Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Franklin is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns
Franklin trails Vermont on 11 of 31 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 05457, 05450. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Franklin
Obesity and COPD run high in Franklin
2 in 5 adults have obesity (37.6%), vs 28.6% across Vermont. 1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.9%), vs 6.5% across Vermont. Conditions ↓
More Franklin adults get no exercise
1 in 4 adults get no exercise outside work (22.8%), vs 18.9% across Vermont. Habits ↓
Smoking is more common in Franklin
1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (14.3%), vs 11.2% across Vermont. 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 Vermont figure falls outside Franklin’s likely range; Franklin’s figures come from ZIP codes 05457, 05450, 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 Franklin’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Franklin is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 79% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 39%).
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). Franklin’s median household income is $79,917; among the 10,757 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($60K–$100K), it’s healthier than 63%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Franklin adults…
Franklin runs above VT on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Vermont
Share of adults, with the Vermont figure marked.
4.7 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Franklin
No hospital or community health center in Franklin 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 Franklin; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Franklin adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Vermont.
How Franklin 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.
13.6% of Franklin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.3% across Vermont.
Franklin and the towns around it
Franklin has the best Health Grade of the 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Franklin adults live with a disability (Vermont 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Franklin
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Franklin is better than Vermont on 0 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Vermont figure falls inside Franklin’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Franklin | VT | U.S. | vs VT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17%14.5–19.7 | 14.5% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.3%12.5–16.2 | 12.5% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.6%15.6–19.7 | 15.9% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.6%32.7–42.5 | 28.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 10.1%8.7–11.6 | 8.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.2%31.9–38.3 | 31.4% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.7%30.5–36.7 | 32.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.1%27.2–32.9 | 27.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.3–12.9 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.6%8.7–10.5 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.1%6.3–8 | 6.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.9%6.6–9.1 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.3–4.1 | 3.3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14%11.6–16.9 | 10.1% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.3%11.8–16.8 | 11.2% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 22.8%19.2–26.6 | 18.9% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.8%14.3–19.4 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.1%29–37.2 | 28.6% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%5.8–9.1 | 6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76%72.8–78.9 | 76.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.4%64.3–70.3 | 69.2% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.1%83–87.1 | 85.9% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76%72.9–78.7 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.1%67.4–74.6 | 69.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.3%66–78 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.7%22.5–28.7 | 26.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.4%20.5–26.3 | 22% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.2%9.9–12.6 | 9.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.1%8.8–11.3 | 8.6% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.8%5.9–7.7 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.4%6.6–8.2 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.6%12–15.2 | 11.3% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29%25.4–32.9 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.1%11.2–15.2 | 11% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.4%12.6–16.5 | 12.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%7–8.9 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4–5.2 | 4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8%6.8–9.1 | 6.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.7%3.2–4.2 | 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 Franklin
Is Franklin a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Franklin is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 63%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Franklin?
CDC estimates 37.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.7% and 42.5%, against 28.6% across Vermont and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Franklin?
Northwestern Medical Center in Saint Albans, 14.4 miles in a straight line from Franklin’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Franklin have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–9.1%), 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 Franklin 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 Franklin.
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.