screeningPA 68%
75%MammogramPA 78%
82%Taking BP medsPA 79%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Upper Paxton Township 8.2% · Pennsylvania 1 in 17 (5.8%)
Getting care

Care in and near Upper Paxton Township

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

HNearest ERPenn State Health Hampden Medical CenterEnola · 19.8 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyPenn State Health Hampden Medical Center★★★★★ · 19.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHamilton Health CenterMillersburg · 2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2 mi
Hamilton Health Center
6 sites · nearest in Millersburg
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
19.8 mi
Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center
Enola · ★★★★★
ER
22.2 mi
Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
Camp Hill · ★★★★★
ER
22.3 mi
UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals
Harrisburg · ★★★★★
ER
24.8 mi
Shamokin Health Center
Shamokin · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
25.8 mi
Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Hershey · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careUpper Paxton Township is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careUpper Paxton Township is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthUpper Paxton 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 Paxton 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 27.9%PA 23.8%
Sleep under 7 hours 39.7%PA 37.9%
Binge drink 16.8%PA 18.3%
Smoke cigarettes 19.3%PA 15.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Upper Paxton Township, betterUpper Paxton Township, worseAbout the samePennsylvania
Where Upper Paxton Township gets moving

15 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Upper Paxton Township adults are doing

About the same as Pennsylvania on each measure.

1 in 4Upper Paxton Township adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.3% · PA 23% · About the same as PA
1 in 6Upper Paxton Township adults are in frequent mental distress
17.4% · 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 Paxton Township and the towns around it

Upper Paxton Township’s Health Grade ranks 6th of 7 graded towns around it.

Lower Mahanoy Township: 36%Liverpool Township: 35.4%Buffalo Township: 35.3%Liverpool: 35.5%Halifax Township: 33.2%Mifflin Township: 33.7%Washington Township: 33.4%Jackson Township: 33.2%Chapman Township: 36.4%Port Trevorton: 37.4%Jackson Township: 36%Union Township: 36.3%Pillow: 35%Susquehanna Township: 36.2%Jordan Township: 36.1%Greenwood Township: 34.9%Greenwood Township: 35.8%Watts Township: 36%Howe Township: 35%Reed Township: 34.1%Middle Paxton Township: 29.9%Lykens Township: 34%Wiconisco Township: 34.2%Jefferson Township: 33.2%Lykens: 33.6%Wayne Township: 33.2%Williams Township: 36.6%Upper Paxton Township: 34.5%Upper Paxton TownshipLower Mahanoy TownshipLiverpool TownshipBuffalo TownshipLiverpoolHalifax TownshipMifflin TownshipWashington TownshipJackson TownshipHamilton Family Care at Millersburg · Millersburg · 2 mi+
Healthier than PANear PALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#12 of 28 towns on this map, healthiest first
Halifax Township33.2%
Jackson Township33.2%
Washington Township33.4%
Mifflin Township33.7%
Upper Paxton Township34.5%
Buffalo Township35.3%
Liverpool Township35.4%
Liverpool35.5%
Lower Mahanoy Township36%
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 Paxton TownshipC34.5%12.9%19.3%ZIP codes
Lower Mahanoy TownshipC36%13.1%19.1%ZIP codes
Liverpool TownshipB−35.4%11.5%17.5%ZIP codes
Buffalo TownshipB−35.3%11.3%17.5%ZIP codes
Liverpool————
Halifax Township · Jackson TownshipB−33.2%11.9%17.7%ZIP 17032
Washington TownshipB−33.4%12%18.3%ZIP codes
Mifflin Township————

Liverpool and Mifflin 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.

36.5%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.8%
Thinking or memory15.9%
Hearing10%
Errands alone9.9%
Vision5.9%
Dressing or bathing4.5%
Pennsylvania

Every CDC estimate for Upper Paxton 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 Paxton Township is better than Pennsylvania on 1 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Pennsylvania figure falls inside Upper Paxton 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 Paxton TownshipPAU.S.vs PA
Overall health
Fair or poor health21.7%19.4–24.318.7%19.4%Worse
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.5%13.8–17.413.2%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.4%15.7–19.316.4%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity34.5%27.8–41.233.8%32.9%About the same
Diabetes12.9%11.1–14.711.6%12%About the same
High blood pressure37.6%33.5–41.832.8%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)37.6%33.1–42.133.8%37.1%About the same
Arthritis36.2%32.2–4030.4%25.3%Worse
Asthma11.1%9.7–12.510.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.1%9.1–11.18.8%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease9.3%8.4–10.37.4%6.4%Worse
COPD10.2%9.1–11.47.7%6.3%Worse
Stroke4.5%4.1–4.93.7%3.4%Worse
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)20%16.3–2414.5%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes19.3%16.8–21.715.8%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work27.9%23.6–32.423.8%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking16.8%13.7–20.118.3%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours39.7%33.3–4637.9%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)8.2%6.7–9.85.8%11%Worse
Checkup in the past year79.6%76.1–8378.8%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year60.3%56.5–64.164.4%63.2%Worse
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)82.2%79.3–84.879.2%76.5%Better
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)67.9%62.8–72.467.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)75%66.9–81.777.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression25.3%21.6–29.223%20.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability36.5%32.2–40.831.3%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs17.8%15.9–2014.2%13.6%Higher
Difficulty concentrating or remembering15.9%14.1–17.714.1%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty10%9–11.27.6%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty5.9%5.4–6.55.1%5.4%Higher
Difficulty doing errands alone9.9%8.9–10.88.2%7.9%Higher
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.5%4.1–4.93.7%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 Upper Paxton Township

Is Upper Paxton Township a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Upper Paxton Township is healthier than 33% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #845 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Upper Paxton Township?

CDC estimates 34.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.8% and 41.2%, against 33.8% across Pennsylvania and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Upper Paxton Township?

Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center in Enola, 19.8 miles in a straight line from Upper Paxton Township’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

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

CDC estimates 8.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.7–9.8%), 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 Paxton 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 Upper Paxton 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.