Photo: SatyrTN · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Center Harbor is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns
Center Harbor differs from New Hampshire on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03226. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Center Harbor
Heart disease, cancer and COPD run high in Center Harbor
1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.6%), vs 6% across New Hampshire. 1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14%), vs 9.8% across New Hampshire. COPD is also above the state: 8.4%, vs 6.2% across New Hampshire. In all, Center Harbor runs above New Hampshire on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 40% of residents are 65 or older (New Hampshire 20%), and heart disease, cancer and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Center Harbor, and more people treating it
40.7% of adults have high blood pressure (New Hampshire 33%), but 81.5% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.8% statewide. 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 Center Harbor’s likely range; Center Harbor’s figures come from ZIP code 03226, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Center Harbor’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Center Harbor is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 93% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 48%).
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). Center Harbor’s median household income is $104,313; among the 7,941 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($78K–$130K), it’s healthier than 66%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Center Harbor adults…
Center Harbor runs above NH on 9 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Center Harbor is an older town: 40% 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 Center Harbor as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Center Harbor adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
Care in and near Center Harbor
No hospital or community health center in Center Harbor 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 Center Harbor; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with New Hampshire
Share of adults, with the New Hampshire figure marked.
15 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
How Center Harbor adults are doing
About the same as New Hampshire on each measure.
3 in 10 Center Harbor 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.
6.2% of Center Harbor adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Center Harbor and the towns around it
Center Harbor’s Health Grade ranks 5th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Harbor | A− | 30.2% | 12.2% | 11.2% | ZIP 03226 |
| New Hampton | A− | 30.9% | 10.3% | 12% | ZIP 03256 |
| Meredith | A− | 29.4% | 11.2% | 10.5% | ZIP codes |
| Holderness | A | 27% | 10.6% | 10.1% | ZIP 03245 |
| Moultonborough | A | 28.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% | ZIP 03254 |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Center Harbor adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Center Harbor
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Center Harbor is better than New Hampshire on 5 and worse on 10; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Center Harbor’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Center Harbor | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.5%13.8–19.8 | 14.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.5%11.7–15.8 | 11.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.6–15.3 | 15.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.2%25.4–35.6 | 31.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.2%10.4–14.3 | 9.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.7%37.1–44.8 | 33% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.4%36.6–44.2 | 35.2% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.6%33.3–40.2 | 27.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.1%9–11.5 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14%12.7–15.4 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.6%7.4–9.9 | 6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.4%6.9–10.3 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.6–4.9 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.3%9.3–13.6 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.2%8.8–14.1 | 10.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.2%17.5–25.7 | 20.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13%10.8–15.4 | 15.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.4%26.9–36 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.6%4.2–7.3 | 6.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.6%78.6–84.2 | 77.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.2%68–74 | 68.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.8%90.5–93.1 | 88.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.5%78.5–84.3 | 76.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72%67.7–75.9 | 69.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.2%65–78.5 | 78.8% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.5%18.7–24.7 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.7%23.9–31.6 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.6%15.7–21.9 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.2%6.3–10.5 | 9.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.5%5.2–8 | 8.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.6%3.8–5.5 | 5.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.1–5.9 | 5.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 6.2%4.6–8.1 | 6.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.6%25.6–34.3 | 26.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.7%12.3–17.7 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11%9.3–13 | 12% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.7%8.5–11.1 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.7–5.1 | 3.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7%5.9–8.3 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3–4.2 | 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 Center Harbor
Is Center Harbor a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Center Harbor is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns: A− for health. 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 Center Harbor?
CDC estimates 30.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.4% and 35.6%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Center Harbor?
Concord Hospital- Laconia in Laconia, 12.3 miles in a straight line from Center Harbor’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Center Harbor have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.2–7.3%), 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 Center Harbor more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Center Harbor.
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.