Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0Within New Hampshire, Whitefield is healthier than 6% of graded towns
Whitefield differs from New Hampshire on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 03598. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Whitefield
New Hampshire sets a high bar
Whitefield is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns, but only 6% of the 126 New Hampshire towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Whitefield
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.2%), vs 6.2% across New Hampshire. 1 in 23 adults have had a stroke (4.4%), vs 3.1% across New Hampshire. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.5%, vs 6% across New Hampshire. In all, Whitefield runs above New Hampshire on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 29% of residents are 65 or older (New Hampshire 20%), and COPD, stroke and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Dental care lags in Whitefield
62.3% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 68.8% across New Hampshire. Among those 65 and older, 16.9% have lost all their teeth (New Hampshire 8.9%). Checkups ↓
More Whitefield adults get no exercise
1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (27%), vs 20.7% across New Hampshire. There are 31 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Whitefield is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Whitefield is healthier than 53%. Against the 9,608 towns with similar household incomes ($47K–$79K), it’s healthier than 76%. Health Grade ↓
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 Whitefield’s likely range; Whitefield’s figures come from ZIP code 03598, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
What’s behind Whitefield’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Whitefield is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns, #119 of 126 in New Hampshire. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 71% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 40%).
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). Whitefield’s median household income is $63,125; among the 9,608 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($47K–$79K), it’s healthier than 76%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Whitefield adults…
Whitefield runs above NH on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Whitefield is an older town: 29% 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 Whitefield as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Whitefield adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Hampshire.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Hampshire
Share of adults, with the New Hampshire figure marked.
31 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
Care in and near Whitefield
1 community health center in Whitefield, 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 Whitefield; ≈ 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 Whitefield adults are doing
About the same as New Hampshire on each measure.
1 in 3 Whitefield 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.
9.4% of Whitefield adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.5% across New Hampshire.
Whitefield and the towns around it
Whitefield’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefield | B− | 35% | 12.6% | 14% | ZIP 03598 |
| Dalton | — | — | — | — | |
| Jefferson | A− | 33% | 11.1% | 10.9% | ZIP 03583 |
| Bethlehem | A | 26.6% | 9.3% | 10.1% | ZIP 03574 |
| Carroll | — | — | — | — |
Dalton and Carroll: 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 Whitefield adults live with a disability (New Hampshire 26.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Whitefield
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Whitefield is better than New Hampshire on 1 and worse on 15; on the rest, the New Hampshire figure falls inside Whitefield’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Whitefield | NH | U.S. | vs NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.4%16.3–22.4 | 14.5% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.5%12.6–16.5 | 11.7% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.8%13.9–17.9 | 15.3% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35%29.4–41.2 | 31.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.6%10.9–14.5 | 9.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 37.9%34.1–41.6 | 33% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.5%34.7–42.4 | 35.2% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.2%30.9–37.5 | 27.6% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.7%10.4–13.2 | 10.5% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.5%10.4–12.6 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.4–9.5 | 6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.2%7.8–10.6 | 6.2% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.4%3.9–4.9 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.9%14–20 | 8.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14%11.6–16.4 | 10.8% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 27%22.7–31.2 | 20.7% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14%11.7–16.8 | 15.7% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.1%27.3–36.9 | 32.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.9%6.3–10 | 6.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.4%76.1–82.5 | 77.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.3%58.7–65.5 | 68.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.3%86.5–89.9 | 88.3% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.6%77.7–83.2 | 76.8% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.9%64.3–73 | 69.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.1%67.3–80 | 78.8% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.7%19.5–26.2 | 22.7% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.9%27.7–36.3 | 30.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.8%19.4–26.3 | 21.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.9%9.8–14.5 | 9.5% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.2%7.6–11 | 8.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.4–7.5 | 5.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7%5.9–8.2 | 5.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.4%7.5–11.5 | 6.5% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34.2%29.9–38.4 | 26.1% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.3%13.8–18.7 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.2%12.2–16.2 | 12% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.1%8.8–11.3 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.6–6.1 | 3.8% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.9%7.6–10.2 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.2%3.6–4.8 | 2.9% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Whitefield
Is Whitefield a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Whitefield is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #119 of 126 in New Hampshire. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 76%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Whitefield?
CDC estimates 35% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.4% and 41.2%, against 31.8% across New Hampshire and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Whitefield?
Weeks Medical Center in Lancaster, 7.9 miles in a straight line from Whitefield’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Whitefield have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–10%), 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 Whitefield more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Whitefield.
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.