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Sprague Public Library, Baltic CTPhoto: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Sprague · CDC PLACES 2025

Within Connecticut, Sprague is healthier than 13% of graded towns

Sprague trails Connecticut on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 06330, 06350. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Sprague

Connecticut sets a high bar

Sprague is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns, but only 13% of the 154 Connecticut towns we grade. Health Grade ↓

COPD and depression run high in Sprague

1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.5%), vs 5.6% across Connecticut. 1 in 4 adults have been diagnosed with depression (24.8%), vs 20.6% across Connecticut. In all, Sprague runs above Connecticut on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓

Smoking is more common in Sprague

1 in 8 adults smoke cigarettes (13.1%), vs 10.6% across Connecticut. 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 Sprague’s likely range; Sprague’s figures come from ZIP codes 06330, 06350, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Sprague’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sprague is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #134 of 154 in Connecticut. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 79% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 39%).

BSelf-rated health18.5% · CT 16.2% · U.S. 19.4%
C+Physical distress14.6% · CT 12.4% · U.S. 13%
C+Mental distress17.7% · CT 15.8% · U.S. 15.9%
B+Obesity33.3% · CT 30.5% · U.S. 32.9%
A−Diabetes10.1% · CT 10.2% · U.S. 12%
B+Smoking13.1% smoke · CT 10.6% · U.S. 11.8%
C+Exercise26.7% · CT 25.1% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 58%
Less healthyHealthier
Connecticut towns we grade (154)Healthier than 13%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $70K–$116K (9,594)Healthier than 46%

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). Sprague’s median household income is $92,850; among the 9,594 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($70K–$116K), it’s healthier than 46%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Sprague could be anywhere from C to A−. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 06330,06350), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Sprague adults…

Sprague runs above CT on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

8 of every 100 Sprague adults have COPD
Connecticut: 6 in 100 · worse · likely 6.4–8.6%
Better than CTWorseAbout the sameConnecticut
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Connecticut

Share of adults, with the Connecticut figure marked.

Get no exercise 26.7%CT 25.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 37.2%CT 35.8%
Binge drink 15.9%CT 15.4%
Smoke cigarettes 13.1%CT 10.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Sprague, betterSprague, worseAbout the sameConnecticut
Getting care

Care in and near Sprague

No hospital or community health center in Sprague itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERWilliam W Backus HospitalNorwich · 6.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyWilliam W Backus Hospital★★★★★ · 6.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careUnited Community and Family ServicesJewett City · 5.6 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
5.6 mi
United Community and Family Services
5 sites · nearest in Jewett City
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
6.1 mi
William W Backus Hospital
Norwich · ★★★★★
ER
6.4 mi
Generations Family Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Norwich
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
9.4 mi
Windham Community Memorial Hospital
Willimantic · ★★★★★
ER
20.6 mi
Day Kimball Hospital
Putnam · ★★★★★
ER
20.7 mi
Lawrence & Memorial Hospital
New London · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careSprague is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careSprague is not a shortage area
! Mental healthSprague is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, MHCA Region 3 · need score 15 of 25

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 Sprague; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Sprague adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Connecticut.

80%Yearly checkupCT 80%
71%Dentist visitCT 71%
89%Cholesterol checkCT 90%
73%Colon screeningCT 72%
77%MammogramCT 80%
76%Taking BP medsCT 77%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Sprague 8.3% · Connecticut 1 in 10 (10%)
Mind & connection

How Sprague adults are doing

On 1 of 4 measures, Sprague runs above Connecticut.

1 in 3Sprague adults feel lonely
32.7% · CT 33.2% · About the same as CT
1 in 4Sprague adults lack social or emotional support
24.8% · CT 25.1% · About the same as CT
1 in 4Sprague adults have been diagnosed with depression
24.8% · CT 20.6% · Worse than CT
1 in 6Sprague adults are in frequent mental distress
17.7% · CT 15.8% · About the same as CT
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Sprague adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 8
Sprague adults worry about having enough food
13.1% · CT 14.9%
About the same as CT
1 in 9
Sprague adults worry about keeping their housing
10.9% · CT 12.5%
About the same as CT
1 in 14
Sprague adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.4% · CT 8.4%
About the same as CT
1 in 13
Sprague adults lack reliable transportation
7.7% · CT 8.3%
About the same as CT

10.7% of Sprague adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Connecticut.

