Health · Dexter

Dexter, NY health

Dexter differs from New York on 11 of 40 measures. It has fewer uninsured adults (5.4% vs 7.9%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (12.7% vs 17.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults with obesity (38.7% vs 28.8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Dexter

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 754 people are less certain, so we show Dexter's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Dexter compares with New York

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 Dexter adults…

33 of every 100 Dexter adults have high blood pressure

New York: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 29.8–36.7%

Bars show Dexter; the black tick is New York. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dexter, betterDexter, worseToo close to callNew York

Get no exerciseshare of adults 25.3% Dexter
NY 25.9%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 41.2% Dexter
NY 37.9%

Binge drinkshare of adults 18.6% Dexter
NY 16.3%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.7% Dexter
NY 11.3%

0%10%20%30%40%50%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Dexter adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New York.

Yearly checkup

NY 81%

Dentist visit

NY 64%

Cholesterol check

NY 89%

Colon screening

NY 67%

Mammogram

NY 79%

Taking BP meds

NY 77%

1 in 19

working-age adults has no health insurance

Dexter 5.4% · New York 1 in 13 (7.9%)

Mind & connection

How Dexter adults are doing

1 in 3Dexter adults feel lonely

30.4% · New York 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 5Dexter adults have been diagnosed with depression

21.7% · New York 17.5% · worse

1 in 5Dexter adults lack social or emotional support

21.9% · New York 26.4% · better

1 in 6Dexter adults are in frequent mental distress

17.1% · New York 15% · 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 8

Dexter adults worry about having enough food

12.7% · NY 17.2% · better

1 in 9

Dexter adults worry about keeping their housing

11.4% · NY 14.5% · better

1 in 14

Dexter adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7.1% · NY 8.2% · about the same

1 in 14

Dexter adults lack reliable transportation

7.2% · NY 8.6% · about the same

12.8% of Dexter adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.

Disability

Living with a disability

28.1%

of Dexter adults live with a disability (New York 27.2%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13.4%

Thinking or memory13%

Hearing6%

Errands alone8.1%

Vision4.5%

Dressing or bathing3.7%

Black tick: New York. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Dexter

Dexter 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 Dexter.

36.7%39.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#10 of 12towns on this map, healthiest first

Hounsfield37.8%

Brownville38.5%

Dexter38.7%

Care nearby

Samaritan Medical CenterWatertown · 7.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Carthage Area HospitalCarthage · 22.3 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

River Hospital ClinicsAlexandria Bay · 23.3 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Lewis County General HospitalLowville · 30.9 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Jcc Health & Wellness CenterWatertown · 5.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Northern Oswego County Health ServicesPulaski · 30.8 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

! Primary careDexter's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Jefferson County · need score 15 of 25

! Dental careDexter's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Jefferson County · need score 13 of 25

! Mental healthDexter's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Jefferson County · need score 17 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Dexter. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Dexter

Measure	Dexter	Margin	New York
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	33.1%	29.8–36.7%	32.6%	about the same
High cholesterol	35.2%	31.8–38.7%	37.7%	about the same
Obesity	38.7%	33.6–44.3%	28.8%	worse
Arthritis	29.8%	26.9–32.9%	24%	worse
Depression	21.7%	18.7–24.7%	17.5%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	13.5%	11.1–16.2%	12.8%	about the same
Asthma	12%	10.7–13.5%	10.3%	worse
Cancer (not skin)	9.2%	8.3–10.3%	7.7%	worse
Diabetes	10.9%	9.4–12.5%	11.5%	about the same
COPD	7.7%	6.3–9%	6%	worse
Heart disease	6.2%	5.4–7.1%	6.1%	about the same
Stroke	3.3%	2.9–3.8%	3.4%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	14.7%	11.8–18%	11.3%	worse
Binge drink	18.6%	15.9–21.6%	16.3%	about the same
Get no exercise	25.3%	21.1–30%	25.9%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	41.2%	36.7–45.9%	37.9%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.6%	78.7–84.3%	80.8%	about the same
Dentist visit	62.4%	59.2–65.5%	63.5%	about the same
Cholesterol check	89.1%	87.1–90.9%	89.2%	about the same
Colon screening	69.8%	65.8–73.7%	66.8%	about the same
Mammogram	76.3%	70.1–82%	78.9%	about the same
Taking BP meds	76.9%	74–79.8%	77.2%	about the same
No health insurance	5.4%	4.1–7%	7.9%	better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	30.4%	26–35.1%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	21.9%	18.3–25.7%	26.4%	better
Frequent mental distress	17.1%	14.9–19.4%	15%	about the same
Fair or poor health	16.9%	14.1–20.2%	18.1%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	13.8%	11.9–15.9%	12.8%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	12.7%	9.7–16%	17.2%	better
Housing insecurity	11.4%	9.2–14%	14.5%	better
Utility shut-off threat	7.1%	5.9–8.7%	8.2%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.2%	6–8.7%	8.6%	about the same
Receive SNAP	12.8%	9.7–16.2%	14.1%
Disability
Any disability	28.1%	24.3–32.6%	27.2%
Walking or climbing stairs	13.4%	11.2–15.7%	13.4%
Thinking or memory	13%	11–15.2%	12.1%
Hearing	6%	5.3–6.9%	5.6%
Vision	4.5%	3.8–5.2%	5.2%
Dressing or bathing	3.7%	3.1–4.4%	3.8%
Errands alone	8.1%	6.8–9.6%	7.7%

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 Dexter door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the New York figure falls inside it, we don't call Dexter better or worse.

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Dexter directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New York 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.