Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Franconia is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns
Franconia differs from New Hampshire on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 8 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03580. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Franconia
Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Franconia
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14%), vs 9.8% across New Hampshire. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.4%), vs 6% across New Hampshire. Stroke is also above the state: 4.1%, vs 3.1% across New Hampshire. In all, Franconia runs above New Hampshire on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 37% of residents are 65 or older (New Hampshire 20%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Franconia, and more people treating it
39.1% of adults have high blood pressure (New Hampshire 33%), but 82.5% 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 Franconia’s likely range; Franconia’s figures come from ZIP code 03580, 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 Franconia’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Franconia is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 96% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 57%.
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). Franconia’s median household income is $87,292; among the 10,217 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($65K–$109K), it’s healthier than 92%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Franconia adults…
Franconia runs below NH on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 8. Tap one to see it as people.
Franconia is an older town: 37% 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 Franconia as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Franconia adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
Care in and near Franconia
No hospital or community health center in Franconia 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 Franconia; ≈ 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.
121 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
How Franconia adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Franconia does better than New Hampshire.
3 in 10 Franconia 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.
5.6% of Franconia adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Franconia and the towns around it
Franconia’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franconia | A | 26.3% | 11.6% | 10.1% | ZIP 03580 |
| Sugar Hill | — | — | — | — | |
| Lincoln | A− | 28% | 12% | 12% | ZIP codes |
| Easton | — | — | — | — | |
| Bethlehem | A | 26.6% | 9.3% | 10.1% | ZIP 03574 |
Sugar Hill and Easton: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Franconia adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Franconia
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Franconia is better than New Hampshire on 8 and worse on 8; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Franconia’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Franconia | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15%12.4–18.1 | 14.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%10.9–14.8 | 11.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%11–14.6 | 15.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.3%21.7–31.3 | 31.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.6%9.9–13.5 | 9.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 39.1%35.3–42.8 | 33% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.6%36.8–44.6 | 35.2% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.4%32.8–39.9 | 27.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14%12.6–15.3 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.4%7.3–9.6 | 6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.8%6.3–9.3 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.5–4.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.1%7.4–10.9 | 8.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.1%7.8–12.6 | 10.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.5%16.7–24.7 | 20.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.2%10–14.6 | 15.7% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.2%24.9–33.7 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.4%4.1–7.1 | 6.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.1%76.7–83 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70%66.8–73.1 | 68.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.9%90.5–93.2 | 88.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 82.5%79.4–85.2 | 76.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74%70.2–77.7 | 69.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.9%74.4–84.7 | 78.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22%19–25.2 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.7%23.7–31.7 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.5%15.5–21.6 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.7%5.9–9.7 | 9.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.1%4.8–7.5 | 8.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.4%3.6–5.3 | 5.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.8%3.9–5.7 | 5.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.6%4.2–7.3 | 6.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.8%23.7–32 | 26.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.9%11.5–16.5 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.5%8.9–12.5 | 12% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.6%8.3–10.9 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.6–4.9 | 3.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.5–7.9 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%2.9–4.1 | 2.9% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Franconia
Is Franconia a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Franconia is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 92%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Franconia?
CDC estimates 26.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.7% and 31.3%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Franconia?
Littleton Regional Healthcare in Littleton, 14.1 miles in a straight line from Franconia’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 1 of 5 stars.
How many people in Franconia have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.1–7.1%), 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 Franconia 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 Franconia.
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.