Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Within Massachusetts, Wareham is healthier than 13% of graded towns
Wareham differs from Massachusetts on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 10 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 02571, 02576, 02538, 02532. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wareham
Massachusetts sets a high bar
Wareham is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, but only 13% of the 279 Massachusetts towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
COPD, heart disease and stroke run high in Wareham
1 in 12 adults have COPD (8.2%), vs 5.9% across Massachusetts. 1 in 14 adults have heart disease (7.4%), vs 5.8% across Massachusetts. Stroke is also above the state: 3.8%, vs 3% across Massachusetts. In all, Wareham runs above Massachusetts on six of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 26% of residents are 65 or older (Massachusetts 18%), and COPD, heart disease and stroke are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Every town around Wareham scores healthier
All six graded neighbors are ahead of Wareham’s B, from Carver (B+) to Bourne (A). Around town ↓
Smoking is more common in Wareham
1 in 7 adults smoke cigarettes (14.3%), vs 11.3% 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 Wareham’s likely range; Wareham’s figures come from ZIP codes 02571, 02576, 02538, 02532, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
What’s behind Wareham’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wareham is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns, #243 of 279 in Massachusetts. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 81% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 33%).
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). Wareham’s median household income is $90,383; among the 9,903 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($68K–$113K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Wareham adults…
Wareham runs above MA on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Wareham is an older town: 26% 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 Wareham as about how healthy they are.
Wareham and the towns around it
Wareham’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wareham | B | 30.6% | 11.6% | 14.3% | ZIP codes |
| Marion | A− | 28.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% | ZIP 02738 |
| Plymouth | A− | 28.7% | 10% | 11.4% | ZIP 02360 |
| Bourne | A | 26.6% | 7.7% | 11.4% | ZIP codes |
| Weweantic | — | — | — | — | |
| Rochester | A− | 28.8% | 9.8% | 12% | ZIP codes |
| Buzzards Bay | — | — | — | — | |
| West Wareham | — | — | — | — |
Weweantic, Buzzards Bay and West Wareham: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. 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.
115 miles of trails across 41 parks and preserves
Care in and near Wareham
No hospital or community health center in Wareham 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 Wareham; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Wareham adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Wareham adults are doing
About the same as Massachusetts on each measure.
1 in 3 Wareham 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.
15% of Wareham adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wareham adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wareham
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wareham is better than Massachusetts on 1 and worse on 10; on the rest, the Massachusetts figure falls inside Wareham’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wareham | MA | U.S. | vs MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 18.4%16–20.7 | 16.3% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.9%13.2–16.6 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18%16–20 | 16.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.6%25.8–35 | 27.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.6%10.1–13.1 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 34.9%31.6–37.9 | 30.9% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40%36.4–43.1 | 35.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 30.6%27.6–33.2 | 25.4% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.7%11.3–14 | 11.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.5–11.4 | 8.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.4%6.6–8.2 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.2%7.2–9.3 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.4–4.1 | 3% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.7%9.8–14.3 | 11.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.3%12.2–16.5 | 11.3% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 22.9%19.5–26.1 | 21.7% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.6%14.1–19 | 17% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 34.7%31–39.3 | 33.6% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.7%3.9–5.6 | 5.2% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.1%79.2–84.4 | 80.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.7%65.9–71.7 | 69.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.4%89–91.6 | 89.7% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.1%74.9–80.6 | 75.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.5%69.1–76.4 | 68.4% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.5%79.1–88 | 83.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.3%22.1–28.2 | 23.8% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.8%30.1–37.6 | 34.2% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.1%21.2–27.3 | 23.4% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.6%10.7–14.8 | 12.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.4%9.8–13.1 | 11.1% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.2%6.2–8.2 | 7% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.6%6.7–8.6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15%12.7–17.4 | 14.1% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.3%29.5–36.7 | 27.3% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.4%12.5–16.4 | 11.6% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.4%13.6–17.2 | 13.7% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%7–8.8 | 6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4.1–5.1 | 4.1% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.3%7.4–9.4 | 7.2% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.4–4.3 | 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 Wareham
Is Wareham a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wareham is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health, #243 of 279 in Massachusetts. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wareham?
CDC estimates 30.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.8% and 35%, against 27.7% across Massachusetts and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wareham?
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth in Plymouth, 13.1 miles in a straight line from Wareham’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wareham have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.9–5.6%), 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 Wareham more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Wareham.
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.