Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0On CDC estimates, Bar Harbor is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns
Bar Harbor beats Maine on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04609. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bar Harbor
What’s behind Bar Harbor’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bar Harbor is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, #19 of 143 in Maine. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 90% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 69%.
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). Bar Harbor’s median household income is $77,180; among the 10,818 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$96K), it’s healthier than 95%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maine
Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.
84 miles of trails across 14 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Bar Harbor adults…
Bar Harbor runs below ME on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Bar Harbor
1 hospital in Bar Harbor, 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 Bar Harbor; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bar Harbor adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
How Bar Harbor adults are doing
About the same as Maine on each measure.
3 in 10 Bar Harbor 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.
11.1% of Bar Harbor adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Bar Harbor and the towns around it
Bar Harbor’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Harbor | A− | 28.2% | 10.3% | 11.4% | ZIP 04609 |
| Gouldsboro | B | 29.9% | 12.7% | 14.5% | ZIP codes |
| Trenton · Lamoine | B+ | 29.7% | 10.7% | 13.7% | ZIP 04605 |
| Mount Desert | A | 27.4% | 10.7% | 10% | ZIP codes |
| Winter Harbor | — | — | — | — | |
| Hancock | B+ | 30% | 11.2% | 14% | ZIP codes |
Winter Harbor: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bar Harbor adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bar Harbor
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bar Harbor is better than Maine on 7 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Bar Harbor’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bar Harbor | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.7%13.3–18.1 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.5%10.9–14.2 | 14.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.9%14–17.8 | 17.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 28.2%24.2–32.5 | 32.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10.3%8.9–11.8 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.7%30.7–36.7 | 35.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.6%34.6–40.8 | 37.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.8%28.2–33.5 | 32% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.8–13.4 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.5%9.6–11.5 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.1%6.3–8 | 7.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.2%6.1–8.5 | 8.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.4%3–3.8 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.4%7.6–11.4 | 14.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.4%9.1–13.7 | 14.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 18.5%15.5–21.7 | 23.1% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.2%13.1–17.7 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29%25–33.1 | 32.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.4%5.1–8 | 7.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 83%80.6–85.4 | 81.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 69%65.9–72 | 63.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.7%87–90.2 | 87.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78%75.3–80.6 | 76.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 71.3%67.4–75 | 70.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81.8%76.6–86.2 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.4%22.5–28.4 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.9%26.4–33.7 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 19.8%17.1–22.9 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.8%7.1–10.9 | 10.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.2%6.8–9.9 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.2%5.3–7.4 | 7.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%5.6–7.8 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.1%8.9–13.8 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.8%25.3–32.2 | 32.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.2%10.3–14.2 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.7%11.7–15.7 | 15.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.9%7–8.9 | 8.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.4–4.6 | 4.4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7%5.9–8.1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.7–3.6 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Maine figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bar Harbor
Is Bar Harbor a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bar Harbor is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #19 of 143 in Maine. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 95%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bar Harbor?
CDC estimates 28.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 24.2% and 32.5%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bar Harbor?
Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor, 3.2 miles in a straight line from Bar Harbor’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Bar Harbor have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.1–8%), against 7.8% across Maine.
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 Bar Harbor more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bar Harbor.
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. 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.