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NelsonNH ChurchAndMailboxesPhoto: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Health in Nelson · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Nelson residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Nelson, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03457. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
15.3%
About the same as NH (14.5%)
Obesity
30.3%
About the same as NH (31.8%)
No exercise
20.2%
About the same as NH (20.7%)
Uninsured
6.3%
About the same as NH (6.8%)
Feel lonely
28.1%
About the same as NH (30.6%)
Nearest ER
9.2 mi
Cheshire Medical Center
What stands out

What stands out about health in Nelson

11.9%have had cancer · NH 9.8%
★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Nelson adults…

Nelson runs above NH on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

12 of every 100 Nelson adults have had cancer
New Hampshire: 10 in 100 · worse · likely 10.8–13.2%
Better than NHWorseAbout the sameNew Hampshire
Getting care

Care in and near Nelson

No hospital or community health center in Nelson itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERCheshire Medical CenterKeene · 9.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCheshire Medical Center★★★★★ · 9.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSpringfield Medical Care SystemsCharlestown · 23.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.2 mi
Cheshire Medical Center
Keene · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
11.9 mi
Monadnock Community Hospital
Peterborough · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
23.2 mi
Springfield Medical Care Systems
4 sites · nearest in Charlestown
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
25 mi
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital
Brattleboro · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
27.5 mi
Springfield Hospital
Springfield · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
29.6 mi
Community Health Center of Franklin County
3 sites · nearest in Orange
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
! Primary careNelson is a federal shortage area.Hillsborough · need score 11 of 25
✓ Dental careNelson is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthNelson is not a shortage area

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 Nelson; ≈ 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).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with New Hampshire

Share of adults, with the New Hampshire figure marked.

Get no exercise 20.2%NH 20.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.3%NH 32.9%
Binge drink 15.1%NH 15.7%
Smoke cigarettes 11.7%NH 10.8%
0%10%20%30%40%
Nelson, betterNelson, worseAbout the sameNew Hampshire
Where Nelson gets moving

24 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves

1Partridge Woods4.2 mi of trails2Harris Center Conservation Land3.5 mi of trails3Keene Watershed Land1 mi of trails
Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Nelson adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.

77%Yearly checkupNH 78%
72%Dentist visitNH 69%
90%Cholesterol checkNH 88%
71%Colon screeningNH 70%
78%MammogramNH 79%
79%Taking BP medsNH 77%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Nelson 6.3% · New Hampshire 1 in 15 (6.8%)
Mind & connection

How Nelson adults are doing

About the same as New Hampshire on each measure.

3 in 10Nelson adults feel lonely
28.1% · NH 30.6% · About the same as NH
1 in 5Nelson adults lack social or emotional support
21.4% · NH 21.6% · About the same as NH
1 in 4Nelson adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.5% · NH 22.7% · About the same as NH
1 in 7Nelson adults are in frequent mental distress
14.5% · NH 15.3% · About the same as NH
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Nelson adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 12
Nelson adults worry about having enough food
8.4% · NH 9.5%
About the same as NH
1 in 14
Nelson adults worry about keeping their housing
7.3% · NH 8.1%
About the same as NH
1 in 20
Nelson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.9% · NH 5.4%
About the same as NH
1 in 20
Nelson adults lack reliable transportation
5.1% · NH 5.6%
About the same as NH

6% of Nelson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.

Around town

Nelson and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Harrisville: 29.3%Stoddard: 30.1%Roxbury: 29.7%Sullivan: 30.4%Dublin: 29%Hancock: 31.2%Marlborough: 31%Peterborough: 31.2%Windsor: 35.5%Antrim: 34.8%Washington: 33.1%Keene: 28.6%Gilsum: 32.4%Nelson: 30.3%NelsonHarrisvilleStoddardRoxburySullivanCheshire Medical Center · Keene · 9.2 mi · 4★ MedicareHMonadnock Community Hospital · Peterborough · 11.9 mi · 2★ MedicareH
Healthier than NHNear NHLess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#6 of 14 towns on this map, healthiest first
Harrisville29.3%
Roxbury29.7%
Stoddard30.1%
Nelson30.3%
Sullivan30.4%
NH31.8%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
HarrisvilleA29.3%10.6%9.8%ZIP 03450
StoddardA−30.1%10%11.8%ZIP codes
Roxbury————
Sullivan————

Roxbury and Sullivan: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

28%

of Nelson adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.4%
Thinking or memory11.7%
Hearing8.3%
Errands alone6.5%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.1%
New Hampshire

Questions about health in Nelson

Why doesn’t Nelson have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Nelson.

What hospital is closest to Nelson?

Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, 9.2 miles in a straight line from Nelson’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Nelson.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.