Health · Tompkins

Tompkins, NY health

Tompkins differs from New York on 15 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (10.5% vs 6%) and more smokers (17.3% vs 11.3%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 13856, 13783, 13839

CHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Tompkins’s Health Grade: C

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Tompkins is healthier than 28% of U.S. towns.

CSelf-rated healthC-Physical distressB-Mental distressBObesityCDiabetesC-SmokingC-Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 28%

Less healthyHealthier

New York towns we grade (1,227)Healthier than 9%

Towns with similar incomes, $46K–$76K (8,477)Healthier than 42%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Tompkins could be anywhere from D to B.

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 Tompkins 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. Tompkins’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 Tompkins 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 Tompkins adults…

42 of every 100 Tompkins adults have high blood pressure

New York: 33 in 100 · worse · margin 37.9–46%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Tompkins, betterTompkins, worseToo close to callNew York

Get no exerciseshare of adults 31.4% Tompkins
NY 25.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 41.8% Tompkins
NY 37.9%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.5% Tompkins
NY 16.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17.3% Tompkins
NY 11.3%

0%10%20%30%40%50%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

Yearly checkup

NY 81%

Dentist visit

NY 64%

Cholesterol check

NY 89%

Colon screening

NY 67%

Mammogram

NY 79%

Taking BP meds

NY 77%

1 in 15

working-age adults has no health insurance

Tompkins 6.8% · New York 1 in 13 (7.9%)

Mind & connection

How Tompkins adults are doing

1 in 3Tompkins adults feel lonely

31.1% · New York 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Tompkins adults have been diagnosed with depression

21.4% · New York 17.5% · worse

1 in 4Tompkins adults lack social or emotional support

24.3% · New York 26.4% · too close to call

1 in 6Tompkins adults are in frequent mental distress

17.1% · New York 15% · worse

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 6

Tompkins adults worry about having enough food

17.3% · NY 17.2% · about the same

1 in 8

Tompkins adults worry about keeping their housing

12.9% · NY 14.5% · about the same

1 in 11

Tompkins adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

8.7% · NY 8.2% · about the same

1 in 11

Tompkins adults lack reliable transportation

9% · NY 8.6% · about the same

17.8% of Tompkins adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.

Disability

Living with a disability

33.6%

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

Walking or climbing stairs17.8%

Thinking or memory14.3%

Hearing8.6%

Errands alone10.2%

Vision6.4%

Dressing or bathing5.2%

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

Around Tompkins

Tompkins 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 Tompkins.

30.3%36.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first

Hancock33.2%

Deposit34.2%

Masonville35.1%

Tompkins35.3%

Walton36.1%

Care nearby

Delaware Valley HospitalWalton · 8.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Barnes-Kasson County HospitalSusquehanna · 20.2 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

O'connor HospitalDelhi · 21.1 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Aurelia Osborn Fox Memorial HospitalOneonta · 26.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Northern Wayne Family Health CenterLake Como · 18.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Nepa Community Health Care-HallsteadHallstead · 26.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careTompkins's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Delaware County · need score 16 of 25

! Dental careTompkins's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Delaware County · need score 18 of 25

! Mental healthTompkins's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Delaware County (RSA-70) · need score 16 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Tompkins. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Tompkins

Measure	Tompkins	Margin	New York
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	42%	37.9–46%	32.6%	worse
High cholesterol	40.1%	35.9–44.2%	37.7%	about the same
Obesity	35.3%	28.8–42.1%	28.8%	about the same
Arthritis	33.5%	30–36.9%	24%	worse
Depression	21.4%	18.3–24.6%	17.5%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	18.2%	15.2–21.8%	12.8%	worse
Asthma	11.5%	10.2–12.8%	10.3%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.5%	9.6–11.5%	7.7%	worse
Diabetes	13.9%	12.1–15.8%	11.5%	worse
COPD	10.5%	9.3–11.8%	6%	worse
Heart disease	9.2%	8.3–10.2%	6.1%	worse
Stroke	4.8%	4.3–5.3%	3.4%	worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	17.3%	14.8–19.9%	11.3%	worse
Binge drink	15.5%	12.9–18.3%	16.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	31.4%	26.8–36%	25.9%	worse
Sleep under 7 hours	41.8%	35.8–48.1%	37.9%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.8%	78.8–84.6%	80.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	57.2%	53.6–60.9%	63.5%	worse
Cholesterol check	88.7%	87.3–90.2%	89.2%	about the same
Colon screening	69%	64.4–73.5%	66.8%	about the same
Mammogram	75.6%	68.5–82%	78.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	79.9%	77.2–82.4%	77.2%	about the same
No health insurance	6.8%	5.7–8.1%	7.9%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.1%	25.7–37%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	24.3%	20.3–28.6%	26.4%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.1%	15.1–19.1%	15%	worse
Fair or poor health	21.8%	19–24.7%	18.1%	worse
Frequent physical distress	16.8%	15–18.9%	12.8%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	17.3%	14.4–20.5%	17.2%	about the same
Housing insecurity	12.9%	10.8–15.2%	14.5%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	8.7%	7.4–10.2%	8.2%	about the same
No reliable transportation	9%	7.8–10.3%	8.6%	about the same
Receive SNAP	17.8%	14.9–20.7%	14.1%
Disability
Any disability	33.6%	29.4–37.8%	27.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	17.8%	15.6–20.1%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	14.3%	12.6–16.1%	12.1%
Hearing	8.6%	7.7–9.7%	5.6%
Vision	6.4%	5.7–7.1%	5.2%
Dressing or bathing	5.2%	4.7–5.8%	3.8%
Errands alone	10.2%	9–11.4%	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 Tompkins 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 Tompkins better or worse.

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Tompkins by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Tompkins 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.