Muhlenberg College Public Health Program - 2025 Pennsylvania Health Survey


PDF: Muhlenberg College Public Health Program - 2025 Pennsylvania Health Survey

The following report examines opinions regarding public health issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2025. The report provides an overview of key findings from the 2025 Pennsylvania Health Survey. The survey was conducted in the Spring of 2025 by the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) in conjunction with the Muhlenberg College Public Health Program.

Key Findings 

  • The survey results show a notable gain in the percentage of Pennsylvanians who believe there is a link between childhood immunizations and autism, with just under 1 in 3 Commonwealth adults (31%) agreeing (“strongly” or “somewhat”) that the chances of a child getting autism are increased if they receive the recommended childhood immunizations. The 31% agreement level is the highest in the 13-year history of this survey, and marks a doubling of the percentage of Pennsylvanians that at least partially agree with the unproven immunization-autism link since 2022.

Pie chart of survey data Graph of survey data

  • Political party plays an important role in shaping viewpoints on the relative safety of immunizations with Republicans nearly twice as likely (41% to 21%) as Democrats to agree (“strongly” or “somewhat”) that the chances of a child getting autism are increased if they receive the recommended childhood immunizations.
  • Less than 4 in 10 Pennsylvanians (36%) expressed trust (“a lot” or “some”) in Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to handle health care issues as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
  • Perceptions of Kennedy appear linked to views on the relationship between immunizations and autism. Of Pennsylvanians who expressed “a lot” of trust in RFK Jr’s ability to handle health care issues as Secretary of HHS, almost half (49%) agree that the chances of autism are increased by receipt of childhood immunizations. This contrasts with those who express “no trust at all” in RFK Jr., with only 22% of this group agreeing with the claim that childhood immunizations and autism are linked.
  • The 2025 Health Survey examined the impact of politics and current events as a source of stress on state residents, with the results indicating that women in Pennsylvania are almost twice as likely (42% to 22%) to report that politics and current events constitute a “major source” of stress in their lives.
  • The effect of politics and current events on Keystone State residents various considerably across partisan divides with 15% of Republicans reporting that politics and current events are a “major source” of stress, compared to 52% of Democrats, and 26% of self-identified independents.
  • On the issue of legalization of marijuana, the survey finds the lowest percentage of Commonwealth residents opposing legalization of this substance since the question was first asked in 2013, with only about 1 in 5 adult Pennsylvanians (21%) currently opposing the legalization of marijuana in the state.

    Graph of survey data - marijuana legalization
  • The percent of Pennsylvanians who say that the quality of health care in the state is either “excellent” or “good” sits at 51%, down from a high of 70% in 2024. The 51% positive rating level is the lowest combined total since the MCIPO began asking the question in 2019.

Bar graph - health care of PA 

  • Pennsylvanians were less likely to report improved mental health in 2025 than they were in 2024. In this year’s findings 30% of state residents indicated their mental is “much better” or “somewhat better” than about a year ago, compared with 40% of state residents that reported improved mental health in 2024.
  • Democrats are more likely than Republicans to indicate that their mental health or emotional well-being is “somewhat” or “much worse” than about a year ago, with 37% of Democrats in the Keystone State reporting diminished mental health over the last year compared with only 7% of their Republican counterparts.

    Bar graph - political parties

 

METHODOLOGY

This report provides results of a telephone survey of 521 adult residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Interviews were conducted between March 10 and March 26, 2025.  Respondents were interviewed in English on both landlines (n=104) and cell phones (n = 417). With a randomly selected sample of respondents the margin of error for the survey is +/- 5.5% at a 95% level of confidence. Margins of error for questions with smaller sample size will be larger. In addition to sampling error, one should consider that question wording and other fielding issues can introduce error or bias into survey results. The data has been weighted to gender, age, race, and educational attainment to 2025 population parameters for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided by the United States Census Bureau. The calculation of sampling error takes into account design effects due to the weighting of the sample to the population parameters identified above.  In order to reach a representative sample of Pennsylvania adult residents, landlines and cell phones were called up to 3 times. Interviews were conducted by Communication Concepts of Easton Pennsylvania. Due to rounding, the totals provided in the frequency report may not total 100 percent. Data analysis and weighting were conducted through the use of the SPSS statistical software package Version 29.0. The survey instrument was designed by Dr. Christopher P. Borick, MCIPO Executive Director and Dr. Lindsay Burt, MCIPO Managing Director in conjunction with the staff of the MCIPO and Muhlenberg College Public Health Program, and is presented in its entirety in the following section of the report. The survey was funded exclusively by Muhlenberg College. For more detailed information on the methods employed please contact the MCIPO at 484-664-3444 or email Dr. Borick at [email protected].

