Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Canaan is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Canaan differs from New York on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 12060, 12029. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Canaan
Cancer and arthritis run high in Canaan
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11.4%), vs 7.7% across New York. 3 in 10 adults have arthritis (29.8%), vs 24% across New York. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (New York 18%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Canaan keeps up with checkups
It beats New York on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (69.9% vs 63.5%) and cholesterol checks (92.2% vs 89.2%). Checkups ↓
Canaan is an active town
Only 20.1% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 25.9% across New York. Habits ↓
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 York figure falls outside Canaan’s likely range; Canaan’s figures come from ZIP codes 12060, 12029, 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 Canaan’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Canaan is healthier than 90% 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 94% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 75%.
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). Canaan’s median household income is $107,313; among the 7,570 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($80K–$134K), it’s healthier than 88%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Canaan adults…
Canaan runs below NY on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Canaan is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across New York. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Canaan as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Canaan adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.
Everyday habits, side by side with New York
Share of adults, with the New York figure marked.
3.9 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Canaan
No hospital or community health center in Canaan 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 Canaan; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Canaan adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Canaan does better than New York.
3 in 10 Canaan 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.
7.2% of Canaan adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.
Canaan and the towns around it
Canaan has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canaan | A | 29% | 10.4% | 10.2% | ZIP codes |
| Chatham | A | 29% | 10.8% | 10.3% | ZIP codes |
| Austerlitz | A | 28.5% | 10.6% | 9.9% | ZIP codes |
| New Lebanon | A− | 30.1% | 10.3% | 11.6% | ZIP codes |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Canaan adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Canaan
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Canaan is better than New York on 14 and worse on 2; on the rest, the New York figure falls inside Canaan’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Canaan | NY | U.S. | vs NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.8%11.5–16.2 | 18.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.8%10.2–13.6 | 12.8% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.4–15 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29%22.7–35.9 | 28.8% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.4%8.8–12.1 | 11.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 34.8%30.6–39 | 32.6% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.6%37.1–46.1 | 37.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29.8%26.2–33.3 | 24% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.1–11.5 | 10.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11.4%10.3–12.6 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.9%6–7.8 | 6.1% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.3%5.3–7.4 | 6% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.3%2.9–3.7 | 3.4% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.5%6.9–10.4 | 12.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.2%8–12.4 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.1%16.1–24.2 | 25.9% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.4%13.5–19.4 | 16.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.4%27.7–39.7 | 37.9% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.9%3.1–4.9 | 7.9% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.6%79.5–85.3 | 80.8% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69.9%66.7–73 | 63.5% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.2%90.9–93.4 | 89.2% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.7%77.7–83.3 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.2%69–77.1 | 66.8% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.7%71.9–84.7 | 78.9% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.9%15.9–22.1 | 17.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.3%23.7–33.3 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17.2–24.1 | 26.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.3%6.6–10.4 | 17.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.5%6.1–9.1 | 14.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.8%4–5.7 | 8.2% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5%4.2–5.9 | 8.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.2%5.5–9 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24.5%20.7–28.6 | 27.2% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.9%9.9–13.9 | 13.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.6%8.2–11.1 | 12.1% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.5%5.7–7.4 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.1–4.1 | 5.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.2%5.2–7.1 | 7.7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.6–3.5 | 3.8% | 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 York figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Canaan
Is Canaan a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Canaan is healthier than 90% of U.S. towns: A for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 88%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Canaan?
CDC estimates 29% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.7% and 35.9%, against 28.8% across New York and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Canaan?
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, 11.3 miles in a straight line from Canaan’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Canaan have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–4.9%), against 7.9% across New York.
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 Canaan 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 Canaan.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New York 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.