Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Connecticut, Kent is healthier than 44% of graded towns
Kent differs from Connecticut on 12 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 9 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 06757, 06785, 06754. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Kent
Connecticut sets a high bar
Kent is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, but only 44% of the 154 Connecticut towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cancer and arthritis run high in Kent
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.7%), vs 8.5% across Connecticut. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (30.7%), vs 24.7% across Connecticut. In all, Kent runs above Connecticut on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Connecticut 19%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Fewer Kent 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 ↓
Kent adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (28% vs 33.2%) and frequent mental distress (13.6% vs 15.8%) both run below Connecticut. Mind & connection ↓
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 Kent’s likely range; Kent’s figures come from ZIP codes 06757, 06785, 06754, 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 Kent’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kent is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, #86 of 154 in Connecticut. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 92% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 71%.
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). Kent’s median household income is $96,064; among the 9,167 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($72K–$120K), it’s healthier than 90%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Kent adults…
Kent runs above CT on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Kent is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Connecticut. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Kent as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
6.6% of Kent adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Connecticut.
How Kent adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Kent does better than Connecticut.
3 in 10 Kent 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.
Care in and near Kent
No hospital or community health center in Kent 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 Kent; ≈ 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.
66 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Kent adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Connecticut.
Kent and the towns around it
Kent’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | A | 27.1% | 10.1% | 9.7% | ZIP codes |
| Warren | A− | 27.1% | 10.2% | 10.2% | ZIP codes |
| New Milford | A | 27.7% | 9.1% | 10.4% | ZIP codes |
| Sherman | A+ | 22.8% | 8.2% | 7.1% | ZIP 06784 |
| Cornwall | A− | 27% | 10.8% | 9.4% | ZIP codes |
| Washington | A | 26.7% | 10.3% | 9.2% | ZIP codes |
| New Preston | — | — | — | — | |
| Cornwall Bridge | — | — | — | — |
New Preston: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Cornwall Bridge: 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 Kent adults live with a disability (Connecticut 25.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Kent
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Kent is better than Connecticut on 9 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Connecticut figure falls inside Kent’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Kent | CT | U.S. | vs CT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.8%12.1–18 | 16.2% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%10.9–15.1 | 12.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%11.8–15.7 | 15.8% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.1%22.9–32.1 | 30.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.1%8.7–11.9 | 10.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.5%30.3–37 | 32% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.6%38.3–45.4 | 38.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.7%27.8–33.8 | 24.7% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.6%9.3–11.9 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.7%10.6–12.9 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.1%6–8.2 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.4%5–8 | 5.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.5%3–4.1 | 3.2% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.6%8.8–12.8 | 9.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.7%7.3–12.4 | 10.6% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.2%18.3–26.8 | 25.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.6%12.5–17.2 | 15.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.8%27.7–36.1 | 35.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.9%4.4–7.7 | 10% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.7%80.2–85.3 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.4%67.4–73.2 | 70.7% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.2%90.8–93.5 | 89.5% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.3%77.6–83 | 76.5% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.3%68.7–75.7 | 72.3% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.9%72.2–83.1 | 79.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.4%17.8–23.6 | 20.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28%24.3–32 | 33.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.6%18.2–25.2 | 25.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.6%6.3–11.1 | 14.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.3%5.7–9 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4–6.2 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.3%4.3–6.5 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.6%4.6–8.8 | 11.7% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.7%20.9–28.9 | 25.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12%9.7–14.6 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.1%8.4–12 | 12.3% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.3–8.5 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.3–4.8 | 4.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.4%5.2–7.7 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.6–3.8 | 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 Kent
Is Kent a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kent is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health, #86 of 154 in Connecticut. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 90%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Kent?
CDC estimates 27.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.9% and 32.1%, against 30.5% across Connecticut and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Kent?
Sharon Hospital in Sharon, 10.5 miles in a straight line from Kent’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Kent have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.4–7.7%), 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 Kent 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 Kent.
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.