 

Muhlenberg College Public Health Program

2025 Pennsylvania Health Poll

INSTRUMENT 

SCREENER:  Thank you.  Just to confirm are you a resident of Pennsylvania who is age 18 or older? 

1. Yes

CONTINUE

2. No

THANK AND DISCONTINUE

3. Not Sure

THANK AND DISCONTINUE

Q1:  In general, would you describe the quality of health care in Pennsylvania as excellent, good, fair or poor? 

1. Excellent

15%

2. Good

36%

3. Fair

34%

4. Poor

12%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

4%

 Time Series 

 

Spring 2019

Spring 2020

Spring 2021

Spring 2022

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Excellent

20%

17%

14%

13%

21%

16%

15%

Good

47%

42%

48%

42%

45%

54%

36%

Fair

25%

24%

23%

30%

25%

22%

34%

Poor

5%

16%

12%

12%

7%

8%

12%

Not Sure

3%

<1%

4%

3%

1%

1%

4%

Q2:  In general, would you describe the health care YOU have received in the last year as excellent, good, fair or poor? 

1. Excellent

29%

2. Good

41%

3. Fair

22%

4. Poor

4%

5. Did not receive any health care in the last year (Vol)

3%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Time Series 

 

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Excellent

29%

32%

29%

Good

48%

51%

41%

Fair

18%

13%

22%

Poor

5%

4%

4%

Not Sure

<1%

<1%

1%

Q3:  In your opinion, what is the greatest threat to public health in Pennsylvania today? (OPEN  ENDED) 

Access to/cost of healthcare

23%

President Trump/Republicans/RFK Jr.

13%

Corporate actors/pharmaceutical companies

6%

Specific health conditions (i.e. cancer, bird flu)

5%

Misinformation, scientific skepticism, or lack of trust

4%

Recent policy shifts

4%

Democrats

3%

Environmental factors

3%

Economy/poverty

2%

Individual behaviors

2%

PA State government

<1%

Other

13%

Not sure/no response

23%

Q4: In the past year, have you or someone in your household had difficulty accessing health care due to cost?

1. Yes

26%

2. No

72%

3. Did not receive any health care in the last year (Vol)

1%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Q5: Would you say that your ability to access a variety of healthy food options in your community is excellent, good, fair or poor?  

1. Excellent

27%

2. Good

38%

3. Fair

26%

4. Poor

10%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Q6: Next, I would like to ask you a question about marijuana. First, do you favor, oppose or neither favor nor oppose the complete legalization of the use of marijuana for any purpose? 

1. Favor

52%

2. Oppose

21%

3. Neither Favor or Oppose

22%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

5%

Time Series 

 

Spring

2013

Spring 2014

Spring 2016

Spring 2017

Spring 2018

Spring 2019

Spring 2020

Spring 2021

Spring 2022

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Favor

33%

38%

39%

45%

49%

51%

56%

58%

56%

50%

49%

52%

Oppose

40%

35%

38%

29%

30%

28%

26%

26%

25%

31%

31%

21%

Neither Favor or Oppose

24%

22%

20%

23%

19%

18%

12%

14%

18%

18%

20%

22%

Not Sure

3%

4%

3%

3%

3%

3%

6%

3%

1%

<1%

<1%

5%

Q7: Next, I have a few questions about mental health. How would you describe your own mental health or emotional well-being at this time? Would you say it is -- excellent, good, only fair, or poor? 

1. Excellent

26%

2. Good

50%

3. Only Fair

16%

4. Poor

8%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Time Series 

 

Spring 2021

Spring 2022

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Excellent

33%

35%

25%

32%

26%

Good

45%

44%

53%

51%

50%

Fair

19%

17%

17%

14%

16%

Poor

3%

4%

4%

3%

8%

Not Sure (Vol)

1%

<1%

0%

0%

1%

Q8: Compared to 12 months ago, would you say your mental health or emotional well-being is much better, somewhat better, somewhat worse, much worse or about the same as a year ago? 

1. Much Better

15%

2. Somewhat Better

15%

3. Somewhat Worse

15%

4. Much Worse

6%

5. About the Same as a Year Ago

48%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Time Series 

 

Spring 2021

Spring 2022

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Much Better

9%

12%

10%

13%

15%

Somewhat Better

17%

19%

26%

27%

15%

Somewhat Worse

18%

9%

10%

6%

15%

Much Worse

4%

3%

3%

3%

6%

About the Same as a Year Ago

53%

56%

51%

52%

48%

Not Sure

<1%

0%

0%

0%

1%

Q9:  Are politics and current events a major source of stress, a minor source of stress, or not a source of stress for you? 

