Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Massachusetts, Orleans is healthier than 53% of graded towns
Orleans differs from Massachusetts on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 7 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 02653, 02643. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Orleans
Cancer, heart disease and arthritis run high in Orleans
1 in 6 adults have had cancer (16.1%), about twice the Massachusetts rate. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.1%), vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. Arthritis is also above the state: 39.7%, vs 25.4% across Massachusetts. In all, Orleans runs above Massachusetts on seven of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 49% 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
Orleans is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, but only 53% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
More high blood pressure in Orleans, and more people treating it
41.9% of adults have high blood pressure (Massachusetts 30.9%), but 85.8% of them take medicine for it, vs 75.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Orleans keeps up with checkups
It beats Massachusetts on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (87.7% vs 80.9%) and dentist visits (76.7% vs 69.8%). 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 Orleans’ likely range; Orleans’ figures come from ZIP codes 02653, 02643, 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 Orleans’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Orleans is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, #131 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 98% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 61%.
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). Orleans’ median household income is $102,335; among the 8,229 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 87%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Orleans adults…
Orleans runs below MA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 7. Tap one to see it as people.
Orleans is an older town: 49% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Orleans as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Orleans adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Care in and near Orleans
No hospital or community health center in Orleans 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 Orleans; ≈ 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.
25 miles of trails across 88 parks and preserves
How Orleans adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Orleans does better than Massachusetts.
3 in 10 Orleans 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.7% of Orleans adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Orleans and the towns around it
Orleans’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.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans | A | 25.1% | 11.4% | 8.7% | ZIP codes |
| Orleans | — | — | — | — | |
| Eastham | A− | 26.5% | 11.7% | 10.4% | ZIP 02642 |
| Brewster | A | 25.9% | 10.9% | 9.8% | ZIP codes |
| Harwich | A | 25.7% | 10.4% | 10% | ZIP codes |
| East Harwich | — | — | — | — | |
| Chatham | A | 25% | 11.4% | 8.3% | ZIP codes |
Orleans and East Harwich: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Orleans adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Orleans
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Orleans is better than Massachusetts on 17 and worse on 7; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Orleans’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Orleans | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.9%12.6–17.4 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.5–15.2 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.8%10.3–13.5 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.1%20.5–30.3 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.4%9.7–13.3 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 41.9%37.9–45.9 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 43.1%39.1–47.2 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 39.7%36.1–43.5 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.1%9.8–12.4 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 16.1%14.7–17.6 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.1%8.1–10.2 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 7.5%6.3–8.7 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.7–4.6 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.7%5.2–8.5 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.7%7.1–10.6 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.3%15–22 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12%9.9–14.3 | 17% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 27.9%23.3–32.9 | 33.6% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3%2.4–3.6 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 87.7%85.5–89.7 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 76.7%73.7–79.5 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 94.8%94–95.5 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 85.8%83.3–88 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 79.3%75.4–82.8 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.8%76.7–87.7 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.1%18.2–24.2 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 27.7%23.7–31.7 | 34.2% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 18.4%15.7–21.2 | 23.4% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.4%5.2–7.8 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.5%4.6–6.5 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4%3.4–4.7 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.3%3.7–5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.7%6.1–9.3 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.8%24.9–32.9 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.5%12.3–17 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 9.8%8.5–11.3 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.3–10.7 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.8%3.3–4.3 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.5%5.6–7.6 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.7–3.6 | 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 Orleans
Is Orleans a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Orleans is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health, #131 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 87%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Orleans?
CDC estimates 25.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.5% and 30.3%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Orleans?
Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, 17.7 miles in a straight line from Orleans’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Orleans have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 2.4–3.6%), 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 Orleans 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 Orleans.
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.