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Johnson State College Library and Learning CenterPhoto: GearedBull · CC BY-SA 3.0
A−Health Grade
Health in Johnson · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Johnson is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns

Johnson differs from Vermont on 18 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 10 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Johnson. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Johnson

Johnson is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Johnson is healthier than 84%. Against the 5,253 towns with similar household incomes ($36K–$61K), it’s healthier than 100%. Health Grade ↓

Binge drinking is the habit Johnson doesn’t win on

21.7% of adults binge drink, vs 16.6% across Vermont. Smoking and exercise are about at the state’s level. Habits ↓

Mental distress runs high in Johnson

1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (20.7%), vs 15.9% across Vermont. Depression is above the state too: 32%, vs 26.5% across Vermont. Mind & connection ↓

Cancer and heart disease are less common in Johnson

Johnson runs below Vermont on eight chronic conditions, most of all cancer (5.3% vs 9.9%), heart disease (3.7% vs 6.3%) and stroke (2% vs 3.3%). A young population is part of it: only 6% of residents are 65 or older (Vermont 21%). Conditions ↓

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 Johnson’s likely range.

Health Grade

What’s behind Johnson’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Johnson is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (better than 6%).

ASelf-rated health13.3% · VT 14.5% · U.S. 19.4%
APhysical distress10.9% · VT 12.5% · U.S. 13%
DMental distress20.7% · VT 15.9% · U.S. 15.9%
AObesity26.5% · VT 28.6% · U.S. 32.9%
A+Diabetes5.4% · VT 8.8% · U.S. 12%
A−Smoking10.8% smoke · VT 11.2% · U.S. 11.8%
AExercise17.4% · VT 18.9% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 84%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $36K–$61K (5,253)Healthier than 100%

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). Johnson’s median household income is $48,633; among the 5,253 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($36K–$61K), it’s healthier than 100%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Johnson could be anywhere from B+ to A.

How TownRatings grades health →

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Vermont

Share of adults, with the Vermont figure marked.

Get no exercise 17.4%VT 18.9%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.2%VT 28.6%
Binge drink 21.7%VT 16.6%
Smoke cigarettes 10.8%VT 11.2%
0%10%20%30%40%
Johnson, betterJohnson, worseAbout the sameVermont
Where Johnson gets moving

1.2 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Johnson adults are doing

On 2 of 3 measures, Johnson runs above Vermont.

1 in 4Johnson adults lack social or emotional support
23.2% · VT 22% · About the same as VT
1 in 3Johnson adults have been diagnosed with depression
32% · VT 26.5% · Worse than VT
1 in 5Johnson adults are in frequent mental distress
20.7% · VT 15.9% · Worse than VT
The one neighbors can help with

A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Johnson adults…

Johnson runs below VT on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.

5 of every 100 Johnson adults have had cancer
Vermont: 10 in 100 · better · likely 4.8–5.9%
Better than VTWorseAbout the sameVermont
Why age matters in Johnson

Only 6% of Johnson residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Vermont. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.

Residents 65 and older

Johnson6%
Vermont21%
Getting care

Care in and near Johnson

No hospital or community health center in Johnson itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERCopley HospitalMorrisville · 7.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCopley Hospital★★★★★ · 7.2 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLamoille Health PartnersMorrisville · 6.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.1 mi
Lamoille Health Partners
4 sites · nearest in Morrisville
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.2 mi
Copley Hospital
Morrisville · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
16.3 mi
The Richford Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Fairfax
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
22.6 mi
Northwestern Medical Center
Saint Albans · ★★★★★
ER
27.5 mi
University. of Vermont - Fletcher Allen Health Care
Burlington · ★★★★★
ER
32.1 mi
North Country Hospital and Health Center
Newport · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careJohnson is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careJohnson is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthJohnson is not a shortage area

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 Johnson; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Johnson adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Vermont.

67%Yearly checkupVT 76%
65%Dentist visitVT 69%
76%Cholesterol checkVT 86%
67%Colon screeningVT 69%
78%MammogramVT 76%
66%Taking BP medsVT 77%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Johnson 6.4% · Vermont 1 in 17 (6%)
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 10
Johnson adults worry about having enough food
10.1% · VT 9.2%
About the same as VT
1 in 10
Johnson adults worry about keeping their housing
9.9% · VT 8.6%
Worse than VT
1 in 15
Johnson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.5% · VT 5.7%
About the same as VT
1 in 12
Johnson adults lack reliable transportation
8.3% · VT 6.4%
Worse than VT

11.3% of Johnson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.3% across Vermont.

Around town

Johnson and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
JohnsonA−26.5%5.4%10.8%CDC place

Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

27.8%

of Johnson adults live with a disability (Vermont 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs7.5%
Thinking or memory16.8%
Hearing5.1%
Errands alone7.6%
Vision3.6%
Dressing or bathing2.4%
Vermont

Every CDC estimate for Johnson

Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Johnson is better than Vermont on 8 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Vermont figure falls inside Johnson’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…JohnsonVTU.S.vs VT
Overall health
Fair or poor health13.3%10.7–16.214.5%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)10.9%9.2–12.712.5%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)20.7%17.1–23.815.9%15.9%Worse
Conditions
Obesity26.5%21.6–31.628.6%32.9%About the same
Diabetes5.4%4.5–6.38.8%12%Better
High blood pressure20.1%17.6–22.831.4%34.4%Better
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)21.7%19.1–24.432.1%37.1%Better
Arthritis18.6%16.5–20.727.8%25.3%Better
Asthma12.3%10.7–13.911.1%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer5.3%4.8–5.99.9%7.9%Better
Coronary heart disease3.7%3.3–4.36.3%6.4%Better
COPD4.6%3.8–5.56.5%6.3%Better
Stroke2%1.8–2.33.3%3.4%Better
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)13%10.2–16.210.1%12.3%Worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes10.8%8.4–13.411.2%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work17.4%13.7–21.418.9%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking21.7%18.3–25.216.6%15.4%Worse
Sleep under 7 hours31.2%26.2–36.428.6%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.4%4.6–8.86%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year66.9%62.3–7176.1%77.4%Worse
Dentist visit in the past year64.5%60.6–68.169.2%63.2%Worse
Cholesterol check in 5 years76.3%71.6–80.285.9%87.1%Worse
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)65.8%62.4–68.776.7%76.5%Worse
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)66.5%61.6–71.469.2%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)77.9%71–83.776.1%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression32%27.8–36.126.5%20.6%Worse
Lack social and emotional support23.2%20.3–26.422%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food10.1%8.9–11.39.2%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing9.9%8.7–11.28.6%12%Worse
Threatened with a utility shut-off6.5%5.7–7.45.7%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation8.3%7.5–9.16.4%7.9%Worse
Received SNAP (food stamps)11.3%10–12.811.3%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability27.8%22.7–32.926.4%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs7.5%6.2–8.911%13.6%Lower
Difficulty concentrating or remembering16.8%13.1–20.412.5%13.9%Higher
Hearing difficulty5.1%4.4–5.87.7%6.7%Lower
Vision difficulty3.6%3–4.24%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone7.6%5.9–9.36.8%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing2.4%2–2.83.1%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 Vermont figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Johnson

Is Johnson a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Johnson is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 100%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Johnson?

CDC estimates 26.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.6% and 31.6%, against 28.6% across Vermont and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Johnson?

Copley Hospital in Morrisville, 7.2 miles in a straight line from Johnson’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

How many people in Johnson have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.6–8.8%), 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 Johnson 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 Johnson.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.