How healthy is Watchtower?
Watchtower differs from New York on 12 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults with heart disease (3.9% vs 6.1%) and fewer adults who have had a stroke (2.2% vs 3.4%). Where it trails the state: fewer adults treating high blood pressure (65.9% vs 77.2%).
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Watchtower. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Watchtower
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
Out of every 100 Watchtower adults…
Watchtower runs below NY on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 8% of Watchtower residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across New York. Heart disease, copd and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Keeping up with care
Share of Watchtower adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.
Care in and near Watchtower
No hospital or community health center in Watchtower itself. These are the nearest.
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 Watchtower; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with New York
Share of adults, with the New York figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
How Watchtower adults are doing
About the same as New York on each measure.
1 in 3 Watchtower adults feel lonely. 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.7% of Watchtower adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.
Watchtower and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Watchtower adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Not graded
CDC doesn't publish all seven estimates the grade is built on for Watchtower, so we show its figures without a grade.
All 40 CDC measures for Watchtower
| Measure | Watchtower | Likely range | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 28.9% | 25.5–32.3% | 32.6% | better |
| High cholesterol | 29.4% | 26.1–33% | 37.7% | better |
| Obesity | 31.7% | 26.2–37.5% | 28.8% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 17.7% | 15.5–19.9% | 24% | better |
| Depression | 18% | 15.3–20.8% | 17.5% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 12.7% | 10.3–15.4% | 12.8% | about the same |
| Asthma | 9.5% | 8.4–10.6% | 10.3% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 5.1% | 4.5–5.6% | 7.7% | better |
| Diabetes | 7.9% | 6.8–9.1% | 11.5% | better |
| COPD | 4.4% | 3.7–5.2% | 6% | better |
| Heart disease | 3.9% | 3.5–4.5% | 6.1% | better |
| Stroke | 2.2% | 2–2.5% | 3.4% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.2% | 9.8–14.9% | 11.3% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 19.1% | 16.1–22.4% | 16.3% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 22.9% | 19–27.2% | 25.9% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 41.2% | 35.5–46.8% | 37.9% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 76.2% | 72.6–79.5% | 80.8% | worse |
| Dentist visit | 59.9% | 56.3–63.3% | 63.5% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 85.5% | 83.1–87.5% | 89.2% | worse |
| Colon screening | 62.5% | 57.9–67% | 66.8% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 75.6% | 68.4–81.7% | 78.9% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 65.9% | 62.6–69% | 77.2% | worse |
| No health insurance | 9.2% | 7.2–11.5% | 7.9% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 32.5% | 27.7–37.3% | 34.2% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 26.6% | 22.7–30.5% | 26.4% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 16.3% | 14.1–18.6% | 15% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 15.4% | 12.9–18.1% | 18.1% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 11.1% | 9.6–12.8% | 12.8% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 16.2% | 13.2–19.6% | 17.2% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 16.2% | 13.5–19% | 14.5% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 9.1% | 7.7–10.7% | 8.2% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 9.1% | 7.7–10.7% | 8.6% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 13.7% | 11–16.5% | 14.1% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.7% | 19.2–26.6% | 27.2% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 8.7% | 7.3–10.2% | 13.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 12.6% | 10.6–14.7% | 12.1% | |
| Hearing | 4.1% | 3.6–4.6% | 5.6% | |
| Vision | 4.1% | 3.5–4.7% | 5.2% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 2.9% | 2.5–3.3% | 3.8% | |
| Errands alone | 6.6% | 5.6–7.6% | 7.7% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC combines a large national health survey with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Watchtower door to door.
Every figure has a likely range. When the New York figure falls inside it, we don’t call Watchtower better or worse.
CDC publishes Watchtower directly, so these are its own figures.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Watchtower.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New York figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. 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.