Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Bethel is healthier than 81%
Bethel trails Maine on 3 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04217. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bethel
Bethel is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Bethel is healthier than 54%. Against the 8,635 towns with similar household incomes ($44K–$74K), it’s healthier than 81%. Health Grade ↓
Bethel is an older town
29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 22% across Maine. Conditions like heart disease and arthritis become more common with age, so keep that in mind when comparing Bethel with the state. Conditions ↓
Bethel has a community health center but no hospital
Health Reach Community Health Centers is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Rumford Hospital in Rumford, 12 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 Maine figure falls outside Bethel’s likely range; Bethel’s figures come from ZIP code 04217, 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 Bethel’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bethel is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns, #80 of 143 in Maine. No exercise holds the grade up (fewer adults who get no exercise than 73% of U.S. towns); physical 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). Bethel’s median household income is $58,929; among the 8,635 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$74K), it’s healthier than 81%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Bethel adults…
Bethel runs above ME on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Bethel is an older town: 29% of residents are 65 or older, vs 22% across Maine. Many conditions rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Bethel as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Bethel
1 community health center in Bethel, 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 Bethel; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Maine
Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.
52 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Bethel adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
How Bethel adults are doing
About the same as Maine on each measure.
1 in 3 Bethel 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.
15.2% of Bethel adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Bethel and the towns around it
Bethel has the best Health Grade of the 3 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
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bethel adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bethel
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bethel is better than Maine on 0 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Bethel’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bethel | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.4%16.8–22.2 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.2%13.4–17.2 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.8–18.8 | 17.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.8%29.5–38.6 | 32.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.5%11.1–14.2 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.4%33.4–39.6 | 35.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.8%37.7–44.3 | 37.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 34.3%31.7–37.3 | 32% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 13.2%11.9–14.7 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.4%9.5–11.5 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%7.1–8.9 | 7.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 9.1%7.9–10.5 | 8.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.8%3.4–4.3 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.1%13.6–18.9 | 14.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.3%13–18 | 14.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.1%18.9–25.8 | 23.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.7%13.5–18.2 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.3%29.2–37.6 | 32.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%5.9–8.9 | 7.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 82.1%79.6–84.6 | 81.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60%56.9–63.1 | 63.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.1%86.6–89.7 | 87.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.6%75–80.3 | 76.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.3%62.2–70.1 | 70.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 77.4%71.6–82.7 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 25.8%23–29 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.9%27.5–34.5 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.6%19.9–25.7 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.3%9.5–13.6 | 10.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.3%8.7–12.1 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.9%6.8–9.1 | 7.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.7%6.7–8.9 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 15.2%12.7–18.1 | 14.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30.2%26.7–34 | 32.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.2%12.3–16.4 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15%13.2–17.2 | 15.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.4%7.5–9.4 | 8.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4.1–5.3 | 4.4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.4%7.3–9.5 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.4–4.4 | 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 Bethel
Is Bethel a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bethel is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns: ≈ B− for health, #80 of 143 in Maine. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bethel?
CDC estimates 33.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.5% and 38.6%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bethel?
Rumford Hospital in Rumford, 12.0 miles in a straight line from Bethel’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Bethel have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.9–8.9%), 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 Bethel 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 Bethel.
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.