Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Harwich is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns
Harwich differs from Massachusetts on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 02645, 02646, 02671. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Harwich
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Harwich
1 in 7 adults have had cancer (13.9%), vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. 36.1% of adults have arthritis, vs 25.4% across Massachusetts. Heart disease is also above the state: 7.8%, vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. In all, Harwich runs above Massachusetts on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 36% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Harwich is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns, but only 56% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Harwich, and more people treating it
38.3% of adults have high blood pressure (Massachusetts 30.9%), but 83.4% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Harwich keeps up with checkups
It beats Massachusetts on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (85.8% vs 80.9%) and dentist visits (75.8% 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’s likely range; Harwich’s figures come from ZIP codes 02645, 02646, 02671, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Harwich’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harwich is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns, #123 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 94% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 65%.
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). Harwich’s median household income is $96,966; among the 9,027 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$121K), it’s healthier than 91%, about where its income would put it.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Harwich is healthier than 56% of graded towns, against 89% nationally.
Out of every 100 Harwich adults…
Harwich runs below MA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 6. Tap one to see it as people.
Harwich is an older town: 36% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Harwich as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Harwich adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Care in and near Harwich
1 community health center in Harwich, 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 Harwich; ≈ 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.
73 miles of trails across 72 parks and preserves
How Harwich adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Harwich does better than Massachusetts.
3 in 10 Harwich 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.
8.5% of Harwich adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Harwich and the towns around it
Harwich has the best Health Grade of the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harwich | A | 25.7% | 10.4% | 10% | ZIP codes |
| Chatham | A | 25% | 11.4% | 8.3% | ZIP codes |
| Harwich Port | — | — | — | — | |
| East Harwich | — | — | — | — | |
| Brewster | A | 25.9% | 10.9% | 9.8% | ZIP codes |
| Northwest Harwich | — | — | — | — | |
| Dennis | A− | 26.2% | 11.3% | 10.4% | ZIP codes |
| Orleans | A | 25.1% | 11.4% | 8.7% | ZIP codes |
Harwich Port, East Harwich and Northwest Harwich: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Harwich adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Harwich
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Harwich is better than Massachusetts on 14 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Harwich’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Harwich | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.8%12.6–17.1 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.2%11.5–15 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.4%11.8–15.1 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.7%21–30.9 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.4%8.9–12 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 38.3%34.6–42.1 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.3%36.4–44.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.1%32.8–39.6 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.2–12.9 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 13.9%12.6–15.1 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.8%6.9–8.8 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.9%5.9–8.1 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.3–4.2 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.3%6.5–10.3 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10%8.2–11.9 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.3%15.1–21.9 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.7%11.4–16.3 | 17% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.5%24.8–34.6 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.3%2.7–4 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 85.8%83.3–88 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 75.8%72.8–78.7 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.6%92.6–94.5 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 83.4%80.8–85.7 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 77.4%73.2–81 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.7%77.9–88.4 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.3%19.3–25.5 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.7%25.6–33.7 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17.5–23.6 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.4%6.1–8.9 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.8%5.7–7.9 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.7%3.9–5.5 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.9%4.2–5.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.5%6.9–10.1 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.8%24.1–31.6 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.4%11.4–15.5 | 11.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.9%9.5–12.5 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.2%7.2–9.2 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.2–4.1 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.7–7.6 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3%2.7–3.4 | 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 Harwich
Is Harwich a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Harwich is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns: A for health, #123 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 91%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Harwich?
CDC estimates 25.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 21% and 30.9%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Harwich?
Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, 10.9 miles in a straight line from Harwich’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Harwich have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.7–4%), 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 Harwich more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Harwich.
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.