Health · Nelson

Nelson, NY health

Nelson differs from New York on 14 of 40 measures. It has fewer uninsured adults (4.3% vs 7.9%) and fewer adults facing food insecurity (9.5% vs 17.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.3% vs 7.7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP codes 13061, 13035, 13408, 13334
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Nelson’s Health Grade: A−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Nelson is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns and 74% of New York towns.

ASelf-rated healthA-Physical distressA-Mental distressBObesityA-DiabetesA-SmokingA-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 82%
Less healthyHealthier
New York towns we grade (1,227)Healthier than 74%
Towns with similar incomes, $62K–$103K (9,713)Healthier than 90%

About what its income would suggest. Nelson does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Nelson 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 New York 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 Nelson 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. Nelson’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 Nelson 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 Nelson adults…

34 of every 100 Nelson adults have high blood pressure
New York: 33 in 100 · too close to call · margin 30.1–37.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Nelson, betterNelson, worseToo close to callNew York
Get no exerciseshare of adults 20.2% Nelson
NY 25.9%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 36% Nelson
NY 37.9%
Binge drinkshare of adults 17.1% Nelson
NY 16.3%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 11% Nelson
NY 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%
Yearly checkup
NY 81%
68%
Dentist visit
NY 64%
91%
Cholesterol check
NY 89%
72%
Colon screening
NY 67%
79%
Mammogram
NY 79%
79%
Taking BP meds
NY 77%
1 in 23
working-age adults has no health insurance
Nelson 4.3% · New York 1 in 13 (7.9%)
Mind & connection

How Nelson adults are doing

1 in 3Nelson adults feel lonely
30.5% · New York 34.2% · too close to call
1 in 5Nelson adults have been diagnosed with depression
20.3% · New York 17.5% · too close to call
1 in 5Nelson adults lack social or emotional support
21.3% · New York 26.4% · better
1 in 7Nelson adults are in frequent mental distress
15% · 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 11
Nelson adults worry about having enough food
9.5% · NY 17.2% · better
1 in 11
Nelson adults worry about keeping their housing
8.8% · NY 14.5% · better
1 in 19
Nelson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.4% · NY 8.2% · better
1 in 17
Nelson adults lack reliable transportation
5.9% · NY 8.6% · better

8.2% of Nelson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across New York.

Disability

Living with a disability

25.7%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.8%
Thinking or memory11.2%
Hearing6.3%
Errands alone6.8%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.1%

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

Around Nelson

Nelson 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 Nelson.

Cazenovia: 34.3% Georgetown: 39.1% Eaton: 36.6% Fenner: 35.1% DeRuyter: 37.5% Pompey: 32.9% Manlius: 33.9% Sullivan: 36.8% Lebanon: 35.9% Otselic: 38.3% Madison: 35.6% Stockbridge: 38.2% Lincoln: 37.8% Smithfield: 35.6% Nelson: 35.6% Nelson Cazenovia Georgetown Eaton Fenner Community Memorial Hospital · Hamilton · 11.4 mi · 4★ MedicareH Oneida Health Hospital · Oneida · 14.1 mi · 2★ MedicareH Liberty Resources New York · East Syracuse · 19.4 mi+
32.9%39.1%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#5 of 15towns on this map, healthiest first
Cazenovia34.3%
Fenner35.1%
Nelson35.6%
Eaton36.6%
Georgetown39.1%
6 places to get careNearest ER 11.4 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 Nelson

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

HNearest ERCommunity Memorial HospitalHamilton · 11.4 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySyracuse VA Medical Center★★★★★ · 22.5 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLiberty ResourcesEast Syracuse · 19.4 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11.4 mi
Community Memorial Hospital
Hamilton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
14.1 mi
Oneida Health Hospital
Oneida · ★★★★★
ER
19.4 mi
Liberty Resources
2 sites · nearest in East Syracuse
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
21.8 mi
Syracuse Community Health Center
5 sites · nearest in Syracuse
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
22.5 mi
Syracuse VA Medical Center
Syracuse · ★★★★★
ERVA
22.6 mi
Crouse Hospital
Syracuse · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careNelson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Madison County · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careNelson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Madison County · need score 16 of 25
! Mental healthNelson's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.ME - Madison County · need score 17 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 Nelson. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Nelson
MeasureNelsonMarginNew York
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure33.8%30.1–37.9%32.6%about the same
High cholesterol38.9%35–43.3%37.7%about the same
Obesity35.6%29.1–42.9%28.8%worse
Arthritis28.8%25.7–32.3%24%worse
Depression20.3%17.3–23.6%17.5%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)8.3%6.7–10.1%12.8%better
Asthma10.8%9.5–12.1%10.3%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.3%9.4–11.4%7.7%worse
Diabetes10%8.5–11.6%11.5%about the same
COPD6.5%5.5–7.6%6%about the same
Heart disease6.4%5.7–7.4%6.1%about the same
Stroke3.2%2.8–3.7%3.4%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes11%8.9–13.4%11.3%about the same
Binge drink17.1%14.3–20.3%16.3%about the same
Get no exercise20.2%16.6–24.4%25.9%better
Sleep under 7 hours36%30–42.5%37.9%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup82.2%79.2–85%80.8%about the same
Dentist visit68.2%64.8–71.4%63.5%better
Cholesterol check90.5%89–91.9%89.2%about the same
Colon screening72%67.4–76.2%66.8%better
Mammogram78.6%71.6–84.6%78.9%about the same
Taking BP meds78.8%75.9–81.5%77.2%about the same
No health insurance4.3%3.4–5.4%7.9%better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely30.5%25.6–35.6%34.2%about the same
Lack emotional support21.3%17.9–25.1%26.4%better
Frequent mental distress15%13.1–17%15%about the same
Fair or poor health14.5%12.2–17%18.1%better
Frequent physical distress12.4%10.7–14.3%12.8%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity9.5%7.6–11.9%17.2%better
Housing insecurity8.8%7.2–10.6%14.5%better
Utility shut-off threat5.4%4.5–6.5%8.2%better
No reliable transportation5.9%5–7%8.6%better
Receive SNAP8.2%6.5–10.2%14.1%
Disability
Any disability25.7%21.9–29.8%27.2%
Walking or climbing stairs11.8%10–13.9%13.4%
Thinking or memory11.2%9.6–12.9%12.1%
Hearing6.3%5.5–7.2%5.6%
Vision3.8%3.3–4.3%5.2%
Dressing or bathing3.1%2.7–3.6%3.8%
Errands alone6.8%5.8–7.7%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 Nelson 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 Nelson better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Nelson by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Nelson by how much of its land each one covers.

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.

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