Beede Farm · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Sandwich is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Sandwich differs from New Hampshire on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 03227, 03259, 03883, 03886. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Sandwich
Cancer, heart disease and stroke run high in Sandwich
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.4%), vs 9.8% across New Hampshire. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.1%), vs 6% across New Hampshire. Stroke is also above the state: 3.9%, vs 3.1% across New Hampshire. In all, Sandwich runs above New Hampshire on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 47% of residents are 65 or older (New Hampshire 20%), and cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Sandwich’s lead shrinks
Sandwich is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, but 54% of the 3,501 towns with similar household incomes ($106K–$176K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Sandwich keeps up with checkups
It beats New Hampshire on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (81.3% vs 77.8%) and cholesterol checks (92.3% vs 88.3%). Checkups ↓
Sandwich is short on primary care and mental health care
Sandwich is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Sandwich adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (26.4% vs 30.6%) and frequent mental distress (12.6% vs 15.3%) both run below New Hampshire. Mind & connection ↓
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 Sandwich’s likely range; Sandwich’s figures come from ZIP codes 03227, 03259, 03883, 03886, 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 Sandwich’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sandwich is healthier than 88% 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 67%.
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). Sandwich’s median household income is $140,694; among the 3,501 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($106K–$176K), it’s healthier than 54%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Sandwich adults…
Sandwich runs above NH on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Sandwich is an older town: 47% of residents are 65 or older, vs 20% across New Hampshire. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Sandwich as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Sandwich adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
Care in and near Sandwich
No hospital or community health center in Sandwich 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 Sandwich; ≈ 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).
How Sandwich adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Sandwich does better than New Hampshire.
1 in 4 Sandwich 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Hampshire
Share of adults, with the New Hampshire figure marked.
94 miles of trails across 30 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.4% of Sandwich adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Sandwich and the towns around it
Sandwich’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandwich | A | 30.1% | 11% | 9.6% | ZIP codes |
| Moultonborough | A | 28.5% | 9.9% | 8.4% | ZIP 03254 |
| Campton | A | 27.4% | 9.7% | 11.6% | ZIP 03223 |
| Waterville Valley | — | — | — | — | |
| Tamworth | A | 30.5% | 9.8% | 10.2% | ZIP codes |
Waterville Valley: 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 Sandwich adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Sandwich
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Sandwich is better than New Hampshire on 7 and worse on 6; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Sandwich’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Sandwich | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.3%11.4–17.7 | 14.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%10.6–15 | 11.7% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.6%10.7–14.7 | 15.3% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.1%25.1–35.6 | 31.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11%9.2–13 | 9.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.3%32.6–40.1 | 33% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.6%36.9–44.3 | 35.2% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.1%30.6–37.6 | 27.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.9%8.7–11.2 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.4%12.1–14.8 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.1%7–9.5 | 6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.4%5.7–9.3 | 6.2% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.3–4.6 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.3%10.1–14.7 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.6%7–12.7 | 10.8% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19%15–23.5 | 20.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11.2–15.9 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.1%27.6–36.7 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.1%3.6–7.2 | 6.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.3%78.3–84.1 | 77.8% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.8%65.5–71.7 | 68.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.3%90.6–93.5 | 88.3% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.3%80.3–85.8 | 76.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.8%70.7–78.4 | 69.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.5%71.2–82.7 | 78.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.8%17.9–23.9 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 26.4%22.7–30.3 | 30.6% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.3%15.2–21.7 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.4%5.2–10.1 | 9.5% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.1%4.6–7.9 | 8.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.4–5.4 | 5.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.5%3.6–5.7 | 5.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.4%3.7–7.8 | 6.5% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25%21–29.5 | 26.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.9%10.4–15.9 | 11.3% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.9%8.1–11.9 | 12% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.2%7.9–10.6 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.2–4.9 | 3.8% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.2%5.1–7.7 | 6.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%2.7–4.1 | 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 Sandwich
Is Sandwich a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Sandwich is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 54%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Sandwich?
CDC estimates 30.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.1% and 35.6%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Sandwich?
Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro, 21.5 miles in a straight line from Sandwich’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Sandwich have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.6–7.2%), 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 Sandwich 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 Sandwich.
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.