Around town

Sprague and the towns around it

Sprague’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 5 graded towns around it.

Lisbon: 33.1%Norwich: 35.2%Baltic: 34%Franklin: 31.7%Scotland: 33%Griswold: 33.1%Preston: 30.8%Jewett City: 34.4%Montville: 31.9%Bozrah: 32.1%Lebanon: 31.5%Windham: 36%Canterbury: 32.2%Hampton: 32.3%Chaplin: 33.9%Sprague: 33.3%SpragueLisbonNorwichBalticFranklinScotlandWilliam W Backus Hospital · Norwich · 6.1 mi · 4★ MedicareHWindham Community Memorial Hospital · Willimantic · 9.4 mi · 3★ MedicareHUcfs Health Center Griswold · Jewett City · 5.6 mi+Generations FHC - Norwich · Norwich · 6.4 mi+
Healthier than CTNear CTLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#11 of 16 towns on this map, healthiest first
Franklin31.7%
Scotland33%
Lisbon33.1%
Sprague33.3%
Baltic34%
Norwich35.2%
CT30.5%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
SpragueB33.3%10.1%13.1%ZIP codes
LisbonB33.1%9.9%12.4%ZIP 06351
NorwichC+35.2%11.6%13.4%CDC place
FranklinA−31.7%10%10.7%ZIP 06254
Baltic————
ScotlandB+33%10.7%12.6%ZIP codes

Baltic: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

30.2%

of Sprague adults live with a disability (Connecticut 25.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13%
Thinking or memory14.9%
Hearing6.9%
Errands alone7.8%
Vision4.6%
Dressing or bathing3.7%
Connecticut

Every CDC estimate for Sprague

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sprague is better than Connecticut on 0 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Connecticut figure falls inside Sprague’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…SpragueCTU.S.vs CT
Overall health
Fair or poor health18.5%15.9–21.116.2%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14.6%12.9–16.412.4%13%Worse
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)17.7%15.7–19.815.8%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity33.3%28.9–38.530.5%32.9%About the same
Diabetes10.1%8.8–11.510.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure35.6%32.6–38.932%34.4%Worse
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)37.2%34.2–40.538.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis28.2%25.7–30.924.7%25.3%Worse
Asthma12.2%10.9–13.611%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer8.9%8.2–9.88.5%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease6.7%6–7.55.8%6.4%Worse
COPD7.5%6.4–8.65.6%6.3%Worse
Stroke3.5%3.1–3.83.2%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)10.7%8.7–12.89.8%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes13.1%10.9–15.310.6%11.8%Worse
No exercise outside work26.7%23–30.725.1%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking15.9%13.8–18.515.4%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours37.2%33.2–41.335.8%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)8.3%6.8–10.210%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year80.1%77.6–82.980.4%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year70.8%68–73.470.7%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years88.5%86.8–90.289.5%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)76.1%73.5–78.976.5%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)73.4%70.1–76.572.3%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)76.8%71.4–81.879.5%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression24.8%22–2820.6%20.6%Worse
Feel lonely32.7%29.1–36.633.2%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support24.8%21.7–28.225.1%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food13.1%10.8–15.714.9%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10.9%9.2–12.712.5%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.4%6.3–8.58.4%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.7%6.7–8.98.3%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)10.7%8.7–13.111.7%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability30.2%26.7–33.925.3%30.1%Higher
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs13%11.1–14.811.3%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.9%13–1712.3%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty6.9%6.1–7.75.9%6.7%Higher
Vision difficulty4.6%4–5.14.8%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.8%6.8–97%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.7%3.2–4.23.5%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 Sprague

Is Sprague a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sprague is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #134 of 154 in Connecticut. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 46%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Sprague?

CDC estimates 33.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.9% and 38.5%, against 30.5% across Connecticut and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Sprague?

William W Backus Hospital in Norwich, 6.1 miles in a straight line from Sprague’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Sprague have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 8.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.8–10.2%), 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 Sprague more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Sprague.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.