Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Middleton

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
Middleton-114-62Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0
AHealth Grade
Health in Middleton · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Middleton is healthier than 33%

Middleton differs from Massachusetts on 8 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 7 better, 1 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 01949. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Middleton

Against towns with similar incomes, Middleton’s lead shrinks

Middleton is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, but 33% of the 1,782 towns with similar household incomes ($126K–$209K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓

Massachusetts sets a high bar

Middleton is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, but only 54% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓

Fewer Middleton adults struggle to make ends meet

Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Massachusetts. 1 in 10 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 Middleton’s likely range; Middleton’s figures come from ZIP code 01949, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Middleton’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Middleton is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #130 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 90% of towns); the weakest is no exercise, still better than 78%.

ASelf-rated health14.6% · MA 16.3% · U.S. 19.4%
A−Physical distress12.2% · MA 12.3% · U.S. 13%
A−Mental distress14.8% · MA 16.2% · U.S. 15.9%
AObesity28.1% · MA 27.7% · U.S. 32.9%
ADiabetes9.1% · MA 9.8% · U.S. 12%
A−Smoking11% smoke · MA 11.3% · U.S. 11.8%
A−Exercise21% · MA 21.7% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 88%
Less healthyHealthier
Massachusetts towns we grade (279)Healthier than 54%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $126K–$209K (1,782)Healthier than 33%

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). Middleton’s median household income is $167,402; among the 1,782 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($126K–$209K), it’s healthier than 33%, less than its income alone would suggest.

Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Middleton is healthier than 54% of graded towns, against 88% nationally.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Middleton could be anywhere from B+ to A+. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 01949), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

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 10
Middleton adults worry about having enough food
9.7% · MA 12.4%
Better than MA
1 in 11
Middleton adults worry about keeping their housing
8.7% · MA 11.1%
Better than MA
1 in 18
Middleton adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
5.6% · MA 7%
Better than MA
1 in 16
Middleton adults lack reliable transportation
6.1% · MA 7.6%
Better than MA

10.3% of Middleton adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Middleton adults…

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

10 of every 100 Middleton adults have had cancer
Massachusetts: 9 in 100 · worse · likely 8.7–10.4%
Better than MAWorseAbout the sameMassachusetts
Getting care

Care in and near Middleton

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

HNearest ERNortheast Hospital CorporationBeverly · 7.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyNorth Shore Medical Center★★★★★ · 8.4 miDirections →
+Low-cost careLynn Community HealthBeverly · 7.1 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
7.1 mi
Lynn Community Health
3 sites · nearest in Beverly
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.2 mi
North Shore Community Health
4 sites · nearest in Peabody
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
7.3 mi
Northeast Hospital Corporation
Beverly · ★★★★★
ER
8.4 mi
North Shore Medical Center
Salem · ★★★★★
ER
9.9 mi
Merrimack Health Lawrence Hospital
Lawrence · ★★★★★
ER
10.8 mi
Melrosewakefield Healthcare
Melrose · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careMiddleton is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careMiddleton is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthMiddleton 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 Middleton; ≈ 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 21%MA 21.7%
Sleep under 7 hours 34.2%MA 33.6%
Binge drink 17%MA 17%
Smoke cigarettes 11%MA 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Middleton, betterMiddleton, worseAbout the sameMassachusetts
Where Middleton gets moving

40 miles of trails across 36 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%Yearly checkupMA 81%
74%Dentist visitMA 70%
90%Cholesterol checkMA 90%
73%Colon screeningMA 68%
84%MammogramMA 84%
76%Taking BP medsMA 75%
1 in 22
working-age adults has no health insurance
Middleton 4.6% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)
Mind & connection

How Middleton adults are doing

About the same as Massachusetts on each measure.

1 in 3Middleton adults feel lonely
30.9% · MA 34.2% · About the same as MA
1 in 4Middleton adults lack social or emotional support
22.5% · MA 23.4% · About the same as MA
1 in 5Middleton adults have been diagnosed with depression
22.2% · MA 23.8% · About the same as MA
1 in 7Middleton adults are in frequent mental distress
14.8% · MA 16.2% · About the same as MA
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Middleton 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.

Around town

Middleton and the towns around it

Middleton’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 8 graded towns around it.

