Photo: 4300streetcar · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Somerville is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns
Somerville differs from Massachusetts on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 17 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Somerville. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Somerville
Heart disease and COPD are less common in Somerville
Somerville runs below Massachusetts on nine chronic conditions, most of all heart disease (3.1% vs 5.8%), COPD (3.3% vs 5.9%) and stroke (1.7% vs 3%). A young population is part of it: only 10% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%). Conditions ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Somerville doesn’t win on
20.5% of adults binge drink, vs 17% across Massachusetts, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Somerville is an active town
Only 16% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 21.7% across Massachusetts. Habits ↓
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 Somerville’s likely range.
What’s behind Somerville’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Somerville is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns, #74 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than almost every town); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 51%.
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). Somerville’s median household income is $132,572; among the 4,291 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($99K–$166K), it’s healthier than 86%, about where its income would put it.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Somerville is healthier than 74% of graded towns, against 94% nationally.
Out of every 100 Somerville adults…
Somerville runs below MA on 10 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 10% of Somerville residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
1.9 miles of trails across 22 parks and preserves
Care in and near Somerville
No hospital or community health center in Somerville 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 Somerville; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Somerville adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Somerville adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Somerville runs above Massachusetts.
4 in 10 Somerville 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.
11.4% of Somerville adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Somerville and the towns around it
Somerville’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerville | A | 23.2% | 5.7% | 8.4% | CDC place |
| Cambridge | A+ | 21.9% | 5.9% | 7.1% | CDC place |
| Medford | A | 24.2% | 7.7% | 9.6% | CDC place |
| Arlington | — | — | — | — | |
| Arlington | A+ | 22.7% | 7.8% | 7.3% | ZIP codes |
| Boston | A− | 23.4% | 8.6% | 10.7% | CDC place |
| Everett | C+ | 31% | 11.1% | 16.1% | CDC place |
Arlington: 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 Somerville adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Somerville
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Somerville is better than Massachusetts on 17 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Somerville’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Somerville | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 11.9%10.7–13.1 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.5%7.7–9.5 | 12.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%15.5–18.7 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23.2%20.2–26.6 | 27.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 5.7%5–6.4 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 20%18.3–21.9 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 27%24.9–29.3 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 15.6%14.3–17.1 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.5–12.7 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.1%4.7–5.5 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.3%3–3.7 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.7%1.6–1.8 | 3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.6%8.1–11.4 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.4%7.4–9.6 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16%14.2–18 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 20.5%18.3–22.9 | 17% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 31.8%28.6–35.1 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.4%3.8–5.1 | 5.2% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.5%72.8–78 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.6%69.2–73.9 | 69.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.2%85.7–88.7 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 62.7%60.2–65.2 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.5%67.5–73.3 | 68.4% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.6%79.6–87 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.6%24.2–29.2 | 23.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 37%33.8–40 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.7%19.5–24 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.4%9.2–11.7 | 12.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%9–11.5 | 11.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.1%5.3–6.8 | 7% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.5%6.7–8.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.4%10.1–12.9 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22%19.9–24.2 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 6.7%6–7.5 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.7%12.4–15.1 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 3.7%3.3–4.1 | 6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3%2.8–3.3 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.5–6.8 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2%1.8–2.2 | 3.1% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Somerville
Is Somerville a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Somerville is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns: A for health, #74 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 86%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Somerville?
CDC estimates 23.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.2% and 26.6%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Somerville?
Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, 1.1 miles in a straight line from Somerville’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Somerville have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.8–5.1%), 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 Somerville more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Somerville.
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.