Perceived health status is one indicator of the overall health status of the population. A higher share of adults who perceive themselves to be in fair or poor health status can be an indicator of poor overall health in the community.

In 2019-21, 12% of adults in Lancaster County reported that their health was fair or poor, below Pennsylvania and the nation at 17% and 16% respectively. The rate represents no change from 2018-20, but is lower than previously reported years when the rate generally hovered between 17-18%. The rates for the state and nation were relatively flat from 2011-13 to 2019-21.

Lancaster County's percentage of adults with perceived "fair" or "poor" health in 2019-21 was larger than Chester (9%) but smaller than Berks/Schuylkill (21%), Cumberland/Perry (20%), Dauphin/Lebanon (16%) and York (13%).

Data come from a federal government survey designed to collect scientific data on health risks and behaviors. The data reported are for moving three-year averages. Berks and Schuylkill county data is combined by the survey and reported together. Similarly, Dauphin and Lebanon counties and Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties are reported as groups of counties.

Beginning in 2011, the Centers for Disease Control made two changes to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on which this indicator is based. The survey now includes cell-phone users, and a new statistical method is used to weight responses. As a result, changes from 2010 and years prior to 2011 and later may be a result of those technical changes rather than true trends.