Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Waltham is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns
Waltham differs from Massachusetts on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 15 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Waltham. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Waltham
COPD and heart disease are less common in Waltham
Waltham runs below Massachusetts on seven chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.2% vs 5.9%), heart disease (4.2% vs 5.8%) and stroke (2.2% vs 3%). Conditions ↓
Waltham has a community health center but no hospital
Charles River Community Health is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, 4 miles away. Getting care ↓
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 Waltham’s likely range.
What’s behind Waltham’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waltham is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #89 of 279 in Massachusetts. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 98% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 58%.
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). Waltham’s median household income is $120,216; among the 5,726 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($90K–$150K), 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 Waltham is healthier than 68% of graded towns, against 92% nationally.
Out of every 100 Waltham adults…
Waltham runs below MA on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Waltham
1 community health center in Waltham, 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 Waltham; ≈ 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.
38 miles of trails across 45 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Waltham adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Waltham adults are doing
About the same as Massachusetts on each measure.
4 in 10 Waltham 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.
13% of Waltham adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Waltham and the towns around it
Waltham’s Health Grade ranks 6th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham | A | 24% | 7.5% | 9.2% | CDC place |
| Weston | A+ | 20.7% | 8.4% | 6.3% | ZIP 02493 |
| Belmont | — | — | — | — | |
| Belmont | A+ | 21.4% | 7.7% | 6.6% | ZIP 02478 |
| Newton | A+ | 21.2% | 7.9% | 6.5% | CDC place |
| Lincoln | A+ | 22% | 9.3% | 6.2% | ZIP codes |
| Lexington | — | — | — | — | |
| Lexington | A+ | 19.5% | 8.9% | 5.8% | ZIP codes |
Belmont and Lexington: 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 Waltham adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Waltham
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Waltham is better than Massachusetts on 15 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Waltham’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Waltham | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 14%12.6–15.6 | 16.3% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.9%8.9–11 | 12.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%15–18.2 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24%20.9–27.4 | 27.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 7.5%6.7–8.4 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 24.7%22.7–26.9 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.6%29.3–34 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 19.8%18.2–21.6 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.4%10.3–12.6 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.7%6.2–7.3 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.2%3.8–4.6 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.2%2.1–2.4 | 3% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.1%7.5–10.8 | 11.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.2%8.1–10.5 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.9%16.7–21.3 | 21.7% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 17.5%15.6–19.7 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 32%28.8–35.4 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.1%4.4–5.9 | 5.2% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.9%75.5–80.3 | 80.9% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.8%68.4–73.1 | 69.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87.7%86.2–89 | 89.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 69.3%66.7–71.8 | 75.4% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.9%68.9–74.8 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.8%80–87.2 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.8%22.5–27.3 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 36.6%33.5–39.8 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.8%20.4–25.2 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12%10.6–13.6 | 12.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.9%9.7–12.3 | 11.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.4%5.6–7.3 | 7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.3%7.4–9.3 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13%11.4–14.7 | 14.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.1%22.7–27.6 | 27.3% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.7%7.8–9.8 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.2%12.8–15.7 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.6%3.3–3.9 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.9%6.2–7.7 | 7.2% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.4%2.2–2.6 | 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 Waltham
Is Waltham a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Waltham is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #89 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 Waltham?
CDC estimates 24% of adults have obesity, likely between 20.9% and 27.4%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Waltham?
Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, 4.0 miles in a straight line from Waltham’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Waltham have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.4–5.9%), 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 Waltham 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 Waltham.
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.