Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Cambridge as a whole is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Cambridge differs from Massachusetts on 23 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 20 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Cambridge. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cambridge
COPD and heart disease are less common in Cambridge
Cambridge runs below Massachusetts on nine chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.1% vs 5.9%), heart disease (3.2% vs 5.8%) and stroke (1.7% vs 3%). A young population is part of it: only 12% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%). Conditions ↓
Cambridge is an active town
Only 15.7% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 21.7% across Massachusetts. The town has 11 miles of trails across 55 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Few Cambridge adults smoke
7.1% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 11.3% across Massachusetts. Habits ↓
Cambridge has a top-rated hospital
Mount Auburn Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. 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 Cambridge’s likely range.
What’s behind Cambridge’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cambridge is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns, #47 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than almost every town); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 68%.
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). Cambridge’s median household income is $130,748; among the 4,460 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($98K–$163K), it’s healthier than 95%, about where its income would put it.
At 122,588 residents, Cambridge is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Out of every 100 Cambridge adults…
Cambridge runs below MA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Cambridge 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.
11 miles of trails across 55 parks and preserves
Care in and near Cambridge
2 hospitals and 1 community health center in Cambridge, 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 Cambridge; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Cambridge adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Cambridge adults are doing
About the same as Massachusetts on each measure.
4 in 10 Cambridge 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.
10.6% of Cambridge adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Cambridge and the towns around it
Cambridge’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | A+ | 21.9% | 5.9% | 7.1% | CDC place |
| Boston | A− | 23.4% | 8.6% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Somerville | A | 23.2% | 5.7% | 8.4% | CDC place |
| Belmont | — | — | — | — | |
| Belmont | A+ | 21.4% | 7.7% | 6.6% | ZIP 02478 |
| Watertown | — | — | — | — | |
| Arlington | — | — | — | — | |
| Arlington | A+ | 22.7% | 7.8% | 7.3% | ZIP codes |
Belmont and Arlington: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Watertown: no CDC estimate of its own. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cambridge adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cambridge
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cambridge is better than Massachusetts on 20 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Cambridge’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cambridge | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 11.3%10.2–12.6 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8%7.3–8.9 | 12.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14.6–17.5 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 21.9%19–25.1 | 27.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 5.9%5.3–6.7 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 20.9%19.2–22.8 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 27.8%25.7–30.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 15.9%14.6–17.3 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.1%10.1–12.2 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.4%4.9–5.8 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.2%2.9–3.5 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.7%1.6–1.9 | 3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.9%5.7–8.3 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.1%6.3–8.1 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 15.7%13.9–17.7 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.5%16.4–20.7 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.7%28.4–35 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.8%3.3–4.4 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 76.9%74.3–79.3 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 72.4%70–74.6 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.2%85.8–88.6 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 65.3%63–67.6 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.1%70.2–75.8 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 85%81.3–88.2 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.5%22.3–27 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37%33.9–40.3 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.9%19.6–24.4 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.1%8.8–11.4 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.4%8.3–10.6 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.7%5–6.5 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.5%6.7–8.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.6%9.3–11.9 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 21.5%19.5–23.8 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 6.5%5.8–7.3 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.7%11.6–14.1 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 3.7%3.3–4.1 | 6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 2.9%2.7–3.2 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.8%5.3–6.4 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.9%1.7–2 | 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 Cambridge
Is Cambridge a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cambridge is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #47 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 95%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cambridge?
CDC estimates 21.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 19% and 25.1%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cambridge?
Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, 0.7 miles in a straight line from Cambridge’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cambridge have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.3–4.4%), 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 Cambridge 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 Cambridge.
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.