Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is home to a vibrant community filled with all kinds of medical facilities and hospitals. With a population of over 74,000 people, Bethlehem has plenty of resources available for those in need of medical attention. The Lehigh Valley Health Network is the primary provider for health care in the area and provides quality medical services through six hospitals: Pocono, Muhlenberg, Cedar Crest, Allentown, East Stroudsburg and Hazleton. These hospitals boast state-of-the-art equipment and provide advanced treatments for critical illnesses and injuries. There are also numerous local clinics that offer routine checkups and preventative health services such as vaccinations and screenings. These include the St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Bethlehem Campus ambulatory care center and specialty centers located at the Medical Arts Pavilion at 1 West Broad Street or Liberty High School located on Easton Avenue. The city also offers various other medical services such as physical therapy centers, rehabilitation programs, counseling centers, mental health agencies, home health care providers, laboratories, pharmacies and more. It is clear that Bethlehem has all of the necessary components to ensure that everyone can access quality healthcare when it is needed most.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 226 physicians per 100,000 population in Bethlehem. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Bethlehem area is 118.1 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
118.1 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Bethlehem area is 53 (100=best). The US average is 55.
53 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Bethlehem area is 89 (100=best). The US average is 87.
89 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Bethlehem commutes 23.6 minutes one-way, which is shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Bethlehem area is 36 (100=best). The US average is 58.
36 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.