Photo: The original uploader was Mickmaguire at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.0On CDC estimates, Waitsfield is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns
Waitsfield differs from Vermont on 17 of 31 measures CDC estimates: 16 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 05673. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Waitsfield
Waitsfield is an older town
28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Vermont. Conditions like heart disease and arthritis become more common with age, so keep that in mind when comparing Waitsfield with the state. Conditions ↓
Fewer Waitsfield adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Vermont. 1 in 19 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 11 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Waitsfield is an active town
Only 14.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 18.9% across Vermont. The town has 20 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve. Habits ↓
Waitsfield adults report less mental distress
Frequent mental distress (13.5% vs 15.9%) and lack of emotional support (18.4% vs 22%) both run below Vermont. Mind & connection ↓
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 Waitsfield’s likely range; Waitsfield’s figures come from ZIP code 05673, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Waitsfield’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waitsfield is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 98% of towns); the weakest is smoking, still better than 92%.
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). Waitsfield’s median household income is $84,375; among the 10,442 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($63K–$105K), it’s healthier than 100%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Waitsfield adults…
Waitsfield runs below VT on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Waitsfield is an older town: 28% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Vermont. Cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Waitsfield as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.8% of Waitsfield adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.3% across Vermont.
Everyday habits, side by side with Vermont
Share of adults, with the Vermont figure marked.
20 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
How Waitsfield adults are doing
On 2 of 3 measures, Waitsfield does better than Vermont.
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.
Care in and near Waitsfield
No hospital or community health center in Waitsfield 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 Waitsfield; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Waitsfield adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Vermont.
Waitsfield and the towns around it
Waitsfield has the best Health Grade of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waitsfield | A+ | 25.6% | 8.2% | 8.9% | ZIP 05673 |
| Northfield | A− | 26.2% | 8% | 12.2% | ZIP 05663 |
| Fayston | A+ | 25.7% | 8.2% | 9.1% | ZIP codes |
| Moretown | A+ | 26% | 8.2% | 9.8% | ZIP codes |
| Warren | A− | 29.3% | 11.2% | 11.5% | ZIP 05674 |
| Waitsfield | — | — | — | — |
Waitsfield: 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 Waitsfield adults live with a disability (Vermont 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Waitsfield
Share of adults, 39 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 31 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Waitsfield is better than Vermont on 16 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Vermont figure falls inside Waitsfield’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Waitsfield | VT | U.S. | vs VT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 11.2%9.5–13.2 | 14.5% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.5%9.1–12 | 12.5% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.5%11.9–15.3 | 15.9% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.6%22–29.6 | 28.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.2%7.1–9.5 | 8.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 29.8%26.9–32.7 | 31.4% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.1%31.2–37.1 | 32.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.3%25.7–30.9 | 27.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.4%9.3–11.5 | 11.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.9%10–11.9 | 9.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5–6.4 | 6.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.2%4.4–6.1 | 6.5% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.6–3.2 | 3.3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.1%8.3–12.1 | 10.1% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.9%7.1–10.8 | 11.2% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 14.9%12.4–17.7 | 18.9% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%14–18.3 | 16.6% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 22.9%19.6–26.5 | 28.6% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4%3.2–5 | 6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.6%73.7–79.1 | 76.1% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 75.3%72.7–77.9 | 69.2% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.3%87.9–90.7 | 85.9% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.2%75.4–80.7 | 76.7% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.9%68.2–75.5 | 69.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.4%71.5–82.4 | 76.1% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.2%23.5–29.2 | 26.5% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.4%15.9–20.8 | 22% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.2%4.5–5.8 | 9.2% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.5%4.8–6.3 | 8.6% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.9%3.4–4.4 | 5.7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.2%3.8–4.7 | 6.4% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 11.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.6%19.6–25.7 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.8%7.5–10.4 | 11% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.6%8.2–11.1 | 12.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.2%6.3–8 | 7.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3%2.7–3.5 | 4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.2%4.5–6 | 6.8% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.2–2.9 | 3.1% | 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 Waitsfield
Is Waitsfield a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waitsfield is healthier than 98% 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 Waitsfield?
CDC estimates 25.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 22% and 29.6%, against 28.6% across Vermont and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Waitsfield?
Central Vermont Medical Center in Barre, 16.1 miles in a straight line from Waitsfield’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Waitsfield have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.2–5%), 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 Waitsfield more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Waitsfield.
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.