Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Exeter is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns
Exeter differs from New Hampshire on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03833. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Exeter
Exeter adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (26.9% vs 30.6%), frequent mental distress (13.6% vs 15.3%) and lack of emotional support (18.3% vs 21.6%) all run below New Hampshire. Mind & connection ↓
Fewer Exeter adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below New Hampshire. 1 in 14 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 11 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Exeter has a top-rated hospital
Exeter Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Exeter’s likely range; Exeter’s figures come from ZIP code 03833, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Exeter’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Exeter is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns, #13 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 96% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 83%.
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). Exeter’s median household income is $110,346; among the 7,083 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($83K–$138K), it’s healthier than 96%, about where its income would put it.
How Exeter adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Exeter does better than New Hampshire.
1 in 4 Exeter 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.
4.4% of Exeter adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Care in and near Exeter
1 hospital in Exeter, 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 Exeter; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 Exeter adults…
Exeter runs below NH on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Hampshire
Share of adults, with the New Hampshire figure marked.
62 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Exeter adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
Exeter and the towns around it
Exeter’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter · Brentwood · Kensington | A | 30.1% | 8.9% | 8.6% | ZIP 03833 |
| Stratham | A+ | 29.3% | 8.1% | 7.5% | ZIP 03885 |
| Newfields | A+ | 30.1% | 7.9% | 8.1% | ZIP 03856 |
| Kingston | A− | 33.1% | 9.8% | 11.3% | ZIP 03848 |
| East Kingston | A | 32% | 10% | 10.2% | ZIP 03827 |
Exeter, Brentwood and Kensington share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Exeter adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Exeter
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Exeter is better than New Hampshire on 14 and worse on 1; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Exeter’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Exeter | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12%10.4–13.6 | 14.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.8%9.6–12.1 | 11.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%12–15.1 | 15.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.1%25.7–34.2 | 31.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.9%7.8–10 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35%32.1–37.8 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.3%34.2–40.2 | 35.2% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.6%25.1–30 | 27.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10%8.9–11.2 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11%10–11.9 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.2–6.4 | 6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.4%4.7–6.1 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 3%2.7–3.3 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.3%6.9–9.8 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.6%7.3–10.1 | 10.8% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 17.7%15.1–20.2 | 20.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.1%12.9–17.3 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.8%27.4–34.7 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.9%4.1–5.9 | 6.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.1%77.3–82.5 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 74.9%72.5–77.4 | 68.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.8%89.4–92 | 88.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.2%75.4–80.5 | 76.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.3%68–74.7 | 69.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.1%76.5–85.2 | 78.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.3%18.6–23.9 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.9%23.8–30.2 | 30.6% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.3%15.9–20.9 | 21.6% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.1%5.9–8.4 | 9.5% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.1%5.1–7.2 | 8.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.4%3.7–5.1 | 5.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.4%3.8–5 | 5.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.4%3.6–5.4 | 6.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.4%20.8–26.1 | 26.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.1%8.8–11.5 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.9%8.7–11.1 | 12% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.2%6.4–8 | 7.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.3%2.9–3.6 | 3.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.3–2.8 | 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 Exeter
Is Exeter a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Exeter is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns: A for health, #13 of 126 in New Hampshire. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 96%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Exeter?
CDC estimates 30.1% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 03833, which Exeter shares with Brentwood and Kensington) have obesity, likely between 25.7% and 34.2%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Exeter?
Exeter Hospital in Exeter, 1.4 miles in a straight line from Exeter’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Exeter have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.1–5.9%), 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 Exeter more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+. The figures are ZIP code 03833’s, shared with Brentwood and Kensington.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Exeter.
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.