Photo: Ian Howard · CC BY 2.5Within Massachusetts, Boston is healthier than 34% of graded towns
Boston differs from Massachusetts on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 9 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Boston. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Boston
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Boston is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns, but only 34% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Boston
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (18.4%), vs 12.4% across Massachusetts. No reliable transportation (11.4% vs 7.6%) and utility shut-off threats (10.5% vs 7%) are higher too. 20.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.1% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Loneliness runs high in Boston
2 in 5 adults feel lonely (39.3%), vs 34.2% across Massachusetts. Frequent mental distress is above the state too: 18%, vs 16.2% across Massachusetts. Mind & connection ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Boston doesn’t win on
20.7% of adults binge drink, vs 17% across Massachusetts. Smoking and exercise are about at the state’s level. Habits ↓
Boston has 14 hospitals within its borders
14 hospitals and 16 community health centers are inside Boston. Massachusetts General Hospital is rated 5 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room, one of four five-star hospitals in town. Getting care ↓
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 Boston’s likely range.
What’s behind Boston’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Boston is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns, #185 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 97% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 33%).
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). Boston’s median household income is $97,344; among the 8,950 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$122K), it’s healthier than 77%, about where its income would put it.
At 672,973 residents, Boston is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Care in and near Boston
14 hospitals and 16 community health centers in Boston.
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 Boston; ≈ 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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
20.8% of Boston adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
How Boston adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Boston runs above Massachusetts.
2 in 5 Boston 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
90 miles of trails across 267 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Boston adults…
Boston runs below MA on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Boston residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Keeping up with care
Share of Boston adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Boston and the towns around it
Boston’s Health Grade ranks 8th of 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | A− | 23.4% | 8.6% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Milton | — | — | — | — | |
| Milton | A+ | 23.5% | 8.7% | 7.9% | ZIP 02186 |
| Brookline | — | — | — | — | |
| Brookline | A+ | 20% | 6.6% | 6.1% | ZIP codes |
| Cambridge | A+ | 21.9% | 5.9% | 7.1% | CDC place |
| Winthrop Town | A | 22.9% | 8.8% | 10.8% | CDC place |
| Dedham | — | — | — | — |
Milton, Brookline and Dedham: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Boston adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Boston
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Boston is better than Massachusetts on 9 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Boston’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Boston | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17%15.4–18.7 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.1%10–12.3 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18%16.4–19.8 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23.4%20.2–27 | 27.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.6%7.7–9.7 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 25.6%23.4–27.9 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 30.7%28.2–33.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 17.8%16.2–19.6 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.7%10.6–12.9 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.3%4.8–5.8 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.4%4–4.9 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.5–2.8 | 3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.2%12.2–16.6 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.7%9.5–12.1 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.2%20.7–25.8 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 20.7%18.4–23.3 | 17% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.3%30–36.9 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 5.2% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.9%75.4–80.4 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64%61.5–66.6 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.8%84.4–87.4 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.1%68.8–73.5 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.1%62.7–69.6 | 68.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.7%79.5–87.5 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24%21.6–26.6 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 39.3%35.7–43 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.1%22.3–28 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 18.4%16.6–20.3 | 12.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 15.8%14.1–17.6 | 11.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.5%9.3–11.8 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.4%10.3–12.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 20.8%18.9–22.8 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.8%23.4–28.5 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.4%9.3–11.5 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.3%14–16.8 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.5%4.1–5.1 | 6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5%4.7–5.4 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.2%7.5–9 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%3.1–3.6 | 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 Boston
Is Boston a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Boston is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #185 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 77%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Boston?
CDC estimates 23.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.2% and 27%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Boston?
Tufts Medical Center in Boston, 2.8 miles in a straight line from Boston’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Boston have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–7.2%), 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 Boston more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Boston.
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.