Signer's House and Matthew Thornton Cemetery · Photo: Jane023 · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Merrimack is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns
Merrimack beats New Hampshire on 14 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03054. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Merrimack
What’s behind Merrimack’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Merrimack is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns, #24 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 76%.
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). Merrimack’s median household income is $127,219; among the 4,836 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($95K–$159K), it’s healthier than 85%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Merrimack adults…
Merrimack runs below NH on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Merrimack
No hospital or community health center in Merrimack 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 Merrimack; ≈ 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.
57 miles of trails across 21 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Merrimack adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
How Merrimack adults are doing
About the same as New Hampshire on each measure.
1 in 3 Merrimack 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.
4.6% of Merrimack adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Merrimack and the towns around it
Merrimack’s Health Grade ranks 4th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack | A | 32% | 8.3% | 9.2% | ZIP 03054 |
| Nashua | A− | 33.2% | 9.4% | 10.9% | CDC place |
| Litchfield | A | 31.8% | 8.4% | 9.6% | ZIP 03052 |
| East Merrimack | — | — | — | — | |
| Amherst | A+ | 31.2% | 8.6% | 7.9% | ZIP 03031 |
| Manchester | B+ | 35% | 9.4% | 12.9% | CDC place |
| Bedford | A+ | 30.2% | 8.5% | 7.9% | ZIP 03110 |
| Hollis | A | 31.3% | 9.1% | 8.6% | ZIP 03049 |
East Merrimack: 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 Merrimack adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Merrimack
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Merrimack is better than New Hampshire on 14 and worse on 0; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Merrimack’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Merrimack | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.3%10.9–13.8 | 14.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.4%9.4–11.6 | 11.7% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%13.1–16.1 | 15.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32%28–36.1 | 31.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.3%7.3–9.2 | 9.4% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.2%27.7–32.6 | 33% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.2%31.5–36.9 | 35.2% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.6%23.5–27.6 | 27.6% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.6–11.8 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.4%8.6–10.1 | 9.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.5–5.5 | 6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5%4.4–5.6 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.8 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.3%6–8.8 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.2%7.9–10.7 | 10.8% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.6%16.2–21.1 | 20.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%14.6–19.2 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.6%29.6–37.9 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4.4–6.2 | 6.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.4%75.6–80.9 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72%69.1–74.8 | 68.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.8%88.4–91.1 | 88.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.7%73.9–79.2 | 76.8% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.6%69.1–76.1 | 69.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.9%74.8–84.5 | 78.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.7%19.3–24.1 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.3%28.3–34.4 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.8%19.2–24.2 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.2%6.1–8.5 | 9.5% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7%5.9–8.1 | 8.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.7%4–5.4 | 5.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.6%4–5.3 | 5.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 4.6%3.7–5.6 | 6.5% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.8%20.5–25.2 | 26.1% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.4%8.3–10.5 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.8%9.6–12.1 | 12% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6%5.4–6.6 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3%2.7–3.3 | 3.8% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.6%5–6.3 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.2–2.7 | 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 Merrimack
Is Merrimack a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Merrimack is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns: A for health, #24 of 126 in New Hampshire. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 85%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Merrimack?
CDC estimates 32% of adults have obesity, likely between 28% and 36.1%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Merrimack?
Southern NH Medical Center in Nashua, 7.3 miles in a straight line from Merrimack’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Merrimack have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.4–6.2%), 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 Merrimack 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 Merrimack.
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.