Photo: Rhcowles · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Blandford is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns
Blandford differs from Massachusetts on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 6 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 01008. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Blandford
Cancer, arthritis and COPD run high in Blandford
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (11%), vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (32.4%), vs 25.4% across Massachusetts. COPD is also above the state: 7.4%, vs 5.9% across Massachusetts. In all, Blandford runs above Massachusetts on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and cancer, arthritis and COPD are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Blandford, and more people treating it
35.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Massachusetts 30.9%), but 78.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Fewer Blandford adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing and getting around all run below Massachusetts. 1 in 10 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Blandford’s likely range; Blandford’s figures come from ZIP code 01008, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
What’s behind Blandford’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blandford is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 78% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 46%).
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). Blandford’s median household income is $91,902; among the 9,736 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($69K–$115K), it’s healthier than 59%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Blandford adults…
Blandford runs below MA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.
Blandford is an older town: 31% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Blandford as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Blandford 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.
12.7% of Blandford adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Care in and near Blandford
No hospital or community health center in Blandford 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 Blandford; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
45 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
How Blandford adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Blandford runs above Massachusetts.
1 in 3 Blandford 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.
Blandford and the towns around it
Blandford’s Health Grade ranks 5th of 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blandford | B+ | 31.6% | 10.7% | 13.4% | ZIP 01008 |
| Huntington | B+ | 26.7% | 10.8% | 14.1% | ZIP 01050 |
| Chester | B+ | 29.9% | 10.5% | 14% | ZIP codes |
| Russell | B+ | 31.3% | 9.1% | 12.8% | ZIP codes |
| Huntington | — | — | — | — | |
| Granville | B+ | 31.4% | 10.3% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
| Tolland | — | — | — | — |
Huntington and Tolland: 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 Blandford adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Blandford
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Blandford is better than Massachusetts on 6 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Blandford’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Blandford | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.5%15–20.2 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.4%12.6–16.3 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.1%15.2–19.1 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.6%27.2–36.3 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.7%9.2–12.3 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.6%32.3–38.8 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.7%34.4–40.9 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.4%29.4–35.4 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.4%11.1–13.7 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11%10–12.1 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.3–8.2 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.4%6.2–8.6 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.4%3–3.9 | 3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.2%5.9–8.8 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.4%11–15.9 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.6%19.9–27.3 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.1%14.8–19.7 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.1%31.1–39.4 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.9%3.1–4.9 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82%79.4–84.4 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.3%68.5–74 | 69.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.7%89.3–92 | 89.7% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.8%75.9–81.2 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.1%67.4–74.5 | 68.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.7%76.7–86 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27%24–30.1 | 23.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 34%30.3–38.1 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.6%22.3–29.2 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.1%8.2–12.3 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.1%7.7–10.9 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.1%5.1–7.1 | 7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.3%5.4–7.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.7%10.3–15.5 | 14.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.3%27.5–35.1 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14%11.9–16.2 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14%12.2–15.9 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.5–8.4 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.3–4.4 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.5%6.5–8.6 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.8–3.7 | 3.1% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Blandford
Is Blandford a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Blandford is healthier than 66% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 59%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Blandford?
CDC estimates 31.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 27.2% and 36.3%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Blandford?
Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, 9.2 miles in a straight line from Blandford’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Blandford have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–4.9%), 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 Blandford more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Blandford.
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.