Photo: Doncram · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Canaan is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns
Canaan differs from Connecticut on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 06031. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Canaan
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Canaan
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (11.9%), vs 8.5% across Connecticut. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (32.4%), vs 24.7% across Connecticut. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.5%, vs 5.8% across Connecticut. In all, Canaan runs above Connecticut on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (Connecticut 19%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Canaan keeps up with checkups
It beats Connecticut on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (83.3% vs 80.4%) and dentist visits (75.2% vs 70.7%). Checkups ↓
Fewer Canaan adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Connecticut. 1 in 11 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Connecticut figure falls outside Canaan’s likely range; Canaan’s figures come from ZIP code 06031, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Canaan’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Canaan is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 87% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 59%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Canaan’s median household income is $89,632; among the 9,981 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($67K–$112K), it’s healthier than 84%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Canaan adults…
Canaan runs above CT on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Canaan is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Connecticut. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Canaan as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Canaan adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Connecticut.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.7% of Canaan adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Connecticut.
Care in and near Canaan
No hospital or community health center in Canaan 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 Canaan; ≈ 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 Connecticut
Share of adults, with the Connecticut figure marked.
26 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
How Canaan adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Canaan does better than Connecticut.
1 in 4 Canaan 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.
Canaan and the towns around it
Canaan’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 5 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canaan | A− | 28.9% | 10.9% | 10.4% | ZIP 06031 |
| Salisbury | A | 25.4% | 9.9% | 8% | ZIP codes |
| Falls Village | — | — | — | — | |
| Norfolk | A | 27.8% | 10.4% | 9.6% | ZIP 06058 |
| North Canaan | B− | 30.5% | 11.5% | 13.8% | ZIP codes |
| Cornwall | A− | 27% | 10.8% | 9.4% | ZIP codes |
Falls Village: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Canaan adults live with a disability (Connecticut 25.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Canaan
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Canaan is better than Connecticut on 12 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Connecticut figure falls inside Canaan’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Canaan | CT | U.S. | vs CT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.7%13.5–18.1 | 16.2% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%12–15.5 | 12.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.6–16.3 | 15.8% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.9%24.5–34.2 | 30.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.9%9.5–12.7 | 10.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35%31.9–38.7 | 32% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42.4%39–46.2 | 38.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 32.4%29.6–35.8 | 24.7% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%9.8–12.4 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.9%10.8–13 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.5%6.7–8.5 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.1%6–8.3 | 5.6% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.4–4.2 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.8%7.2–10.8 | 9.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.4%8.5–12.7 | 10.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.1%19.6–27.1 | 25.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.1%12–16.6 | 15.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.1%26.2–34.4 | 35.8% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.7%4.6–6.8 | 10% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.3%80.9–85.8 | 80.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 75.2%72.5–77.7 | 70.7% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.4%91.3–93.6 | 89.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81%78.4–83.8 | 76.5% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.5%70.9–78 | 72.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.9%73.4–83.7 | 79.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.6%19–24.8 | 20.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.5%24.1–31.2 | 33.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21%18.1–24.1 | 25.1% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.2%7.3–11.3 | 14.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.7%6.3–9.3 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.7%4.8–6.7 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.7%4.8–6.6 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.7%6–9.6 | 11.7% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.6%22.3–29.3 | 25.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.8%10.9–14.9 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.5%9.1–12.2 | 12.3% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.6%6.7–8.6 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.7–4.8 | 4.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%5.9–7.9 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3.1–4 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Connecticut figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Canaan
Is Canaan a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Canaan is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Canaan?
CDC estimates 28.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.5% and 34.2%, against 30.5% across Connecticut and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Canaan?
Sharon Hospital in Sharon, 10.7 miles in a straight line from Canaan’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Canaan have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.6–6.8%), against 10% across Connecticut.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Canaan more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Canaan.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Connecticut figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. 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.