Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Within Vermont, Brattleboro is healthier than 36% of graded towns
Brattleboro trails Vermont on 9 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 05301. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brattleboro
Vermont sets a high bar
Brattleboro is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, but only 36% of the 71 Vermont towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Brattleboro
1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food (11.2%), vs 9.2% across Vermont. Utility shut-off threats (7% vs 5.7%) are higher too. 16.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
COPD and stroke run high in Brattleboro
1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.8%), vs 6.5% across Vermont. 1 in 26 adults have had a stroke (3.8%), vs 3.3% across Vermont. Conditions ↓
Brattleboro is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Brattleboro is healthier than 77%. Against the 8,416 towns with similar household incomes ($44K–$73K), it’s healthier than 97%. 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 Vermont figure falls outside Brattleboro’s likely range; Brattleboro’s figures come from ZIP code 05301, 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 Brattleboro’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brattleboro is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, #46 of 71 in Vermont. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 92% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 56%.
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). Brattleboro’s median household income is $58,241; among the 8,416 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$73K), it’s healthier than 97%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
16.3% of Brattleboro adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.3% across Vermont.
Out of every 100 Brattleboro adults…
Brattleboro runs above VT on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Brattleboro
1 hospital in Brattleboro, 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 Brattleboro; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Vermont
Share of adults, with the Vermont figure marked.
43 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Brattleboro adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Vermont.
How Brattleboro adults are doing
About the same as Vermont on each measure.
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.
Brattleboro and the towns around it
Brattleboro’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brattleboro · Guilford | A− | 27% | 10% | 13% | ZIP 05301 |
| Brattleboro | — | — | — | — | |
| Dummerston | A− | 26.5% | 9.7% | 12.7% | ZIP codes |
| Vernon | B+ | 26.1% | 9.8% | 13.4% | ZIP 05354 |
| Marlboro | A− | 26.9% | 10.1% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
Brattleboro and Guilford share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Brattleboro: 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 Brattleboro adults live with a disability (Vermont 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brattleboro
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brattleboro is better than Vermont on 0 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Vermont figure falls inside Brattleboro’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brattleboro | VT | U.S. | vs VT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.1%15.1–19.3 | 14.5% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.8%12.3–15.5 | 12.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.6–18.2 | 15.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27%22.7–31.5 | 28.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10%8.7–11.4 | 8.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.6%29.4–35.8 | 31.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.4%30.2–36.7 | 32.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.1%27.3–32.9 | 27.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.2%10–12.5 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.5–11.4 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7%6.2–7.7 | 6.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.8%6.8–8.7 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.4–4.1 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13%10.7–15.4 | 10.1% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13%11.1–15 | 11.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.4%17.5–23.5 | 18.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%12.9–17.7 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30%26–34.2 | 28.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.4%5.4–7.6 | 6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.3%72.2–78.3 | 76.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.4%61.2–67.4 | 69.2% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%85–88.2 | 85.9% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.1%75.2–80.8 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.2%65.1–72.8 | 69.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.4%70.4–81.6 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27%23.9–30.2 | 26.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.4%19.6–25.2 | 22% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.2%9.8–12.5 | 9.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.1%8.9–11.3 | 8.6% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7%6.1–7.9 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.4%6.7–8.2 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16.3%14.5–18.1 | 11.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.4%26.2–32.8 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.9%11.3–14.6 | 11% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13%11.5–14.6 | 12.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.6%7.7–9.5 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.3–5.3 | 4% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.8%7–8.8 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 3.1% | 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 Vermont figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Brattleboro
Is Brattleboro a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brattleboro is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #46 of 71 in Vermont. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 97%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brattleboro?
CDC estimates 27% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 05301, which Brattleboro shares with Guilford) have obesity, likely between 22.7% and 31.5%, against 28.6% across Vermont and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brattleboro?
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital in Brattleboro, 3.6 miles in a straight line from Brattleboro’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brattleboro have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.4–7.6%), against 6% across Vermont.
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 Brattleboro more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A. The figures are ZIP code 05301’s, shared with Guilford.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Brattleboro.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Vermont 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.