Photo: Thundersnow · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Colchester is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns
Colchester differs from Connecticut on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 06415. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Colchester
Connecticut sets a high bar
Colchester is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, but only 59% of the 154 Connecticut towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Fewer Colchester adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Connecticut. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 7 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Nearly everyone in Colchester is insured
Only 5.7% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 10% across Connecticut. Checkups ↓
Colchester is an active town
Only 20.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 25.1% across Connecticut. The town has 69 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
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 Colchester’s likely range; Colchester’s figures come from ZIP code 06415, 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 Colchester’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Colchester is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, #65 of 154 in Connecticut. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 95% of towns); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 80%.
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). Colchester’s median household income is $122,390; among the 5,397 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($92K–$153K), it’s healthier than 81%, about where its income would put it.
Most Connecticut towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Colchester is healthier than 58% of graded towns, against 91% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.2% of Colchester adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Connecticut.
Keeping up with care
Share of Colchester adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Connecticut.
Everyday habits, side by side with Connecticut
Share of adults, with the Connecticut figure marked.
69 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Colchester adults…
Colchester runs below CT on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Colchester
1 community health center in Colchester, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Colchester; ≈ 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).
How Colchester adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Colchester does better than Connecticut.
3 in 10 Colchester 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.
Colchester and the towns around it
Colchester’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester | A | 30% | 8.3% | 8.8% | ZIP 06415 |
| Hebron | A+ | 29.9% | 8.1% | 8.5% | ZIP codes |
| Lebanon | A− | 31.5% | 9.1% | 10% | ZIP 06249 |
| East Hampton | A | 29.3% | 9.2% | 10.9% | ZIP codes |
| East Haddam | A | 29.8% | 9.4% | 10.2% | ZIP codes |
| Marlborough | A | 30% | 10% | 9.8% | ZIP 06447 |
| Salem | A | 29.7% | 8% | 8% | ZIP 06420 |
| East Hampton | — | — | — | — |
East Hampton: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Colchester adults live with a disability (Connecticut 25.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Colchester
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Colchester is better than Connecticut on 13 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Connecticut figure falls inside Colchester’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Colchester | CT | U.S. | vs CT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.5%11.8–15.5 | 16.2% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.8%10.4–13.3 | 12.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15%13.4–16.9 | 15.8% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30%25.8–35.2 | 30.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.3%7.3–9.7 | 10.2% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 32.5%29.7–35.9 | 32% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.2%33.3–39.7 | 38.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.5%24–29.3 | 24.7% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.2–12.9 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.4%8.6–10.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.5%4.9–6.1 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.3%4.6–6.1 | 5.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 3.2% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.8%6.4–9.5 | 9.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.8%7.3–10.5 | 10.6% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 20.7%17.8–24.1 | 25.1% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.4%14.2–19.1 | 15.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.9%29.8–38 | 35.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.7%4.7–6.8 | 10% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.6%79–84.2 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.2%74.7–79.5 | 70.7% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.9%89.5–92.2 | 89.5% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.4%73.7–79.3 | 76.5% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.7%71.3–78.1 | 72.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.1%74.9–84.6 | 79.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.2%20.5–26.5 | 20.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30%26.6–33.7 | 33.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.2%18.6–24.2 | 25.1% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.1%6.8–9.7 | 14.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.6%6.4–9 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.1%4.4–6 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.4%4.7–6.2 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.2%5–7.5 | 11.7% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.3%21.5–27.6 | 25.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.9%8.6–11.4 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.5%10.1–13.1 | 12.3% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.7%5.1–6.4 | 5.9% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.3%3–3.7 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.3–3 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Colchester
Is Colchester a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Colchester is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns: A for health, #65 of 154 in Connecticut. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 81%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Colchester?
CDC estimates 30% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.8% and 35.2%, against 30.5% across Connecticut and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Colchester?
Windham Community Memorial Hospital in Willimantic, 12.7 miles in a straight line from Colchester’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Colchester have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.7–6.8%), 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 Colchester 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 Colchester.
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.