Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Amherst

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Amherst MEPhoto: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Health in Amherst · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Amherst residents get care

CDC publishes only some of its health estimates for Amherst, not the seven a Health Grade needs; here is what we do have.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04605. How CDC estimates town health

Fair or poor health
17.1%
About the same as ME (18.7%)
Obesity
29.7%
About the same as ME (32.7%)
No exercise
20.2%
About the same as ME (23.1%)
Uninsured
7.2%
About the same as ME (7.8%)
Feel lonely
30.5%
About the same as ME (32%)
Nearest ER
17.6 mi
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Amherst adults…

Amherst runs below ME on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

35 of every 100 Amherst adults have high blood pressure
Maine: 36 in 100 · about the same · likely 31.7–37.6%
Better than MEWorseAbout the sameMaine
Getting care

Care in and near Amherst

No hospital or community health center in Amherst itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERNorthern Light Eastern Maine Medical CenterBangor · 17.6 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyNorthern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center★★★★★ · 17.6 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePenobscot Community Health CenterOld Town · 12.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
12.8 mi
Penobscot Community Health Center
8 sites · nearest in Old Town
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
17.6 mi
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center
Bangor · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
18.6 mi
St. Joseph Hospital
Bangor · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
22.3 mi
Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital
Ellsworth · ★★★★★
ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
33 mi
Northern Light Blue Hill Memorial Hospital
Blue Hill · not rated
ERRural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
! Primary careAmherst is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Old Town · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careAmherst is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Old Town · need score 16 of 25
✓ Mental healthAmherst is not a shortage area

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 Amherst; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Maine

Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.

Get no exercise 20.2%ME 23.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 29.7%ME 32.8%
Binge drink 15.8%ME 15.5%
Smoke cigarettes 13.7%ME 14.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Amherst, betterAmherst, worseAbout the sameMaine
Where Amherst gets moving

21 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve

1Amherst Mountains Community Forest11.9 mi of trails
Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Amherst adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.

82%Yearly checkupME 81%
67%Dentist visitME 64%
89%Cholesterol checkME 87%
71%Colon screeningME 71%
81%MammogramME 80%
78%Taking BP medsME 76%
1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Amherst 7.2% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)
Mind & connection

How Amherst adults are doing

About the same as Maine on each measure.

3 in 10Amherst adults feel lonely
30.5% · ME 32% · About the same as ME
1 in 5Amherst adults lack social or emotional support
21.2% · ME 22.7% · About the same as ME
1 in 4Amherst adults have been diagnosed with depression
25.9% · ME 26.9% · About the same as ME
1 in 6Amherst adults are in frequent mental distress
16.8% · ME 17.7% · About the same as ME
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Amherst adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.

Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.

Find a group →

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.

Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 10
Amherst adults worry about having enough food
9.7% · ME 10.7%
About the same as ME
1 in 11
Amherst adults worry about keeping their housing
9.2% · ME 9.8%
About the same as ME
1 in 15
Amherst adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.8% · ME 7.4%
About the same as ME
1 in 14
Amherst adults lack reliable transportation
7% · ME 7.8%
About the same as ME

12.6% of Amherst adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.

Around town

Amherst and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Aurora: 31.7%Bradley: 40.3%Mariaville: 29.7%Osborn: 31%Great Pond: 31.7%Orono: 32.4%Old Town: 37.3%Milford: 40.1%Eddington: 36.8%Clifton: 36.8%Waltham: 30.3%Otis: 29.7%Amherst: 29.7%AmherstAuroraBradleyMariavilleNorthern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center · Bangor · 17.6 mi · 5★ MedicareHSt. Joseph Hospital · Bangor · 18.6 mi · 3★ MedicareHHelen Hunt Health Center · Old Town · 12.8 mi+
Healthier than MENear MELess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#1 of 13 towns on this map, healthiest first
Amherst29.7%
Mariaville29.7%
Aurora31.7%
Bradley40.3%
ME32.7%

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.

Health next door

TownHealthObesityDiabetesSmokingFigures from
Aurora————
Mariaville————
BradleyD40.3%13.1%19.2%ZIP 04411

Aurora and Mariaville: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

30.4%

of Amherst adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs13.2%
Thinking or memory14.8%
Hearing8.3%
Errands alone7.5%
Vision4.2%
Dressing or bathing3.4%
Maine

Questions about health in Amherst

Why doesn’t Amherst have a Health Grade?

Every Health Grade is built from seven of CDC’s PLACES estimates, and CDC doesn’t publish all seven for Amherst.

What hospital is closest to Amherst?

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, 17.6 miles in a straight line from Amherst’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Amherst.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maine figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. 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.