Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Alstead is healthier than 89%
Alstead trails New Hampshire on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03602. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Alstead
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Alstead
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.3%), vs 6.2% across New Hampshire. 1 in 26 adults have had a stroke (3.8%), vs 3.1% across New Hampshire. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.3%, vs 6% across New Hampshire. In all, Alstead runs above New Hampshire on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 28% of residents are 65 or older (New Hampshire 20%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Alstead
1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (13.7%), vs 10.8% across New Hampshire. Habits ↓
Alstead is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Alstead is healthier than 68%. Against the 9,837 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$81K), it’s healthier than 89%. Health Grade ↓
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 New Hampshire figure falls outside Alstead’s likely range; Alstead’s figures come from ZIP code 03602, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Alstead’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Alstead is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 74% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 53%.
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). Alstead’s median household income is $64,526; among the 9,837 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$81K), it’s healthier than 89%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Alstead adults…
Alstead runs above NH on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Alstead is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 20% across New Hampshire. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Alstead as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Hampshire
Share of adults, with the New Hampshire figure marked.
29 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Care in and near Alstead
No hospital or community health center in Alstead 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 Alstead; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Alstead adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
How Alstead adults are doing
About the same as New Hampshire on each measure.
3 in 10 Alstead 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.6% of Alstead adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Alstead and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alstead | B+ | 32.4% | 11% | 13.7% | ZIP 03602 |
| Langdon | — | — | — | — | |
| Marlow | — | — | — | — | |
| Gilsum | — | — | — | — | |
| Acworth | — | — | — | — | |
| Surry | — | — | — | — | |
| Walpole | B+ | 30.7% | 11.1% | 12.5% | ZIP codes |
Langdon, Marlow, Gilsum and Acworth: fewer than 1,000 residents. Surry: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Alstead adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Alstead
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Alstead is better than New Hampshire on 0 and worse on 11; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Alstead’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Alstead | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.5%15.3–20.3 | 14.5% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14%12.4–15.9 | 11.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.4–18 | 15.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.4%28.4–37.2 | 31.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11%9.6–12.4 | 9.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 36.3%33.5–39.4 | 33% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36.1%33.3–39.1 | 35.2% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.7%30.2–35.5 | 27.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11%10–12.2 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11%10.1–12 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.3%6.5–8.2 | 6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.3%7.1–9.8 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.4–4.3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.8%12.7–17.2 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.7%11.4–16.3 | 10.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 23.4%20.1–27.1 | 20.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.9%13–17.2 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.4%29.6–37.5 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.4%6–9 | 6.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76%73.2–78.8 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.3%63.5–69.1 | 68.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.1%86.5–89.6 | 88.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.2%75.8–80.8 | 76.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.6%65.4–71.9 | 69.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.4%73.7–83 | 78.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.1%21.5–27.1 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.5%26.2–32.9 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.4%19.6–25.5 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.1%9.1–13.3 | 9.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.9%7.5–10.5 | 8.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.2%5.3–7.3 | 5.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.5%5.6–7.5 | 5.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.6%6.8–10.6 | 6.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.7%27.4–34.5 | 26.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.2%12.3–16.4 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.6%11.9–15.6 | 12% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.5%7.7–9.5 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4.1–5.3 | 3.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.8%6.8–9 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.2–4.3 | 2.9% | 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 New Hampshire figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Alstead
Is Alstead a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Alstead is healthier than 68% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Alstead?
CDC estimates 32.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.4% and 37.2%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Alstead?
Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, 9.9 miles in a straight line from Alstead’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Alstead have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6–9%), against 6.8% across New Hampshire.
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 Alstead 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 Alstead.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New Hampshire 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.