Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Nahant is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns
Nahant differs from Massachusetts on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 01908. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Nahant
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Nahant
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.6%), vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.2%), vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. Arthritis is also above the state: 31%, vs 25.4% across Massachusetts. In all, Nahant runs above Massachusetts on four of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 36% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and cancer, heart disease and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Nahant is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, but only 64% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Nahant keeps up with checkups
It beats Massachusetts on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (85% vs 80.9%) and dentist visits (79.8% vs 69.8%). Checkups ↓
Nahant adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (27.6% vs 34.2%), frequent mental distress (12.8% vs 16.2%) and lack of emotional support (18.6% vs 23.4%) all run below Massachusetts. Mind & connection ↓
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 Nahant’s likely range; Nahant’s figures come from ZIP code 01908, 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 Nahant’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nahant is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns, #101 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 95% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 75%.
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). Nahant’s median household income is $112,762; among the 6,769 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($85K–$141K), it’s healthier than 88%, about where its income would put it.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Nahant is healthier than 64% of graded towns, against 91% nationally.
Out of every 100 Nahant adults…
Nahant runs above MA on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Nahant is an older town: 36% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Nahant as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Nahant adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Nahant adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Nahant does better than Massachusetts.
3 in 10 Nahant 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.
Care in and near Nahant
No hospital or community health center in Nahant 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 Nahant; ≈ 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.
3 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.2% of Nahant adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Nahant and the towns around it
Nahant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nahant | A | 27.5% | 10.4% | 8.9% | ZIP 01908 |
| Nahant | — | — | — | — | |
| Lynn | C+ | 33.8% | 12.3% | 14.6% | CDC place |
| Revere | B | 25.7% | 10.3% | 14% | CDC place |
| Boston | A− | 23.4% | 8.6% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Winthrop Town | A | 22.9% | 8.8% | 10.8% | CDC place |
Nahant: 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 Nahant adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Nahant
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Nahant is better than Massachusetts on 14 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Nahant’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Nahant | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.6%11–16.7 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.2%10.2–14.3 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.8%11–14.7 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.5%23.2–31.5 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.4%8.7–12.1 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.2%32.8–39.4 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.2%36.9–43.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 31%27.9–33.9 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.2–12.7 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.6%11.4–13.9 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.1–8.3 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.4%4.9–8.1 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.4%2.8–3.9 | 3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.5%8.6–12.7 | 11.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.9%6.4–11.6 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.7%15.8–23.9 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.1%12.2–16.1 | 17% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 30.9%27.1–34.8 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 2.7%2–3.6 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 85%82.8–87 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 79.8%77.5–82 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 93.3%92–94.4 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.4%78.6–83.9 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 78.1%75–81 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 86%81.9–89.6 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.7%19.2–24.4 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.6%24.4–31.3 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.6%15.9–21.6 | 23.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.2%5.3–9.3 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.2%4.9–7.8 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.4%3.6–5.5 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.7%3.8–5.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.2%5.9–10.9 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.8%21.8–30.1 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12%9.5–14.7 | 11.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.6%8.7–12.8 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.3%6.2–8.3 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%2.8–4.1 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.2%4.9–7.6 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.2–3.5 | 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 Nahant
Is Nahant a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Nahant is healthier than 91% of U.S. towns: A for health, #101 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 88%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Nahant?
CDC estimates 27.5% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.2% and 31.5%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Nahant?
North Shore Medical Center in Salem, 6.6 miles in a straight line from Nahant’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Nahant have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 2.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2–3.6%), 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 Nahant 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 Nahant.
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.