Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0Within Massachusetts, Malden is healthier than 30% of graded towns
Malden differs from Massachusetts on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Malden. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Malden
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Malden is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns, but only 30% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Malden
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (16.5%), vs 12.4% across Massachusetts. No reliable transportation (10% vs 7.6%) and housing insecurity (14.1% vs 11.1%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
More Malden adults lack emotional support
1 in 4 adults lack social or emotional support (26.8%), vs 23.4% across Massachusetts. Loneliness is above the state too: 38.1%, vs 34.2% across Massachusetts. Mind & connection ↓
Malden is behind on routine checkups
It trails Massachusetts on three of five routine checkups and screenings: yearly checkups (78.4% vs 80.9%), dentist visits (64.5% vs 69.8%) and cholesterol checks (88% vs 89.7%). 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 Malden’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Malden’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Malden is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns, #196 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 95% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 55%.
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). Malden’s median household income is $100,606; among the 8,506 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($75K–$126K), it’s healthier than 72%, about where its income would put it.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.2% of Malden adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
How Malden adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Malden runs above Massachusetts.
2 in 5 Malden 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.
Keeping up with care
Share of Malden adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Out of every 100 Malden adults…
Malden runs below MA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Malden residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Malden
1 community health center in Malden, 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 Malden; ≈ 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.
6.7 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves
Malden and the towns around it
Malden’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Malden adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Malden
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Malden is better than Massachusetts on 5 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Malden’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Malden | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.4%15.8–19.2 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.3%10.2–12.5 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.8%15.3–18.5 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.4%22.2–28.8 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.9%8.9–11 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 28.1%26–30.4 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.5%31.1–36 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.1%19.4–22.9 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.5–12.8 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.9%5.4–6.4 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.8%4.4–5.3 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.2%4.7–5.8 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.6–3 | 3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 12.5%10.4–14.8 | 11.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12%10.7–13.5 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23.6%21.1–26.3 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%13.5–17.1 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.9%32.4–39.3 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.8%5–6.7 | 5.2% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.4%76–80.7 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.5%61.8–67 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88%86.7–89.3 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.9%68.4–73.4 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.5%63.4–69.6 | 68.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.6%77.4–85.3 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.3%21.1–25.6 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 38.1%35–41.2 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.8%24.3–29.5 | 23.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.5%14.7–18.4 | 12.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.1%12.6–15.8 | 11.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.5%7.5–9.5 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10%8.9–11.1 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.2%16.3–20.2 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.5%25–30.1 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.1%10–12.3 | 11.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15%13.6–16.6 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5%4.5–5.6 | 6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4.3–5 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.9%7.2–8.7 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%3–3.5 | 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 Malden
Is Malden a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Malden is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #196 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 72%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Malden?
CDC estimates 25.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.2% and 28.8%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Malden?
Melrosewakefield Healthcare in Melrose, 2.1 miles in a straight line from Malden’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Malden have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–6.7%), 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 Malden 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 Malden.
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.