Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, North Adams is healthier than 76%
North Adams trails Massachusetts on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for North Adams. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in North Adams
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in North Adams
1 in 11 adults have COPD (9.5%), vs 5.9% across Massachusetts. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.1%), vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. Stroke is also above the state: 4.1%, vs 3% across Massachusetts. In all, North Adams runs above Massachusetts on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Mental distress runs high in North Adams
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (20.5%), vs 16.2% across Massachusetts. Depression is above the state too: 28.1%, vs 23.8% across Massachusetts. Mind & connection ↓
Smoking is more common in North Adams
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.8%), vs 11.3% across Massachusetts. Habits ↓
North Adams is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, North Adams is healthier than 34%. Against the 4,841 towns with similar household incomes ($36K–$59K), it’s healthier than 76%. Health Grade ↓
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 North Adams’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind North Adams’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, North Adams is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, #268 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 67% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 7%).
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). North Adams’ median household income is $47,500; among the 4,841 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($36K–$59K), it’s healthier than 76%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state North Adams is healthier than 4% of graded towns, against 34% nationally.
Out of every 100 North Adams adults…
North Adams runs above MA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
How North Adams adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, North Adams runs above Massachusetts.
1 in 3 North Adams 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
36 miles of trails across 19 parks and preserves
Care in and near North Adams
1 hospital in North Adams, 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 North Adams; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of North Adams adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
22.2% of North Adams adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
North Adams and the towns around it
North Adams’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Adams | C | 33.8% | 11.7% | 16.8% | CDC place |
| Williamstown | A | 26% | 8.1% | 8.4% | ZIP 01267 |
| Clarksburg | C+ | 33.5% | 11.5% | 16.5% | ZIP 01247 |
| Adams | B− | 33.2% | 11.3% | 15.9% | ZIP 01220 |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of North Adams adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for North Adams
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, North Adams is better than Massachusetts on 0 and worse on 22; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside North Adams’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | North Adams | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 21.9%19.2–25 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.2–18.1 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20.5%18.3–22.9 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.8%28–39.9 | 27.7% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 11.7%10.1–13.3 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 34.6%31–38.2 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.6%31.9–39.4 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.6%27.6–33.7 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 13.2%11.7–14.8 | 11.6% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.3%8.4–10.2 | 8.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.1%7.2–9 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.5%8.3–10.8 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.8%14.6–21.4 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.8%14.4–19.5 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 26.1%22.2–30.4 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16%13.4–18.9 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.9%33.6–44.4 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6%4.9–7.2 | 5.2% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.6%76.3–82.6 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.4%59.7–66.9 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%84.9–88.5 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.1%74.2–79.7 | 75.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.8%61.9–71.4 | 68.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 75%67.6–81.6 | 83.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.1%24.6–32 | 23.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 35.3%30.8–39.9 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.1%21.6–28.7 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 16.9%14.3–19.7 | 12.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.2%11.3–15.2 | 11.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.4%8.1–10.7 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.2%8.9–11.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 22.2%19.3–25.5 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.4%31.4–39.9 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%13.9–18.2 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.4%16.3–20.9 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.2–9.1 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 5.8%5.2–6.5 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.6%9.3–11.9 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.6%4.1–5.2 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Higher |
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 North Adams
Is North Adams a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, North Adams is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #268 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 North Adams?
CDC estimates 33.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 28% and 39.9%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to North Adams?
North Adams Regional Hospital Corporation in North Adams, 2.1 miles in a straight line from North Adams’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in North Adams have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.9–7.2%), 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 North Adams more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in North Adams.
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.