Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Amherst Town is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns
Amherst Town differs from Massachusetts on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Amherst Town. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Amherst Town
Loneliness runs high in Amherst Town
43.5% of adults feel lonely, vs 34.2% across Massachusetts. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 20.6%, vs 16.2% across Massachusetts. Mind & connection ↓
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Amherst Town is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns, but only 57% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cancer and diabetes are less common in Amherst Town
Amherst Town runs below Massachusetts on nine chronic conditions, most of all cancer (4.4% vs 8.5%), diabetes (5.2% vs 9.8%) and arthritis (13.5% vs 25.4%). A young population is part of it: only 10% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%). Conditions ↓
Amherst Town is an active town
Only 15.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 21.7% across Massachusetts. The town has 111 miles of trails across 79 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
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 Massachusetts figure falls outside Amherst Town’s likely range.
What’s behind Amherst Town’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Amherst Town is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns, #120 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (better than 6%).
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). Amherst Town’s median household income is $66,968; among the 10,193 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$84K), it’s healthier than 99%, about where its income would put it.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Amherst Town is healthier than 57% of graded towns, against 89% nationally.
How Amherst Town adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Amherst Town runs above Massachusetts.
4 in 10 Amherst Town adults feel lonely. 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.
Out of every 100 Amherst Town adults…
Amherst Town runs below MA on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 10% of Amherst Town residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
111 miles of trails across 79 parks and preserves
Care in and near Amherst Town
1 community health center in Amherst Town, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Amherst Town; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Amherst Town adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
12.3% of Amherst Town adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Amherst Town and the towns around it
Amherst Town’s Health Grade ranks 6th of 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town | A | 18.5% | 5.2% | 7.4% | CDC place |
| Granby | A | 23.8% | 9.2% | 11.5% | ZIP 01033 |
| Hadley | A+ | 20.8% | 8.3% | 7.8% | ZIP 01035 |
| South Hadley | A | 21.7% | 8.1% | 9.3% | ZIP 01075 |
| Pelham | A | 21.6% | 8% | 9.3% | ZIP codes |
| Belchertown | A | 24.2% | 9.1% | 10.9% | ZIP 01007 |
| Shutesbury | A | 24.3% | 9.3% | 9.8% | ZIP codes |
| Leverett | A | 23.6% | 9.8% | 9.1% | ZIP 01054 |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Amherst Town adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Amherst Town
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Amherst Town is better than Massachusetts on 14 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Amherst Town’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Amherst Town | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 12.4%10.9–14.1 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.4%8.4–10.6 | 12.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.6%18.5–22.8 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 18.5%14.9–22.5 | 27.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 5.2%4.6–6 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 17.6%15.6–19.8 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 21.6%19.2–24.2 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 13.5%12.1–15.1 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 12%10.7–13.4 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.4%4–4.8 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.2%2.9–3.6 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.6%3.2–4.1 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.7%1.6–1.8 | 3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.3%9.3–13.6 | 11.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.4%6.4–8.6 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 15.7%13.2–18.4 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.8%15.9–22 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.4%27.7–37.7 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.4%3.8–5.1 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.3%72.7–79.6 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.2%67.1–73.4 | 69.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 80.6%78.2–82.6 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 63.1%60.9–65 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.7%66.6–74.9 | 68.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82%76.2–87.2 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.3%24.9–32 | 23.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 43.5%38.9–48.1 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26%22.7–29.4 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.5%10.7–14.4 | 12.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10%8.6–11.5 | 11.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.5–7.3 | 7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.9%8.7–11 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.3%10.6–14.1 | 14.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25%21.9–28.4 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 6.5%5.7–7.4 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.1%15.4–19 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 4%3.5–4.4 | 6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.5%3.2–3.8 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.6%6.8–8.4 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2%1.9–2.2 | 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 Massachusetts figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Amherst Town
Is Amherst Town a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Amherst Town is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns: A for health, #120 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 99%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Amherst Town?
CDC estimates 18.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 14.9% and 22.5%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Amherst Town?
The Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc in Northampton, 8.9 miles in a straight line from Amherst Town’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Amherst Town have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.8–5.1%), against 5.2% across Massachusetts.
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 Amherst Town 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 Amherst Town.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Massachusetts 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.