Health · Elma

Elma, NY health

Elma differs from New York on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (7.1% vs 17.2%) and fewer uninsured adults (3.7% vs 7.9%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (11.2% vs 7.7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 14059, 14052, 14127
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Elma’s Health Grade: A

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Elma is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns and 87% of New York towns.

ASelf-rated healthA-Physical distressAMental distressAObesityADiabetesASmokingA-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 91%
Less healthyHealthier
New York towns we grade (1,227)Healthier than 87%
Towns with similar incomes, $87K–$146K (5,890)Healthier than 87%

About what its income would suggest. Elma does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Elma could be anywhere from A− to A+.
How the Health Grade works
  • Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in New York ranking.
  • Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
  • Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Elma with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
  • Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Elma’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card

How Elma compares with New York

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Elma adults…

33 of every 100 Elma adults have high blood pressure
New York: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 29.6–35.6%

Bars show Elma; the black tick is New York. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Elma, betterElma, worseToo close to callNew York
Get no exerciseshare of adults 19.9% Elma
NY 25.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 33.7% Elma
NY 37.9%
Binge drinkshare of adults 17.9% Elma
NY 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 9.7% Elma
NY 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Elma adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.

84%
Yearly checkup
NY 81%
72%
Dentist visit
NY 64%
92%
Cholesterol check
NY 89%
74%
Colon screening
NY 67%
82%
Mammogram
NY 79%
81%
Taking BP meds
NY 77%
1 in 27
working-age adults has no health insurance
Elma 3.7% · New York 1 in 13 (7.9%)
Mind & connection

How Elma adults are doing

1 in 4Elma adults feel lonely
27.5% · New York 34.2% · better
1 in 5Elma adults have been diagnosed with depression
19.7% · New York 17.5% · too close to call
1 in 5Elma adults lack social or emotional support
19.9% · New York 26.4% · better
1 in 7Elma adults are in frequent mental distress
13.6% · New York 15% · too close to call
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 14
Elma adults worry about having enough food
7.1% · NY 17.2% · better
1 in 14
Elma adults worry about keeping their housing
7% · NY 14.5% · better
1 in 23
Elma adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.3% · NY 8.2% · better
1 in 22
Elma adults lack reliable transportation
4.5% · NY 8.6% · better

5.9% of Elma adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.

Disability

Living with a disability

21.7%

of Elma adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs11%
Thinking or memory9.2%
Hearing6.2%
Errands alone5.9%
Vision3.3%
Dressing or bathing2.8%

Black tick: New York. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Elma

Elma and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Elma.

Aurora: 29.4% Marilla: 30.1% Lancaster: 30.2% West Seneca: 31% Wales: 30% Orchard Park: 29% Colden: 32% Alden: 31.7% Bennington: 34.2% Cheektowaga: 33.4% Clarence: 28.3% Buffalo: 38.4% Lackawanna: 37.7% Elma: 29.2% Elma Aurora Marilla Lancaster West Seneca Mercy Hospital of Buffalo · Buffalo · 8.5 mi · 2★ MedicareH Erie County Medical Center · Buffalo · 11.4 mi · 2★ MedicareH Upstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western Ny VA Healthcare System) · Buffalo · 12.1 mi · 5★ MedicareH Kaleida Health · Buffalo · 12.2 mi · 3★ MedicareH Neighborhood Health Center Blasdell · Buffalo · 9.1 mi+ Evergreen Health - Community Dr. · Cheektowaga · 9.6 mi+
28.3%38.4%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#3 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first
Elma29.2%
Aurora29.4%
Marilla30.1%
Lancaster30.2%
West Seneca31%
6 places to get careNearest ER 8.5 mi

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

Getting care

Care in and near Elma

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

HNearest ERMercy Hospital of BuffaloBuffalo · 8.5 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyUpstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western Ny VA Healthcare System)★★★★★ · 12.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careNeighborhood Health Care of WnyBuffalo · 9.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
8.5 mi
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo
Buffalo · ★★★★★
ER
9.1 mi
Neighborhood Health Care of Wny
2 sites · nearest in Buffalo
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
9.6 mi
Ehs
2 sites · nearest in Cheektowaga
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
11.4 mi
Erie County Medical Center
Buffalo · ★★★★★
ER
12.1 mi
Upstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western Ny VA Healthcare System)
Buffalo · ★★★★★
ERVA
12.2 mi
Kaleida Health
Buffalo · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careElma is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careElma is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthElma 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 Elma. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

All 40 measures for Elma
MeasureElmaMarginNew York
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure32.7%29.6–35.6%32.6%about the same
High cholesterol39.7%36.3–42.9%37.7%about the same
Obesity29.2%25.2–33.1%28.8%about the same
Arthritis29.8%27.1–32.6%24%worse
Depression19.7%17.2–22.2%17.5%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)8.2%6.7–9.8%12.8%better
Asthma10.8%9.6–11.9%10.3%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.2%10.2–12.3%7.7%worse
Diabetes9.5%8.2–10.8%11.5%better
COPD6%5.2–6.8%6%about the same
Heart disease6.5%5.8–7.2%6.1%about the same
Stroke3.1%2.8–3.4%3.4%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes9.7%8.2–11.3%11.3%about the same
Binge drink17.9%15.3–20.7%16.3%about the same
Get no exercise19.9%17–22.8%25.9%better
Sleep under 7 hours33.7%30.2–37.3%37.9%better
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup84.4%81.9–86.6%80.8%better
Dentist visit71.9%69.4–74.2%63.5%better
Cholesterol check92.1%90.9–93.2%89.2%better
Colon screening74%70.7–77.1%66.8%better
Mammogram81.7%77.1–85.8%78.9%about the same
Taking BP meds80.9%78–83.4%77.2%better
No health insurance3.7%3–4.4%7.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely27.5%23.9–31.2%34.2%better
Lack emotional support19.9%17.2–22.6%26.4%better
Frequent mental distress13.6%12–15.2%15%about the same
Fair or poor health13.2%11.4–15%18.1%better
Frequent physical distress11.8%10.4–13.2%12.8%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity7.1%5.9–8.4%17.2%better
Housing insecurity7%5.9–8.2%14.5%better
Utility shut-off threat4.3%3.7–5%8.2%better
No reliable transportation4.5%3.9–5.1%8.6%better
Receive SNAP5.9%4.8–6.9%14.1%
Disability
Any disability21.7%19–24.4%27.2%
Walking or climbing stairs11%9.4–12.6%13.4%
Thinking or memory9.2%8–10.3%12.1%
Hearing6.2%5.5–7%5.6%
Vision3.3%2.9–3.6%5.2%
Dressing or bathing2.8%2.4–3.1%3.8%
Errands alone5.9%5.2–6.7%7.7%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Elma door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the New York figure falls inside it, we don't call Elma better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Elma by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Elma by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New York figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

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