Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Harwich Center

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
First Congregational Church, Harwich Center MAPhoto: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0
–Not graded
Health in Harwich Center · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Harwich Center residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Harwich Center, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Harwich Center. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Harwich Center

Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Harwich Center

1 in 7 adults have had cancer (15%), vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. 2 in 5 adults have arthritis (38.2%), vs 25.4% across Massachusetts. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.4%, vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. In all, Harwich Center runs above Massachusetts on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 33% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓

More high blood pressure in Harwich Center, and more people treating it

40% of adults have high blood pressure (Massachusetts 30.9%), but 84.6% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.4% statewide. Checkups ↓

Harwich Center keeps up with checkups

It beats Massachusetts on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (86.9% vs 80.9%) and dentist visits (77.1% 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 Harwich Center’s likely range.

★ What stands out · Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Harwich Center adults…

Harwich Center runs below MA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.

15 of every 100 Harwich Center adults have had cancer
Massachusetts: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 13.7–16.4%
Better than MAWorseAbout the sameMassachusetts
Why age matters here

Harwich Center is an older town: 33% 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 Harwich Center as about how healthy they are.

Residents 65 and older

Harwich Center33%
Massachusetts18%
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Harwich Center adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.

87%Yearly checkupMA 81%
77%Dentist visitMA 70%
94%Cholesterol checkMA 90%
78%Colon screeningMA 68%
84%MammogramMA 84%
85%Taking BP medsMA 75%
1 in 31
working-age adults has no health insurance
Harwich Center 3.2% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)
Getting care

Care in and near Harwich Center

No hospital or community health center in Harwich Center itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERCape Cod HospitalHyannis · 11 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyCape Cod Hospital★★★★★ · 11.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost careOuter Cape Health ServicesHarwich Port · 1.5 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.5 mi
Outer Cape Health Services
2 sites · nearest in Harwich Port
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
4.3 mi
Harbor Health Services
2 sites · nearest in South Dennis
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
11 mi
Cape Cod Hospital
Hyannis · ★★★★★
ER
28.7 mi
Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Nantucket · ★★★★★
ER
30 mi
Falmouth Hospital
Falmouth · ★★★★★
ER
31 mi
Martha's Vineyard Hospital
Oak Bluffs · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careHarwich Center is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careHarwich Center is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthHarwich Center is not a shortage area

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 Harwich Center; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts

Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.

Get no exercise 19%MA 21.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 28.7%MA 33.6%
Binge drink 12.6%MA 17%
Smoke cigarettes 9.7%MA 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Harwich Center, betterHarwich Center, worseAbout the sameMassachusetts
Where Harwich Center gets moving

3.3 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Mind & connection

How Harwich Center adults are doing

On 3 of 4 measures, Harwich Center does better than Massachusetts.

3 in 10Harwich Center adults feel lonely
29.2% · MA 34.2% · Better than MA
1 in 5Harwich Center adults lack social or emotional support
20.1% · MA 23.4% · Better than MA
1 in 5Harwich Center adults have been diagnosed with depression
21.7% · MA 23.8% · About the same as MA
1 in 8Harwich Center adults are in frequent mental distress
12.9% · MA 16.2% · Better than MA
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Harwich Center adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 14
Harwich Center adults worry about having enough food
7.1% · MA 12.4%
Better than MA
1 in 16
Harwich Center adults worry about keeping their housing
6.4% · MA 11.1%
Better than MA
1 in 22
Harwich Center adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
4.5% · MA 7%
Better than MA
1 in 21
Harwich Center adults lack reliable transportation
4.7% · MA 7.6%
Better than MA

8.2% of Harwich Center adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.

Around town

Harwich Center and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

East Harwich: 25.9%Northwest Harwich: 26.3%Harwich Port: 24.6%Harwich: 25.7%Brewster: 25.9%Chatham: 25%Orleans: 25.1%Dennis: 26.2%Dennis Port: 28.2%Harwich Center: 25.5%Harwich CenterEast HarwichNorthwest HarwichHarwich PortHarwich Port Health Center · Harwich Port · 1.5 mi+Ellen Jones Community Dental Clinic · South Dennis · 4.3 mi+
Healthier than MANear MALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#4 of 10 towns on this map, healthiest first
Harwich Port24.6%
Harwich Center25.5%
East Harwich25.9%
Northwest Harwich26.3%
MA27.7%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
East Harwich————
Northwest Harwich————
Harwich Port————

East Harwich, Northwest Harwich and Harwich Port: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

29.1%

of Harwich Center adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.4%
Thinking or memory10.7%
Hearing9%
Errands alone6.9%
Vision3.8%
Dressing or bathing3.1%
Massachusetts

Questions about health in Harwich Center

Why doesn’t Harwich Center have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Harwich Center.

What hospital is closest to Harwich Center?

Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, 11.0 miles in a straight line from Harwich Center’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.

Where can I get low-cost care near Harwich Center?

3 community health center sites are within 10 miles; the nearest is Harwich Port Health Center in Harwich Port, 1.5 miles away. They charge on a sliding scale by income.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Harwich Center.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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. 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.