Photo: Rhonda McCloughan (Pr41799) · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Massachusetts, Plymouth is healthier than 42% of graded towns
Plymouth differs from Massachusetts on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 02360. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Plymouth
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Plymouth is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, but only 42% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Plymouth’s lead shrinks
Plymouth is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, but 67% of the 6,165 towns with similar household incomes ($88K–$146K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Plymouth keeps up with checkups
It beats Massachusetts on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (73.8% vs 69.8%) and cholesterol checks (91.3% vs 89.7%). Checkups ↓
Cancer runs high in Plymouth
1 in 9 adults have had cancer (10.6%), vs 8.5% across Massachusetts. Age is part of it: 25% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and cancer is more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Fewer Plymouth adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Massachusetts. 1 in 11 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 Plymouth’s likely range; Plymouth’s figures come from ZIP code 02360, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Plymouth’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Plymouth is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, #164 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 88% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 63%.
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). Plymouth’s median household income is $116,941; among the 6,165 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($88K–$146K), it’s healthier than 67%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of Plymouth adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Out of every 100 Plymouth adults…
Plymouth runs above MA on 3 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Plymouth is an older town: 25% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Plymouth as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.8% of Plymouth adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Care in and near Plymouth
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Plymouth, 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 Plymouth; ≈ 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.
577 miles of trails across 65 parks and preserves
How Plymouth adults are doing
About the same as Massachusetts on each measure.
1 in 3 Plymouth 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.
Plymouth and the towns around it
Plymouth’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth | A− | 28.7% | 10% | 11.4% | ZIP 02360 |
| Carver | B+ | 30% | 10.7% | 13.8% | ZIP 02330 |
| Wareham | B | 30.6% | 11.6% | 14.3% | ZIP codes |
| Duxbury | A+ | 26% | 9% | 8% | ZIP 02332 |
| North Plymouth | — | — | — | — | |
| White Island Shores | — | — | — | — | |
| Bourne | A | 26.6% | 7.7% | 11.4% | ZIP codes |
| Kingston | A | 27.4% | 8.6% | 10% | ZIP 02364 |
North Plymouth and White Island Shores: 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 Plymouth adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Plymouth
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Plymouth is better than Massachusetts on 8 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Plymouth’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Plymouth | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14.9%13.1–16.7 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.7%11.3–14.1 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.5–17.9 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.7%24.1–32.8 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10%8.7–11.3 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 32.5%29.3–35.3 | 30.9% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.2%35.6–42.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 28.4%25.6–30.8 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.9%10.6–13.2 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.6%9.7–11.6 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.7–7.1 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6.5%5.8–7.3 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%2.9–3.4 | 3% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.4%8.6–12.7 | 11.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.4%9.9–13 | 11.3% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.2%16.4–21.8 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 17.4%14.8–19.9 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32.5%29–37 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 3.9%3.3–4.5 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.4%79.5–84.6 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.8%71.3–76.6 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91.3%90.1–92.4 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.7%74.5–80.2 | 75.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.4%71.3–78 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 85.7%81.8–89.7 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.2%21.2–27 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.9%28.3–35.6 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.7%19–24.5 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.4%8–10.9 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 9.1%7.9–10.5 | 11.1% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.7%4.9–6.6 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6%5.3–6.7 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.8%9.4–12.5 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.8%25.6–31.7 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 11.6%10.2–13.1 | 11.6% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13%11.6–14.5 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.9%6.1–7.7 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.3–3.9 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.7%6–7.4 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.7–3.2 | 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 Plymouth
Is Plymouth a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Plymouth is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #164 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 67%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Plymouth?
CDC estimates 28.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.1% and 32.8%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Plymouth?
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth in Plymouth, 4.3 miles in a straight line from Plymouth’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Plymouth have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 3.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.3–4.5%), 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 Plymouth 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 Plymouth.
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.