1. Major Source

32%

2. Minor Source

35%

3. Not a Source

31%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

2%

Q10:  Please indicate if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements.  First, the chances of a child getting autism are increased if they receive the recommended childhood immunizations. (ROTATE OPTIONS Q10 to Q15) 

1. Strongly Agree

19%

2. Somewhat Agree

12%

3. Somewhat Disagree

8%

4. Strongly Disagree

48%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

13%

Time Series 

 

Spring 2013

Spring 2014

Spring 2015

Spring 2016

Spring 2017

Spring 2018

Spring 2019

Spring 2020

Spring 2021

Spring 2022

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Strongly Agree

5%

8%

7%

6%

4%

8%

9%

8%

5%

7%

5%

6%

19%

Somewhat Agree

13%

13%

10%

13%

13%

13%

9%

8%

6%

8%

15%

16%

12%

Somewhat Disagree

22%

21%

22%

16%

14%

14%

16%

13%

12%

26%

28%

25%

8%

Strongly Disagree

35%

39%

48%

51%

48%

49%

55%

57%

52%

41%

42%

47%

48%

Not Sure

26%

19%

12%

14%

21%

16%

11%

15%

25%

18%

11%

6%

13%

Q11:  Immunizations pose little health risks to those that receive them. 

1. Strongly Agree

43%

2. Somewhat Agree

21%

3. Somewhat Disagree

12%

4. Strongly Disagree

16%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

9%

Time Series 

 

Spring 2019

Spring 2020

Spring 2021

Spring 2022

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Strongly Agree

54%

49%

41%

41%

41%

40%

43%

Somewhat Agree

23%

25%

30%

34%

40%

36%

21%

Somewhat Disagree

9%

8%

9%

12%

15%

15%

12%

Strongly Disagree

9%

8%

3%

10%

3%

9%

16%

Not Sure

4%

10%

17%

4%

2%

1%

9%

Q12:  Childhood vaccinations should be required for school enrollment, excepting only those with medical exemptions. 

1. Strongly Agree

61%

2. Somewhat Agree

18%

3. Somewhat Disagree

7%

4. Strongly Disagree

10%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

4%

Q13:  Access to abortions should be more limited in Pennsylvania 

1. Strongly Agree

19%

2. Somewhat Agree

10%

3. Somewhat Disagree

12%

4. Strongly Disagree

50%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

9%

Q14:  President Trump’s Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the World Health   Organization was in the best interest of the health of American citizens. 

1. Strongly Agree

25%

2. Somewhat Agree

12%

3. Somewhat Disagree

5%

4. Strongly Disagree

49%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

10%

Q15:  The United States withdrawal from the World Health organization will negatively impact US preparedness for the next pandemic. 

1. Strongly Agree

47%

2. Somewhat Agree

10%

3. Somewhat Disagree

11%

4. Strongly Disagree

21%

98. Not Sure (Vol)

11%

Q16. How much trust do you have in Robert Kennedy Jr. to handle health care issues as Secretary of Health and Human Services? 

A lot of trust

19%

Some trust

17%

Not too much trust

11%

No trust at all

40%

Not sure (Vol)

13%

Next, I’m going to read a list of issues in Pennsylvania today. For each issue I mention please indicate if you think the issue is a crisis, a problem but not a crisis, or not a problem at all. First:  (ROTATE QUESTIONS 19-23)

Q17:  Fracking 

1. Crisis

12%

2. A problem but not a crisis

34%

3. Not a problem

39%

98. Not sure (Vol)

15%

Q18:  Climate change 

1. Crisis

39%

2. A problem but not a crisis

30%

3. Not a problem

28%

98. Not sure (Vol)

3%

Time Series 

 

Spring 2023

Spring 2024

Spring 2025

Crisis

29%

31%

39%

A problem but not a crisis

38%

46%

30%

Not a problem

28%

23%

28%

Not Sure

4%

<1%

3%

Q19:  Obesity 

1. Crisis

46%

2. A problem but not a crisis

45%

3. Not a problem

6%

98. Not sure (Vol)

3%

Q20: Domestic Violence 

1. Crisis

39%

2. A problem but not a crisis

52%

3. Not a problem

4%

98. Not sure (Vol)

5%


DEMOGRAPHICS

Q27. Finally, I have a few questions about yourself. First, what is your current marital status? 

