Photo: Smuttynoser at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Amherst is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns
Amherst beats New Hampshire on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03031. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Amherst
Against towns with similar incomes, Amherst’s lead shrinks
Amherst is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns, but 80% of the 2,544 towns with similar household incomes ($115K–$191K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Amherst keeps up with checkups
It beats New Hampshire on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (74.3% vs 68.8%) and cholesterol checks (91.2% vs 88.3%). Checkups ↓
Fewer Amherst adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below New Hampshire. 1 in 17 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 11 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Nearly everyone in Amherst is insured
Only 4.3% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 6.8% across New Hampshire. Checkups ↓
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 Amherst’s likely range; Amherst’s figures come from ZIP code 03031, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Amherst’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Amherst is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns, #10 of 126 in New Hampshire. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 97% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 79%.
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). Amherst’s median household income is $153,196; among the 2,544 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($115K–$191K), it’s healthier than 80%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of Amherst adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
3.8% of Amherst adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Out of every 100 Amherst adults…
Amherst runs below NH on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Amherst
No hospital or community health center in Amherst 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 Amherst; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Hampshire
Share of adults, with the New Hampshire figure marked.
53 miles of trails across 37 parks and preserves
How Amherst adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Amherst does better than New Hampshire.
3 in 10 Amherst 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.
Amherst and the towns around it
Amherst’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | A+ | 31.2% | 8.6% | 7.9% | ZIP 03031 |
| Milford | A | 33.1% | 8.6% | 10.9% | ZIP 03055 |
| Mont Vernon | A | 33.2% | 9.1% | 10.4% | ZIP 03057 |
| Milford | — | — | — | — | |
| Merrimack | A | 32% | 8.3% | 9.2% | ZIP 03054 |
| Bedford | A+ | 30.2% | 8.5% | 7.9% | ZIP 03110 |
| Hollis | A | 31.3% | 9.1% | 8.6% | ZIP 03049 |
Milford: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Amherst adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Amherst
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Amherst is better than New Hampshire on 16 and worse on 0; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Amherst’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Amherst | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 11.6%10–13.5 | 14.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.1%9–11.5 | 11.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.1%11.7–14.8 | 15.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.2%27.2–35.4 | 31.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.6%7.6–9.8 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 31.9%29.4–34.6 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 36%33.1–38.7 | 35.2% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.3%25–29.7 | 27.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.3–11.5 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.6%9.8–11.6 | 9.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 4.9%4.1–5.7 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.7%2.4–3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.4%5.3–7.8 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.9%6.4–9.7 | 10.8% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.6%15.1–20.5 | 20.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13.7–17.9 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%28.1–36.2 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.3%3.5–5.4 | 6.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.2%77.6–82.5 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 74.3%71.6–77 | 68.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.2%89.8–92.4 | 88.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79%76.5–81.3 | 76.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.9%70.4–77.2 | 69.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.6%78.1–86.7 | 78.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.7%18.3–23.2 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.5%26.3–33 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.9%17.3–22.7 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6%4.7–7.6 | 9.5% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.8%4.7–7.1 | 8.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4%3.3–4.9 | 5.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4%3.4–4.8 | 5.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.8%2.8–5 | 6.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.3%19.8–25.1 | 26.1% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.5%8.2–11 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.6%8.3–11.1 | 12% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.5%5.8–7.3 | 7.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 2.9%2.6–3.3 | 3.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.2%4.6–6 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.1–2.7 | 2.9% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Amherst
Is Amherst a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Amherst is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #10 of 126 in New Hampshire. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 80%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Amherst?
CDC estimates 31.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.2% and 35.4%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Amherst?
St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, 10.5 miles in a straight line from Amherst’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Amherst have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.5–5.4%), 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 Amherst more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Amherst.
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.