Photo: Rania al-Bahara · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Bristol is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns
Bristol beats Vermont on 1 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 05443. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bristol
What’s behind Bristol’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bristol is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns, #25 of 71 in Vermont. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 94% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 76%.
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). Bristol’s median household income is $74,620; among the 10,863 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($56K–$93K), it’s healthier than 98%, about where its income would put it.
Most Vermont towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Bristol is healthier than 65% of graded towns, against 89% nationally.
Care in and near Bristol
1 community health center in Bristol, 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 Bristol; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Out of every 100 Bristol adults…
On every condition, Bristol is about the same as Vermont. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Vermont
Share of adults, with the Vermont figure marked.
24 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Bristol adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Vermont.
How Bristol 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.5% of Bristol adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.3% across Vermont.
Bristol and the towns around it
Bristol’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol · Lincoln | A | 29.1% | 8.5% | 11.2% | ZIP 05443 |
| New Haven | A | 28.4% | 9.1% | 10.2% | ZIP codes |
| Middlebury | A | 25.3% | 7.2% | 8.6% | ZIP 05753 |
| Starksboro | A | 29.3% | 8% | 11.3% | ZIP codes |
| Ripton | — | — | — | — | |
| Monkton | A | 28.2% | 8.2% | 10.5% | ZIP codes |
Bristol and Lincoln share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Ripton: 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 Bristol adults live with a disability (Vermont 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bristol
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bristol is better than Vermont on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Vermont figure falls inside Bristol’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bristol | VT | U.S. | vs VT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.3%12.5–16.5 | 14.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11–14.1 | 12.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.2%13.5–17.1 | 15.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.1%24.6–33.8 | 28.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.5%7.4–9.8 | 8.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.8%29.6–36 | 31.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.1%30.9–37.4 | 32.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 29%26.2–31.9 | 27.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.9–12.4 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.7%8.9–10.7 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6%5.4–6.7 | 6.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 6.5% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.3%3–3.6 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.1%8.9–13.3 | 10.1% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.2%9.5–13.2 | 11.2% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.4%15.5–21.7 | 18.9% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.3%13.8–19 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.6%25.6–33.6 | 28.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.7%4.7–6.9 | 6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.5%75.4–81.3 | 76.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.5%68.5–74.3 | 69.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.6%85.9–89.1 | 85.9% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76%72.8–78.9 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.2%66.4–73.6 | 69.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.5%70–81.6 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.2%22.2–28.4 | 26.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.5%17–22.2 | 22% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.1%7.1–9.1 | 9.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.1%7.2–9.2 | 8.6% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.4%4.7–6.1 | 5.7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6%5.4–6.6 | 6.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.5%8.4–10.8 | 11.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.9%20.9–27.3 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.6%9.2–12.2 | 11% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.8%10.4–13.5 | 12.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.6–8.3 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.4–4.2 | 4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.8–7.5 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.5 | 3.1% | 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 Vermont figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bristol
Is Bristol a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bristol is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns: A for health, #25 of 71 in Vermont. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 98%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bristol?
CDC estimates 29.1% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 05443, which Bristol shares with Lincoln) have obesity, likely between 24.6% and 33.8%, against 28.6% across Vermont and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bristol?
Porter Hospital in Middlebury, 9.1 miles in a straight line from Bristol’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bristol have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.7–6.9%), 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 Bristol 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 05443’s, shared with Lincoln.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bristol.
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.