Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Within Connecticut, New Haven is healthier than 4% of graded towns
New Haven differs from Connecticut on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 20 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for New Haven. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in New Haven
New Haven is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, New Haven is healthier than 39%. Against the 7,969 towns with similar household incomes ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 66%. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in New Haven
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (27.2%), vs 14.9% across Connecticut. Utility shut-off threats (16.4% vs 8.4%) and housing insecurity (22.8% vs 12.5%) are higher too. 24.6% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11.7% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Dental care lags in New Haven
59.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 70.7% across Connecticut. Among those 65 and older, 18.8% have lost all their teeth (Connecticut 9.8%). Checkups ↓
Mental distress runs high in New Haven
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (18.9%), vs 15.8% across Connecticut. Lack of emotional support is above the state too: 29.7%, vs 25.1% across Connecticut. Mind & connection ↓
New Haven has a five-star hospital
Yale-New Haven Hospital is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 New Haven’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
What’s behind New Haven’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, New Haven is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns, #148 of 154 in Connecticut. Smoking holds the grade up (fewer adults who smoke than 65% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 14%).
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). New Haven’s median household income is $56,851; among the 7,969 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($43K–$71K), it’s healthier than 66%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Where New Haven compares well: high cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years), 33.4% (U.S. 37.1%); arthritis, 20.3% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.8% (U.S. 7.9%).
At 138,774 residents, New Haven is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
24.6% of New Haven adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Connecticut.
Keeping up with care
Share of New Haven adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Connecticut.
How New Haven adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, New Haven runs above Connecticut.
2 in 5 New Haven 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 New Haven
1 hospital and 2 community health centers in New Haven, 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 New Haven; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 New Haven adults…
New Haven runs below CT on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of New Haven residents are 65 or older, vs 19% across Connecticut. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Connecticut
Share of adults, with the Connecticut figure marked.
53 miles of trails across 72 parks and preserves
New Haven and the towns around it
New Haven’s Health Grade ranks 7th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven | C+ | 37.9% | 11.7% | 13.2% | CDC place |
| West Haven | B− | 35.7% | 11.2% | 12.3% | CDC place |
| East Haven | — | — | — | — | |
| East Haven | B− | 35.3% | 11.4% | 12.5% | ZIP codes |
| Hamden | A− | 31.4% | 9.4% | 9% | ZIP codes |
| Woodbridge | A+ | 26.8% | 8.7% | 6.2% | ZIP 06525 |
| North Haven | — | — | — | — | |
| North Haven | A | 29.6% | 9.3% | 8.9% | ZIP 06473 |
East Haven and North Haven: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of New Haven adults live with a disability (Connecticut 25.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for New Haven
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, New Haven is better than Connecticut on 3 and worse on 20; on the rest, the Connecticut figure falls inside New Haven’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | New Haven | CT | U.S. | vs CT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.5%19.6–23.5 | 16.2% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.7%12.5–15.1 | 12.4% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.9%17.3–20.8 | 15.8% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.9%33.6–42.5 | 30.5% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 11.7%10.5–12.9 | 10.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 31.8%29.5–34.3 | 32% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.4%30.8–36 | 38.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 20.3%18.7–22.1 | 24.7% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.5–12.8 | 11% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.8%4.4–5.2 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.4%4.9–5.9 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.8%5.3–6.4 | 5.6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.2–3.7 | 3.2% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 18.8%16.2–21.8 | 9.8% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.2%11.8–14.8 | 10.6% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32.5%29.5–35.7 | 25.1% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14.2%12.4–16.2 | 15.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 41.9%38–46.2 | 35.8% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 14.7%13.2–16.4 | 10% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.9%75.3–80.5 | 80.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.7%56.9–62.7 | 70.7% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.4%82.7–86.1 | 89.5% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.6%68.3–72.8 | 76.5% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.3%63–69.9 | 72.3% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.1%73.4–82.7 | 79.5% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.7%18.4–23.1 | 20.6% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 38.6%35.2–42 | 33.2% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.7%27–32.7 | 25.1% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 27.2%24.9–29.5 | 14.9% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 22.8%20.7–24.9 | 12.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 16.4%14.8–18.1 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 14.9%13.5–16.4 | 8.3% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 24.6%22.5–26.9 | 11.7% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.8%27.2–32.6 | 25.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.3%12–14.6 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.2%14.7–17.8 | 12.3% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.9%4.4–5.5 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 7.5%7–8.1 | 4.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.5%8.7–10.4 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5%4.6–5.4 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 New Haven
Is New Haven a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, New Haven is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #148 of 154 in Connecticut. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 66%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in New Haven?
CDC estimates 37.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 33.6% and 42.5%, against 30.5% across Connecticut and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to New Haven?
Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, 0.0 miles in a straight line from New Haven’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in New Haven have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 14.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.2–16.4%), 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 New Haven more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in New Haven.
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.