U.S. Inspection Station-Fort Fairfield, Maine · Photo: wbaron · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Fort Fairfield is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns
Fort Fairfield trails Maine on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04742. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fort Fairfield
More Fort Fairfield adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.2%), vs 23.1% across Maine. There are 75 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Fort Fairfield
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (13.9%), vs 10.7% across Maine. Utility shut-off threats (9% vs 7.4%) and housing insecurity (11.8% vs 9.8%) are higher too. 20.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD, diabetes and obesity run high in Fort Fairfield
1 in 10 adults have COPD (10.5%), vs 8.4% across Maine. 1 in 7 adults have diabetes (13.8%), vs 11.2% across Maine. Obesity is also above the state: 40%, vs 32.7% across Maine. In all, Fort Fairfield runs above Maine on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Maine 22%), and COPD and diabetes are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
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 Maine figure falls outside Fort Fairfield’s likely range; Fort Fairfield’s figures come from ZIP code 04742, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Fort Fairfield’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Fairfield is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns, #130 of 143 in Maine. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 25% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 13%).
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). Fort Fairfield’s median household income is $70,852; among the 10,590 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($53K–$89K), it’s healthier than 10%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maine
Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.
75 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
20.3% of Fort Fairfield adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Out of every 100 Fort Fairfield adults…
Fort Fairfield runs above ME on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Fort Fairfield is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 22% across Maine. COPD, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Fort Fairfield as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Fort Fairfield
1 community health center in Fort Fairfield, 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 Fort Fairfield; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Fort Fairfield adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
How Fort Fairfield adults are doing
About the same as Maine on each measure.
1 in 3 Fort Fairfield 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.
Fort Fairfield and the towns around it
Fort Fairfield’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Fairfield | C− | 40% | 13.8% | 18.2% | ZIP 04742 |
| Presque Isle | C− | 38.8% | 13.2% | 16.5% | CDC place |
| Limestone | D | 40% | 14.9% | 18% | ZIP 04750 |
| Easton | C− | 39.9% | 13.2% | 18.3% | ZIP 04740 |
| Caribou | C | 38.8% | 13.6% | 16.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Fort Fairfield adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fort Fairfield
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fort Fairfield is better than Maine on 0 and worse on 14; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Fort Fairfield’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fort Fairfield | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.1%20.2–26.1 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%15.1–19 | 14.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.9%17–21 | 17.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 40%35.5–44.7 | 32.7% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 13.8%12.2–15.6 | 11.2% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 41.2%38.1–44.4 | 35.7% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.1%36.9–43.4 | 37.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 35%32.3–37.9 | 32% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 13.7%12.2–15.2 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.7%8.9–10.7 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.5–9.5 | 7.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 10.5%9.1–12.1 | 8.4% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17%14.3–20.1 | 14.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 18.2%15.5–21.1 | 14.4% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.2%27.4–35.3 | 23.1% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11.4–15.8 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.5%32.4–40.9 | 32.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.2%7.4–11.2 | 7.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.8%79.1–84.5 | 81.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 57.1%53.9–60.3 | 63.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.2%84.4–88.2 | 87.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.8%75.1–80.4 | 76.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.1%66.4–73.7 | 70.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.3%73.9–84.1 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.4%23.5–29.5 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.3%30.5–38.3 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.2%22–28.8 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.9%11.4–16.6 | 10.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.8%9.9–13.9 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9%7.6–10.5 | 7.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.9%7.6–10.3 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 20.3%16.9–23.9 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.2%33.6–41 | 32.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.6%15.4–20.1 | 14% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.4%15.3–19.6 | 15.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.3%8.3–10.4 | 8.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.8–6.2 | 4.4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 9.7%8.5–11 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.4%3.9–5.1 | 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 Maine figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Fort Fairfield
Is Fort Fairfield a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Fairfield is healthier than 15% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #130 of 143 in Maine. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 10%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Fort Fairfield?
CDC estimates 40% of adults have obesity, likely between 35.5% and 44.7%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fort Fairfield?
Cary Medical Center in Caribou, 8.5 miles in a straight line from Fort Fairfield’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fort Fairfield have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.4–11.2%), against 7.8% across Maine.
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 Fort Fairfield more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Fort Fairfield.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maine 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.