Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Within Massachusetts, Cheshire is healthier than 20% of graded towns
Cheshire differs from Massachusetts on 10 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 01225. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Cheshire
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Cheshire is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns, but only 20% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Heart disease, COPD and cancer run high in Cheshire
1 in 13 adults have heart disease (7.7%), vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. 1 in 13 adults have COPD (7.8%), vs 5.9% across Massachusetts. Cancer is also above the state: 11%, vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. In all, Cheshire runs above Massachusetts on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 31% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and heart disease, COPD and cancer are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Cheshire, and more people treating it
35% of adults have high blood pressure (Massachusetts 30.9%), but 79.2% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Cheshire is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Cheshire is healthier than 69%. Against the 10,501 towns with similar household incomes ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 86%. Health Grade ↓
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 Cheshire’s likely range; Cheshire’s figures come from ZIP code 01225, 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 Cheshire’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cheshire is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns, #225 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 78% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 49%).
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). Cheshire’s median household income is $69,803; among the 10,501 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($52K–$87K), it’s healthier than 86%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Cheshire adults…
Cheshire runs above MA on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Cheshire 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 Cheshire as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Cheshire adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Care in and near Cheshire
No hospital or community health center in Cheshire 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 Cheshire; ≈ 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.
23 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
How Cheshire adults are doing
About the same as Massachusetts on each measure.
1 in 3 Cheshire 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.
12.5% of Cheshire adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Cheshire and the towns around it
Cheshire’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire | B+ | 31.4% | 10.9% | 13.2% | ZIP 01225 |
| Lanesborough | B+ | 31.6% | 10.7% | 12.9% | ZIP codes |
| New Ashford | — | — | — | — | |
| Savoy | — | — | — | — | |
| Windsor | — | — | — | — | |
| Dalton | A− | 30.6% | 10.2% | 12.4% | ZIP 01226 |
New Ashford and Savoy: fewer than 1,000 residents. Windsor: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Cheshire adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Cheshire
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Cheshire is better than Massachusetts on 3 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Cheshire’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Cheshire | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.3%14.6–20.5 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.3–16.3 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%15–19.3 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 31.4%26.1–37.4 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.9%9.4–12.6 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35%31.4–38.7 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.7%33.8–41.7 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32%28.8–35.5 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.2%10.8–13.7 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 11%9.9–12.2 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.7%6.8–8.8 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.8%6.5–9.2 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.3–4.2 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.9%10.4–15.8 | 11.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 13.2%10.8–15.9 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21.5%17.7–25.7 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.1%13.5–19 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.7%31.6–42.2 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.1%3.1–5.2 | 5.2% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.7%78.7–84.6 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.6%67.3–73.8 | 69.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.9%89.4–92.3 | 89.7% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.2%76.1–82.1 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.6%69.2–77.8 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.9%69.6–83.4 | 83.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.6%22.3–29.2 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32%27.5–36.9 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.9%19.3–26.8 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.2%8.1–12.7 | 12.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.9%7.3–10.8 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.2%5.1–7.3 | 7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.5%5.5–7.7 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.5%10–15.5 | 14.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.4%26.3–34.9 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.6%11.3–16.1 | 11.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14%12.1–16.2 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.7%6.8–8.8 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.1%3.6–4.8 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.7%6.6–9 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.5%3–4.1 | 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 Cheshire
Is Cheshire a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Cheshire is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #225 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 86%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Cheshire?
CDC estimates 31.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.1% and 37.4%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Cheshire?
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, 9.1 miles in a straight line from Cheshire’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Cheshire have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.1–5.2%), 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 Cheshire 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 Cheshire.
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.