Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Orange is healthier than 25% of U.S. towns
Orange trails Massachusetts on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 01364. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Orange
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Orange
1 in 9 adults have COPD (10.9%), vs 5.9% across Massachusetts. 1 in 22 adults have had a stroke (4.5%), vs 3% across Massachusetts. Heart disease is also above the state: 8.6%, vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. In all, Orange runs above Massachusetts on eight of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Orange
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (19.3%), vs 11.3% across Massachusetts. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Orange
1 in 6 adults worry about having enough food (17.8%), vs 12.4% across Massachusetts. Utility shut-off threats (10.5% vs 7%) and no reliable transportation (10.3% vs 7.6%) are higher too. 25.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.1% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Orange is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Orange is healthier than 25%. Against the 7,681 towns with similar household incomes ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 45%. 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 Orange’s likely range; Orange’s figures come from ZIP code 01364, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Orange’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Orange is healthier than 25% of U.S. towns, #272 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 82% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 10%).
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). Orange’s median household income is $55,824; among the 7,681 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($42K–$70K), it’s healthier than 45%, about where its income would put it.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Orange is healthier than 3% of graded towns, against 25% nationally.
Out of every 100 Orange adults…
Orange runs above MA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
14 miles of trails across 30 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.
25.1% of Orange adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Care in and near Orange
1 community health center in Orange, 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 Orange; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Orange adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Orange adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Orange runs above Massachusetts.
4 in 10 Orange 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.
Orange and the towns around it
Orange’s Health Grade ranks 5th 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.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | C− | 30.3% | 12.9% | 19.3% | ZIP 01364 |
| Athol | C | 35.1% | 12% | 16.6% | ZIP codes |
| Athol | — | — | — | — | |
| Wendell | — | — | — | — | |
| Warwick | — | — | — | — | |
| Royalston | C+ | 34.4% | 12.6% | 15.6% | ZIP 01368 |
| New Salem | A | 24.6% | 10.2% | 9.9% | ZIP codes |
| Erving | A− | 26% | 9.4% | 13.1% | ZIP 01344 |
Athol: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Wendell and Warwick: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Orange adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Orange
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Orange is better than Massachusetts on 0 and worse on 22; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Orange’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Orange | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.6%20.5–27.3 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.4%15.4–19.8 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.7%17.5–22.1 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.3%24.2–36.9 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.9%11.2–14.9 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 39.1%35–43.2 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.1%33.9–42.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 33.7%30.3–37.2 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 13.1%11.7–14.7 | 11.6% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.9%8.9–10.9 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.6%7.6–9.6 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 10.9%9.5–12.5 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.5%4.1–5 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.3%12.5–18.4 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 19.3%16.5–22.5 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 28.8%24.4–33.8 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.6%12.9–18.6 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.1%31.6–43 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.3%5.2–7.7 | 5.2% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.7%77.4–83.7 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.6%59–66.1 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.8%86–89.4 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.8%73.7–79.7 | 75.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.7%62.1–71.3 | 68.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77%69.8–83.2 | 83.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 28.2%24.4–32.2 | 23.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 36%30.8–41.3 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.4%21.7–29.5 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 17.8%14.8–21.2 | 12.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14%11.8–16.4 | 11.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.5%9–12.1 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 10.3%8.9–11.9 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 25.1%21.3–29.2 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.6%32.1–41.4 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 18.1%15.8–21 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 18.9%16.6–21.4 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.7%7.7–9.8 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.3%5.6–7.1 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.1%9.8–12.7 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.2%4.6–5.9 | 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 Orange
Is Orange a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Orange is healthier than 25% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #272 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 45%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Orange?
CDC estimates 30.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.2% and 36.9%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Orange?
Athol Memorial Hospital in Athol, 4.4 miles in a straight line from Orange’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Orange have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.2–7.7%), 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 Orange 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 Orange.
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.