The 2025-2030 Tompkins County Community Health Assessment provides an integrated, equity centered understanding of community health grounded in the New York State Prevention Agenda and social drivers of health domains. Guided by Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) 2.0, the national community health improvement framework developed by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the assessment synthesizes local, state and federal surveillance data, a countywide Community Health Survey, qualitative research, and extensive community engagement to examine the conditions that shape health across five PA domains: Economic Stability, Social and Community Context, Neighborhood and Built Environment, Health Care Access and Quality, and Education Access and Quality.
A central feature of this CHA is its commitment to collaboration. The Steering Committee provided overall direction, while the cross-sector Assessment Design Team shaped the Community Health Survey, dissemination plans, and interpretation of its findings. Cornell University’s Master of Public Health Program also supported qualitative design and analysis. Community engagement was woven throughout the process, including a countywide visioning initiative. More than 250 residents contributed visioning input and more than 1,800 completed the Community Health Survey, helping to define the values, priorities, and lived experiences that frame this assessment.
The CHA integrates data across three MAPP 2.0 assessments (Community Partner Assessment, Community Status Assessment, and the Community Context Assessment). The Community Status Assessment examines quantitative indicators drawn from local, state and federal data systems, primarily sourced from the U.S. Census, NYSDOH, and the Community Health Survey as well as other community reports and service utilization. The Community Context Assessment explores lived experiences through qualitative interviews and local existing reports. The Community Partner Assessment highlights organizational strengths, available resources, and areas where system capacity is strained or unevenly distributed. Together, these three assessments create a multi-dimensional picture of health in Tompkins County that extends beyond traditional indicators.
While specific findings appear in the body of the report, the overarching conclusion is that health in Tompkins County is primarily shaped by social and economic conditions. Across all Prevention Agenda domains: Economic Stability, Social and Community Context, Neighborhood and Built Environment, Health Care Access and Quality, and Education Access and Quality, the assessment shows an interwoven set of challenges that reflect structural conditions. At the same time, the County demonstrates strong assets of robust academic and health partnerships, a deeply engaged nonprofit sector, expanding behavioral health and crisis response initiatives, and a shared community vision centered on belonging, connection, and equitable opportunity.
This CHA forms the foundation for the 2025-2030 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), which will identify shared priorities and strategies that move Tompkins County toward a healthier, more equitable future.
