LUNA (tugboat) · Photo: Nkwoodward · CC BY 4.0Within Massachusetts, Chelsea is healthier than 4% of graded towns
Chelsea differs from Massachusetts on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 19 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Chelsea. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Chelsea
Making ends meet is harder in Chelsea
1 in 3 adults worry about having enough food (31.5%), more than twice the Massachusetts rate. Housing insecurity (26.7% vs 11.1%) and utility shut-off threats (15.7% vs 7%) are higher too. 33% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.1% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Chelsea adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (34.7%), vs 21.7% across Massachusetts. Habits ↓
1 in 6 working-age adults in Chelsea has no health insurance
17% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 5.2% across Massachusetts. 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 Chelsea’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B−.
What’s behind Chelsea’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chelsea is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, #267 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 88% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Chelsea’s median household income is $72,179; among the 10,686 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($54K–$90K), it’s healthier than 36%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Where Chelsea compares well: high blood pressure, 28% (U.S. 34.4%); arthritis, 19.2% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.9% (U.S. 7.9%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
33% of Chelsea adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
3.7 miles of trails across 14 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Chelsea adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Out of every 100 Chelsea adults…
Chelsea runs below MA on 3 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Chelsea residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Chelsea
No hospital or community health center in Chelsea 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 Chelsea; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Chelsea adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Chelsea runs above Massachusetts.
2 in 5 Chelsea 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.
Chelsea and the towns around it
Chelsea’s Health Grade ranks 4th 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Chelsea adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Chelsea
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Chelsea is better than Massachusetts on 3 and worse on 19; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Chelsea’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Chelsea | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27%24.5–29.7 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.9–17.1 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19%17.3–20.9 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.7%24.9–32.9 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.5%10.3–13 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 28%25.7–30.7 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.6%30.9–36.5 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19.2%17.4–21.2 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.2%10.1–12.4 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.9%4.4–5.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.6%5.1–6.2 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.2%5.6–6.9 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.9–3.4 | 3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.2%17.3–23.3 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.3%13.5–17.3 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 34.7%31.4–38.5 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 19.2%17–21.7 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.2%32.7–39.9 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 17%14.8–19.3 | 5.2% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.5%72.8–78.3 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 53%50.1–55.9 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.7%81.9–85.5 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 69.9%67.2–72.7 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 55.2%51.4–59 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80%74.9–84.5 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.7%20.4–25.4 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 41%37.2–44.8 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.4%26.2–32.7 | 23.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 31.5%28.4–34.5 | 12.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 26.7%24–29.3 | 11.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 15.7%14–17.6 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 16.7%15–18.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 33%30.1–36.2 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.8%30.8–37.1 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.9%13.4–16.6 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19.9%18–21.9 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.9%5.3–6.7 | 6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 8.3%7.6–9 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.6%9.6–11.8 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.1%4.7–5.6 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 Chelsea
Is Chelsea a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Chelsea is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: C for health, #267 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 36%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Chelsea?
CDC estimates 28.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.9% and 32.9%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Chelsea?
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, 3.1 miles in a straight line from Chelsea’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Chelsea have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 17% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 14.8–19.3%), 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 Chelsea more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Chelsea.
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.