Stony Brook-Factory Village Historic District · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Within Massachusetts, Brewster is healthier than 50% of graded towns
Brewster differs from Massachusetts on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 02631, 02645. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Brewster
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Brewster
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (14.4%), vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. 37.3% of adults have arthritis, vs 25.4% across Massachusetts. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.3%, vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. In all, Brewster runs above Massachusetts on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 39% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Brewster is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, but only 50% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Brewster, and more people treating it
39.4% of adults have high blood pressure (Massachusetts 30.9%), but 84.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Brewster keeps up with checkups
It beats Massachusetts on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (86.3% vs 80.9%) and dentist visits (76.9% vs 69.8%). Checkups ↓
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 Brewster’s likely range; Brewster’s figures come from ZIP codes 02631, 02645, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Brewster’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brewster is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, #138 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 94% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 62%.
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). Brewster’s median household income is $103,317; among the 8,085 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$129K), it’s healthier than 85%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Brewster adults…
Brewster runs below MA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Brewster is an older town: 39% 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 Brewster as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Brewster adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Care in and near Brewster
No hospital or community health center in Brewster 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 Brewster; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
107 miles of trails across 68 parks and preserves
How Brewster adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Brewster does better than Massachusetts.
3 in 10 Brewster 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.8% of Brewster adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Brewster and the towns around it
Brewster’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewster | A | 25.9% | 10.9% | 9.8% | ZIP codes |
| Dennis | A− | 26.2% | 11.3% | 10.4% | ZIP codes |
| East Dennis | — | — | — | — | |
| Brewster | — | — | — | — | |
| Orleans | A | 25.1% | 11.4% | 8.7% | ZIP codes |
| Orleans | — | — | — | — | |
| Harwich | A | 25.7% | 10.4% | 10% | ZIP codes |
| East Harwich | — | — | — | — |
East Dennis, Brewster, Orleans and East Harwich: 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 Brewster adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Brewster
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Brewster is better than Massachusetts on 15 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Brewster’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Brewster | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.2%13–17.8 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.7–15.3 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13%11.4–14.7 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.9%21.1–31.3 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.9%9.4–12.6 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.4%35.7–43.3 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.2%37.4–45.2 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 37.3%33.9–40.7 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.1–12.8 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 14.4%13.1–15.8 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.3%7.4–9.4 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.4%6.2–8.7 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.9%3.5–4.4 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.7%6.1–9.6 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.8%8–11.9 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.7%15.3–22.5 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.2%11.1–15.7 | 17% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.8%24.1–33.9 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.2%2.6–4 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 86.3%83.8–88.4 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76.9%73.9–79.6 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.8%92.8–94.6 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 84.2%81.7–86.5 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 78.1%73.9–81.7 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.9%78.2–88.5 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%19.2–25.4 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.9%24.9–33.1 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.6%16.6–22.6 | 23.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.4%6–9.1 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.5%5.3–7.7 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.6%3.8–5.4 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.8%4.1–5.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.8%7–10.9 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.4%24.7–32.5 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.1%12–16.5 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.7%9.3–12.3 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.6%7.6–9.8 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.3–4.4 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.8%5.8–7.9 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.7–3.6 | 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 Brewster
Is Brewster a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Brewster is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns: A for health, #138 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 85%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Brewster?
CDC estimates 25.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 21.1% and 31.3%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Brewster?
Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, 12.5 miles in a straight line from Brewster’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Brewster have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.6–4%), 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 Brewster 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 Brewster.
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.