 

 

Single

30%

Married

50%

Separated

3%

Divorced

7%

Widowed

6%

Partnered

2%

Not Sure (Vol)

2%

Q28. What is your highest level of education? Is it (READ LIST)?

 

 

Less Than High School

2%

High School Graduate

30%

Some College Or Technical School

26%

College Graduate (4 Yr Only)

27%

Graduate Or Professional Degree

15%

Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Q29. Which of the following categories best describes your racial identity? (READ LIST) 

 

 

White/Caucasian

72%

Black/African-American

11%

Hispanic or Latino

7%

Asian

3%

Native American

1%

Mixed Race

2%

Or Other

3%

Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Q30: Which of the following categories best describes your current voting status? Are you registered as a (READ LIST)? 

 

 

Democrat

43%

Republican

40%

Independent

14%

Other Party

2%

Or Not Registered To Vote In Pennsylvania

2%

Not Sure (Vol)

1%

Q31. Which of the following categories best describes your religious affiliation? Are you (READ LIST)? 

 

 

Catholic

28%

Protestant

26%

Jewish

2%

Muslim

2%

Hindu

<1%

Other Religion (Including Agnostic)

28%

Atheist

8%

Not Sure (Vol)

6%

Q32. Do you have children under the age of 18? 

 

 

Has Children Under 18

21%

No Children Under 18

79%

Q33:  Which of the following best describes your health care insurance status? Are you primarily insured:

 

 

 

By A Plan Provided By Your Employer

50%

By A Plan That You Purchase Individually

8%

By Medicaid Coverage

8%

By Medicare Coverage

23%

Uninsured

3%

Other

6%

Not Sure (Vol)

2%

Q34:  In which of the following age categories does your current age fall?  READ LIST 

 

 

18-29

22%

30-49

28%

50-65

26%

Or Over 65

24%

Q35. Which of the following best describes your family income? (READ LIST)? 

 

 

Under $20,000

          10%

$20,000-$40,000

  19%

$40,000-$60,000

13%

$60,000-$80,000

            13%

$80,000-$100,000

12%

Over $100,000

24%

Not Sure (Vol)

9%

Q36:  Finally, to which gender identity do you most identify? (READ LIST) 

 

 

Female

50%

Male

49%

Transgender Male

0%

Transgender Female

<1%

Or you do not identify as male, female or transgender

<1%

Not Sure (Vol)

1%

 

Selected Cross Tabulations

Q6: Next, I would like to ask you a question about marijuana. First, do you favor, oppose, or neither favor nor oppose the complete legalization of the use of marijuana for any purpose?

 

Favor

Oppose

Neither Favor Nor Oppose

Female

49%

23%

22%

Male

55%

19%

23%

No College Degree

52%

18%

23%

College Degree

51%

27%

20%

White

54%

18%

22%

Person of Color

47%

29%

22%

Catholic

52%

25%

19%

Protestant

44%

25%

24%

Non-Christian/No Religion

54%

18%

22%

Democrat

64%

13%

19%

Republican

39%

31%

23%

Independent

51%

18%

28%

18-29

56%

18%

20%

30-49

57%

17%

23%

50-65

49%

23%

23%

Over 65

44%

27%

22%

Under 60K Income

52%

19%

25%

Over 60K Income

53%

22%

20%

Q8: Compared to 12 months ago, would you say your mental health or emotional well-being is much better, somewhat better, somewhat worse, much worse, or about the same as a year ago?

 

Much Better

Somewhat Better

Somewhat Worse

Much Worse

About the Same

Female

18%

11%

18%

7%

44%

Male

12%

18%

13%

4%

53%

No College Degree

16%

15%

13%

6%

49%

College Degree

15%

14%

19%

6%

47%

White

14%

15%

14%

7%

49%

Person of Color

18%

15%

18%

4%

44%

Catholic

18%

16%

12%

4%

51%

Protestant

13%

13%

16%

3%

53%

Non-Christian/No Religion

16%

15%

16%

9%

43%

Democrat

7%

11%

26%

11%

44%

Republican

23%

18%

5%

2%

51%

Independent

20%

19%

13%

1%

46%

18-29

20%

24%

9%

4%

42%

30-49

15%

15%

15%

9%

46%

50-65

14%

11%

23%

6%

46%

Over 65

12%

10%

14%

5%

57%

Under 60K Income

16%

13%

12%

10%

46%

Over 60K Income

15%

17%

19%

3%

46%

Q9: Are politics and current events a major source of stress, a minor source of stress, or not a source of stress for you?