Danvers: 27.8%Topsfield: 26%Peabody: 29%Boxford: 26.2%North Reading: 23.9%Lynnfield: 26.3%North Andover: 26.5%Salem: 29.7%Beverly: 28%Wenham: 24.7%Hamilton: 27%Ipswich: 27.5%Lynn: 33.8%Georgetown: 27.4%Haverhill: 31.9%Groveland: 27.6%Rowley: 27.4%Reading: 23.3%Wilmington: 24.7%Andover: 24.7%Wakefield: 24.5%Saugus: 29.5%Lawrence: 37.2%Methuen: no dataMiddleton: 28.1%MiddletonDanversTopsfieldPeabodyBoxfordNorth ReadingLynnfieldNorth AndoverNortheast Hospital Corporation · Beverly · 7.3 mi · 3★ MedicareHNorth Shore Medical Center · Salem · 8.4 mi · 5★ MedicareHMerrimack Health Lawrence Hospital · Lawrence · 9.9 mi · 2★ MedicareHMelrosewakefield Healthcare · Melrose · 10.8 mi · 3★ MedicareHProgram for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (Pace) Site · Beverly · 7.1 mi+Peabody Family Health Center · Peabody · 7.2 mi+
Healthier than MANear MALess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#18 of 24 towns on this map, healthiest first
North Reading23.9%
Topsfield26%
Boxford26.2%
Lynnfield26.3%
North Andover26.5%
Danvers27.8%
Middleton28.1%
Peabody29%
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
MiddletonA28.1%9.1%11%ZIP 01949
Danvers————
DanversA27.8%9.2%10.2%ZIP 01923
TopsfieldA+26%8.8%7.4%ZIP 01983
PeabodyA−29%10.3%11.9%CDC place
BoxfordA+26.2%8.1%7.8%ZIP 01921
North ReadingA+23.9%7.9%8.8%ZIP 01864
North AndoverA26.5%8.2%9%ZIP 01845

Danvers: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

26%

of Middleton adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs11%
Thinking or memory12.7%
Hearing6.3%
Errands alone6.6%
Vision3.5%
Dressing or bathing2.8%
Massachusetts

Every CDC estimate for Middleton

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Middleton is better than Massachusetts on 7 and worse on 1; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Middleton’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…MiddletonMAU.S.vs MA
Overall health
Fair or poor health14.6%12.3–17.116.3%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)12.2%10.6–13.912.3%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)14.8%13.1–16.716.2%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity28.1%24.1–32.227.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes9.1%7.8–10.49.8%12%About the same
High blood pressure31.5%28.6–34.430.9%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)35.8%32.7–38.735.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis25.6%23.1–2825.4%25.3%About the same
Asthma11.3%10.1–12.611.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer9.6%8.7–10.48.5%7.9%Worse
Coronary heart disease6%5.2–6.85.8%6.4%About the same
COPD6%5–7.25.9%6.3%About the same
Stroke2.9%2.6–3.33%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)8.2%6.6–1011.9%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes11%8.9–13.211.3%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work21%17.8–24.421.7%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking17%14.8–19.317%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours34.2%30.3–38.333.6%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)4.6%3.5–5.85.2%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year81%78.4–83.280.9%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year74%71.4–76.669.8%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years90.1%88.6–91.589.7%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)76.1%73.1–78.675.4%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)72.6%68.9–76.168.4%65.5%Better
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)84.2%79.6–88.283.7%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression22.2%19.6–24.723.8%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely30.9%27.6–34.234.2%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.5%19.6–25.523.4%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food9.7%7.9–1212.4%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing8.7%7.2–10.311.1%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off5.6%4.8–6.67%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation6.1%5.2–7.17.6%7.9%Better
Received SNAP (food stamps)10.3%8.2–12.614.1%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability26%22.6–29.427.3%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs11%9.2–12.811.6%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering12.7%11–14.713.7%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty6.3%5.5–7.26%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty3.5%3–44.1%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone6.6%5.7–7.77.2%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing2.8%2.4–3.33.1%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 Middleton

Is Middleton a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Middleton is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #130 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 Middleton?

CDC estimates 28.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.1% and 32.2%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Middleton?

Northeast Hospital Corporation in Beverly, 7.3 miles in a straight line from Middleton’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Middleton have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 4.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.5–5.8%), 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 Middleton 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 Middleton.

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. 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.