Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Southbridge Town is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns
Southbridge Town differs from Massachusetts on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 23 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Southbridge Town. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Southbridge Town
Every town around Southbridge Town scores healthier
All three graded neighbors are ahead of Southbridge Town’s C−, from Dudley (B) to Sturbridge (A). Around town ↓
More Southbridge Town adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (32.1%), vs 21.7% across Massachusetts. There are 21 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves in town, a place to start. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Southbridge Town
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (23.2%), about twice the Massachusetts rate. Utility shut-off threats (12% vs 7%) and housing insecurity (18.1% vs 11.1%) are higher too. 26.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.1% 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 Southbridge Town’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
What’s behind Southbridge Town’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Southbridge Town is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns, #275 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 41% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 11%).
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). Southbridge Town’s median household income is $66,287; among the 10,129 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 20%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Most Massachusetts towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Southbridge Town is healthier than 1% of graded towns, against 19% nationally.
Southbridge Town and the towns around it
Southbridge Town’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southbridge Town | C− | 37.3% | 12.9% | 16.6% | CDC place |
| Sturbridge | A | 30.6% | 9.1% | 10.3% | ZIP codes |
| Sturbridge | — | — | — | — | |
| Charlton | A− | 31.2% | 9.2% | 11.6% | ZIP 01507 |
| Dudley | B | 33.4% | 9.9% | 13.7% | ZIP 01571 |
Sturbridge: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
21 miles of trails across 11 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.
26.8% of Southbridge Town adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Out of every 100 Southbridge Town adults…
Southbridge Town runs below MA on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 9. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Southbridge Town
1 hospital in Southbridge Town, 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 Southbridge Town; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Southbridge Town adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Southbridge Town adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Southbridge Town runs above Massachusetts.
4 in 10 Southbridge Town 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.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Southbridge Town adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Southbridge Town
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Southbridge Town is better than Massachusetts on 1 and worse on 23; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Southbridge Town’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Southbridge Town | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.9%22.5–27.6 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%15.3–18.8 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.8%17.9–21.7 | 16.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37.3%33–41.9 | 27.7% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 12.9%11.5–14.4 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 35.1%32.4–37.9 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.8%33–38.6 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27.8%25.6–30.1 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.7%11.5–14.1 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.6%6.9–8.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7%6.3–7.7 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.2%7.4–9.1 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.7%3.4–4 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 20.9%17.4–24.3 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.6%14.6–18.8 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 32.1%28.7–35.7 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 16.9%14.8–19.3 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.1%33.1–40.9 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 10.8%9.3–12.4 | 5.2% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.7%77.1–82.2 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.3%55.1–61.1 | 69.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.6%85–88.1 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.3%71.6–76.8 | 75.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.1%59.2–66.5 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82%76.7–86.1 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 26.9%24.1–29.7 | 23.8% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 36.8%33.5–40.3 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.2%24.4–30.2 | 23.4% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 23.2%20.7–25.9 | 12.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 18.1%16.1–20.4 | 11.1% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12%10.6–13.6 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12.3%11–13.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 26.8%24.1–29.8 | 14.1% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 35.3%32.2–38.7 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.2%14.4–18 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 19%17.1–20.9 | 13.7% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 7%6.2–7.7 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.8%6.2–7.4 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.4%9.4–11.5 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 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 Southbridge Town
Is Southbridge Town a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Southbridge Town is healthier than 19% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #275 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 20%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Southbridge Town?
CDC estimates 37.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 33% and 41.9%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Southbridge Town?
Umass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital in Southbridge, 1.3 miles in a straight line from Southbridge Town’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Southbridge Town have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 10.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.3–12.4%), 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 Southbridge Town more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Southbridge Town.
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.