Health · Preston

Preston, CT health

Preston differs from Connecticut on 10 of 40 measures. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (5.6% vs 9.8%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (8.8% vs 14.9%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.2% vs 8.5%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 06365 (all of Preston)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Preston’s Health Grade: A−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Preston is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns.

A-Self-rated healthB+Physical distressA-Mental distressA-ObesityADiabetesASmokingB+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 83%
Less healthyHealthier
Connecticut towns we grade (173)Healthier than 36%
Towns with similar incomes, $87K–$146K (5,890)Healthier than 66%

Wealth explains part of the grade. Preston is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns overall, but against towns with similar incomes its edge is smaller.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Preston could be anywhere from B to A+.
How the Health Grade works
  • Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as our Healthiest towns in Connecticut ranking.
  • Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
  • Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Preston with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
  • Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. Preston’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Report card

How Preston compares with Connecticut

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Preston adults…

35 of every 100 Preston adults have high blood pressure
Connecticut: 32 in 100 · worse · margin 32.2–38.8%

Bars show Preston; the black tick is Connecticut. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Preston, betterPreston, worseToo close to callConnecticut
Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.7% Preston
CT 25.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 35.7% Preston
CT 35.8%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.5% Preston
CT 15.4%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 9.7% Preston
CT 10.6%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%
Yearly checkup
CT 80%
75%
Dentist visit
CT 71%
91%
Cholesterol check
CT 90%
74%
Colon screening
CT 72%
81%
Mammogram
CT 80%
78%
Taking BP meds
CT 77%
1 in 17
working-age adults has no health insurance
Preston 6% · Connecticut 1 in 10 (10%)
Mind & connection

How Preston adults are doing

1 in 3Preston adults feel lonely
30.8% · Connecticut 33.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Preston adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.3% · Connecticut 20.6% · too close to call
1 in 4Preston adults lack social or emotional support
22.5% · Connecticut 25.1% · too close to call
1 in 6Preston adults are in frequent mental distress
15.5% · Connecticut 15.8% · too close to call
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 11
Preston adults worry about having enough food
8.8% · CT 14.9% · better
1 in 13
Preston adults worry about keeping their housing
8% · CT 12.5% · better
1 in 19
Preston adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.4% · CT 8.4% · better
1 in 17
Preston adults lack reliable transportation
5.8% · CT 8.3% · better

6.6% of Preston adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.7% across Connecticut.

Disability

Living with a disability

27.1%

of Preston adults live with a disability (Connecticut 25.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs11.5%
Thinking or memory12.2%
Hearing6.7%
Errands alone6.4%
Vision3.7%
Dressing or bathing3%

Black tick: Connecticut. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Preston

Preston and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Preston.

Lisbon: 33.1% Ledyard: 31% Norwich: 35.2% Montville: 31.9% Griswold: 33.1% North Stonington: 31.1% Sprague: 33.3% Jewett City: 34.4% Stonington: 29.5% Groton: 30.6% Waterford: 30.3% Bozrah: 32.1% Franklin: 31.7% Salem: 29.7% Voluntown: 33.2% Plainfield: 34.7% Westerly: 28.1% Hopkinton: 29.3% Preston: 30.8% Preston Lisbon Ledyard Norwich Montville Griswold North Stonington William W Backus Hospital · Norwich · 4.7 mi · 4★ MedicareH Lawrence & Memorial Hospital · New London · 13.5 mi · 3★ MedicareH Westerly Hospital · Westerly · 14.3 mi · 4★ MedicareH Windham Community Memorial Hospital · Willimantic · 17.7 mi · 3★ MedicareH Ucfs Eldercare Health Center · Norwich · 3.9 mi+ Generations Fhc - Norwich · Norwich · 4.6 mi+
28.1%35.2%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#7 of 19towns on this map, healthiest first
Preston30.8%
Ledyard31%
North Stonington31.1%
Montville31.9%
Lisbon33.1%
Griswold33.1%
Norwich35.2%
6 places to get careNearest ER 4.7 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Preston

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

HNearest ERWilliam W Backus HospitalNorwich · 4.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyWesterly Hospital★★★★★ · 14.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careUnited Community and Family ServicesNorwich · 3.9 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
3.9 mi
United Community and Family Services
5 sites · nearest in Norwich
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
4.6 mi
Generations Fhc - Norwich
Norwich · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
4.7 mi
William W Backus Hospital
Norwich · ★★★★★
ER
13.5 mi
Lawrence & Memorial Hospital
New London · ★★★★★
ER
14.3 mi
Westerly Hospital
Westerly · ★★★★★
ER
17.7 mi
Windham Community Memorial Hospital
Willimantic · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary carePreston is not a shortage area
✓ Dental carePreston is not a shortage area
! Mental healthPreston is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, MHCA Region 3 · need score 15 of 25

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 Preston. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Preston
MeasurePrestonMarginConnecticut
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure35.3%32.2–38.8%32%worse
High cholesterol37.8%34.6–41.4%38.4%about the same
Obesity30.8%26.3–36.1%30.5%about the same
Arthritis29%26.2–32.2%24.7%worse
Depression23.3%20.5–26.6%20.6%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)5.6%4.5–6.9%9.8%better
Asthma11.7%10.4–13.2%11%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.2%9.2–11.4%8.5%worse
Diabetes9.4%8–10.8%10.2%about the same
COPD6.2%5–7.3%5.6%about the same
Heart disease6.4%5.6–7.4%5.8%about the same
Stroke3.2%2.8–3.7%3.2%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes9.7%7.8–12%10.6%about the same
Binge drink15.5%13.3–18.2%15.4%about the same
Get no exercise22.7%19.1–26.8%25.1%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours35.7%31.4–40.4%35.8%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup82.1%79.5–84.8%80.4%about the same
Dentist visit74.6%71.8–77.3%70.7%better
Cholesterol check91.1%89.5–92.5%89.5%about the same
Colon screening74.4%70.8–77.8%72.3%about the same
Mammogram81.3%76.2–86%79.5%about the same
Taking BP meds78%75–80.7%76.5%about the same
No health insurance6%4.7–7.6%10%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.8%26.9–34.9%33.2%about the same
Lack emotional support22.5%19.2–25.9%25.1%about the same
Frequent mental distress15.5%13.5–17.6%15.8%about the same
Fair or poor health15%12.7–17.7%16.2%about the same
Frequent physical distress13%11.2–14.9%12.4%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity8.8%6.9–11%14.9%better
Housing insecurity8%6.5–9.7%12.5%better
Utility shut-off threat5.4%4.5–6.5%8.4%better
No reliable transportation5.8%4.8–6.8%8.3%better
Receive SNAP6.6%5–8.4%11.7%
Disability
Any disability27.1%23.5–31%25.3%
Walking or climbing stairs11.5%9.5–13.5%11.3%
Thinking or memory12.2%10.4–14.2%12.3%
Hearing6.7%5.8–7.7%5.9%
Vision3.7%3.2–4.2%4.8%
Dressing or bathing3%2.5–3.5%3.5%
Errands alone6.4%5.4–7.4%7%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Preston door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Connecticut figure falls inside it, we don't call Preston better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Preston by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Preston by how much of its land each one covers.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Connecticut figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01