Photo: Emily Cotter · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Harvard is healthier than 18%
Harvard differs from Massachusetts on 13 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 1 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 01451, 01434. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Harvard
Against towns with similar incomes, Harvard’s lead shrinks
Harvard is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, but 18% of the 803 towns with similar household incomes ($160K–$267K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Harvard keeps up with checkups
It beats Massachusetts on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (77.3% vs 69.8%) and cholesterol checks (92.1% vs 89.7%). Checkups ↓
Cancer runs high in Harvard
1 in 10 adults have had cancer (9.9%), vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. Conditions ↓
Fewer Harvard adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Massachusetts. 1 in 12 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 8 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Harvard’s likely range; Harvard’s figures come from ZIP codes 01451, 01434, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Harvard’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harvard is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #87 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is fair or poor health (fewer adults who rate their health fair or poor than 91% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 84%.
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). Harvard’s median household income is $213,996; among the 803 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($160K–$267K), it’s healthier than 18%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Harvard is healthier than 69% of graded towns, against 92% nationally.
Keeping up with care
Share of Harvard adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.5% of Harvard adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Out of every 100 Harvard adults…
Harvard runs below MA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Harvard
No hospital or community health center in Harvard 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 Harvard; ≈ 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.
97 miles of trails across 144 parks and preserves
How Harvard adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Harvard does better than Massachusetts.
1 in 3 Harvard 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.
Harvard and the towns around it
Harvard’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | A | 29.7% | 9.7% | 9.2% | ZIP codes |
| Lancaster | A | 30.8% | 8.6% | 10% | ZIP 01523 |
| Shirley | A | 27.3% | 9% | 11.8% | ZIP codes |
| Devens | — | — | — | — | |
| Ayer | A− | 26.7% | 9.4% | 12% | ZIP codes |
| Boxborough | A+ | 21.8% | 8.2% | 7.5% | ZIP 01719 |
| Littleton | A+ | 23.9% | 8.4% | 9% | ZIP 01460 |
| Bolton | A+ | 27.7% | 7.7% | 6.8% | ZIP 01740 |
Devens: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Harvard adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Harvard
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Harvard is better than Massachusetts on 12 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Harvard’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Harvard | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.5%11.5–15.8 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.3%9.9–12.9 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.3–15.6 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.7%25.8–33.8 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.7%8.4–11.1 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.6%30.8–36.6 | 30.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.2%34.2–40.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.1%24.6–29.7 | 25.4% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.2%10–12.4 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.9%9–10.9 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5–6.5 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.1%4.2–6.1 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.4–3.2 | 3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6%4.8–7.2 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.2%7.3–11.3 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.5%15.6–21.6 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.8%15.6–20.2 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.1%27.5–34.6 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.4%2.6–4.3 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 83.1%80.8–85.2 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.3%74.9–79.3 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.1%90.8–93.2 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.9%74–79.7 | 75.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73%69.5–76 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 86.5%82.4–89.6 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.8%20.3–25.4 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.9%27.8–34.2 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.6%19–24.5 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.2%6.5–10.1 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.4%6.1–9 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4.2–6.1 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.3%4.5–6.3 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.5%6.6–10.9 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.4%20.6–26.6 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.9%8.4–11.6 | 11.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.9%9.4–12.5 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.5%4.9–6.3 | 6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.7–3.6 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.4%4.7–6.4 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.2–3 | 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 Harvard
Is Harvard a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harvard is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #87 of 279 in Massachusetts. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Harvard?
CDC estimates 29.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.8% and 33.8%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Harvard?
Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, 4.3 miles in a straight line from Harvard’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Harvard have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.6–4.3%), 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 Harvard 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 Harvard.
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.