 

Major Source

Minor Source

Not a Source

Female

42%

29%

27%

Male

22%

42%

35%

No College Degree

28%

33%

37%

College Degree

38%

39%

21%

White

34%

33%

31%

Person of Color

29%

40%

29%

Catholic

28%

36%

35%

Protestant

25%

40%

34%

Non-Christian/No Religion

41%

33%

23%

Democrat

52%

28%

18%

Republican

15%

41%

42%

Independent

26%

43%

27%

18-29

27%

50%

22%

30-49

35%

34%

29%

50-65

36%

28%

37%

Over 65

30%

30%

34%

Under 60K Income

31%

30%

37%

Over 60K Income

33%

41%

26%

Q10: Please indicate if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the following statements: first, the chances of a child getting autism are increased if they receive the recommended childhood immunizations.

 

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Female

17%

10%

10%

52%

Male

21%

13%

7%

45%

No College Degree

18%

16%

9%

43%

College Degree

20%

6%

8%

54%

White

18%

9%

9%

51%

Person of Color

22%

18%

7%

40%

Catholic

22%

15%

11%

39%

Protestant

15%

10%

10%

48%

Non-Christian/No Religion

19%

9%

5%

55%

Democrat

14%

7%

8%

64%

Republican

23%

18%

11%

32%

Independent

25%

11%

1%

44%

18-29

12%

13%

5%

62%

30-49

17%

15%

10%

44%

50-65

25%

9%

9%

46%

Over 65

22%

9%

8%

44%

Under 60K Income

20%

13%

9%

44%

Over 60K Income

18%

11%

9%

53%

Q11: Immunizations pose little health risks to those that receive them.

 

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Female

46%

20%

10%

16%

Male

40%

21%

14%

16%

No College Degree

39%

24%

10%

16%

College Degree

48%

16%

14%

15%

White

47%

18%

12%

16%

Person of Color

34%

28%

11%

14%

Catholic

39%

19%

17%

16%

Protestant

45%

18%

12%

15%

Non-Christian/No Religion

45%

25%

8%

15%

Democrat

58%

15%

7%

15%

Republican

27%

26%

18%

19%

Independent

45%

23%

6%

7%

18-29

38%

31%

19%

9%

30-49

45%

22%

10%

15%

50-65

44%

17%

10%

16%

Over 65

44%

13%

8%

23%

Under 60K Income

38%

24%

11%

18%

Over 60K Income

48%

17%

12%

13%

Q16: How much trust do you have in Robert Kennedy Jr. to handle health care issues as Secretary of Health and Human Services?

 

A lot of trust

Some trust

Not too much trust

No trust at all

Female

17%

13%

9%

46%

Male

22%

20%

13%

34%

No College Degree

23%

17%

10%

35%

College Degree

14%

17%

12%

48%

White

23%

15%

11%

39%

Person of Color

10%

20%

13%

42%

Catholic

25%

20%

14%

34%

Protestant

19%

16%

12%

38%

Non-Christian/No Religion

17%

13%

9%

44%

Democrat

4%

10%

10%

70%

Republican

35%

26%

10%

11%

Independent

22%

15%

16%

38%

18-29

12%

17%

19%

33%

30-49

19%

20%

9%

39%

50-65

20%

17%

10%

41%

Over 65

25%

12%

6%

47%

Under 60K Income

19%

16%

10%

40%

Over 60K Income

18%

18%

13%

42%

How much trust do you have in Robert Kennedy Jr. to handle health care issues as Secretary of Health and Human Services? X Level of agreement: the chances of a child getting autism are increased if they receive the recommended childhood immunizations. 

 

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

A lot of trust

32%

17%

9%

25%

Some trust

20%

21%

8%

33%

Not too much trust

9%

7%

13%

61%

No trust at all

15%

7%

7%

63%

How much trust do you have in Robert Kennedy Jr. to handle health care issues as Secretary of Health and Human Services? ­X Immunizations pose little health risks to those that receive them. 

 

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

A lot of trust

27%

24%

14%

22%

Some trust

29%

24%

20%

17%

Not too much trust

46%

33%

9%

5%

No trust at all

60%

16%

8%

12%

Which of the following best describes your current voting status? Are you registered as a: X President Trump’s Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization was in the best interest of the health of American citizens. 

 

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Democrat

8%

2%

4%

81%

Republican

46%

20%

5%

16%

Independent

18%

20%

3%

45%

Which of the following best describes your current voting status? Are you registered as a: X The United States withdrawal from the World Health Organization will negatively impact US preparedness for the next pandemic.  

 

Strongly Agree

Somewhat Agree

Somewhat Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Democrat

72%

13%

4%

5%

Republican

19%

9%

18%

42%

Independent

47%

7%

13%

16%