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Art GalleryArt Gallery · Photo: Patrick Higgins · CC BY-SA 3.0
AHealth Grade
Health in Gorham · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Gorham is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns

Gorham differs from Maine on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 19 better, 2 worse.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04038. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Gorham

Binge drinking is the habit Gorham doesn’t win on

18.8% of adults binge drink, vs 15.5% across Maine, even though fewer of them smoke and more of them exercise. Habits ↓

COPD and heart disease are less common in Gorham

Gorham runs below Maine on nine chronic conditions, most of all COPD (5.7% vs 8.4%), heart disease (5.3% vs 7.6%) and diabetes (8% vs 11.2%). A young population is part of it: only 18% of residents are 65 or older (Maine 22%). Conditions ↓

Gorham is an active town

Only 16.3% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.1% across Maine. The town has 88 miles of trails across 22 parks and preserves. 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 Maine figure falls outside Gorham’s likely range; Gorham’s figures come from ZIP code 04038, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.

Health Grade

What’s behind Gorham’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gorham is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns, #12 of 143 in Maine. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 96% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 33%).

ASelf-rated health13.8% · ME 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
A−Physical distress11.8% · ME 14.3% · U.S. 13%
CMental distress18% · ME 17.7% · U.S. 15.9%
AObesity26.2% · ME 32.7% · U.S. 32.9%
A+Diabetes8% · ME 11.2% · U.S. 12%
A−Smoking11.2% smoke · ME 14.4% · U.S. 11.8%
A+Exercise16.3% · ME 23.1% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 86%
Less healthyHealthier
Maine towns we grade (143)Healthier than 92%
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $84K–$140K (6,816)Healthier than 77%

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). Gorham’s median household income is $112,312; among the 6,816 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($84K–$140K), it’s healthier than 77%, about where its income would put it.

A fairly firm grade. With every estimate at the unfavorable or the favorable end of CDC’s likely range, Gorham could be anywhere from B+ to A+. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 04038), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

★ What stands out · Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Maine

Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.

Get no exercise 16.3%ME 23.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 30%ME 32.8%
Binge drink 18.8%ME 15.5%
Smoke cigarettes 11.2%ME 14.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Gorham, betterGorham, worseAbout the sameMaine
Where Gorham gets moving

88 miles of trails across 22 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Gorham adults…

Gorham runs below ME on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

6 of every 100 Gorham adults have COPD
Maine: 8 in 100 · better · likely 5–6.5%
Better than MEWorseAbout the sameMaine
Getting care

Care in and near Gorham

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

HNearest ERMainehealth Maine Medical CenterPortland · 10 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMainehealth Maine Medical Center★★★★★ · 10.0 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePortland Community Health CenterPortland · 6.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
6.8 mi
Portland Community Health Center
8 sites · nearest in Portland
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
10 mi
Mainehealth Maine Medical Center
Portland · ★★★★★
ER
10.5 mi
Northern Light Mercy Hospital
Portland · ★★★★★
ER
26.9 mi
Bridgton Hospital
Bridgton · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
30.4 mi
Central Maine Medical Center
Lewiston · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careGorham is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careGorham is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthGorham 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 Gorham; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

79%Yearly checkupME 81%
71%Dentist visitME 64%
87%Cholesterol checkME 87%
71%Colon screeningME 71%
81%MammogramME 80%
72%Taking BP medsME 76%
1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Gorham 6.3% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)
Mind & connection

How Gorham adults are doing

About the same as Maine on each measure.

1 in 3Gorham adults feel lonely
33% · ME 32% · About the same as ME
1 in 4Gorham adults lack social or emotional support
22.5% · ME 22.7% · About the same as ME
1 in 4Gorham adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.9% · ME 26.9% · About the same as ME
1 in 6Gorham adults are in frequent mental distress
18% · ME 17.7% · About the same as ME
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Gorham 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 13
Gorham adults worry about having enough food
7.8% · ME 10.7%
Better than ME
1 in 12
Gorham adults worry about keeping their housing
8.2% · ME 9.8%
Better than ME
1 in 17
Gorham adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6% · ME 7.4%
Better than ME
1 in 15
Gorham adults lack reliable transportation
6.7% · ME 7.8%
About the same as ME

9.6% of Gorham adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.

Around town

Gorham and the towns around it

Gorham’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 6 graded towns around it.

Windham: 26.9%Little Falls: 27%South Windham: 27%North Windham: 27.2%Buxton: 32.5%Standish: 28.7%Scarborough: 25.3%Westbrook: 27.8%Gray: 27.5%Falmouth: 24.2%Raymond: 27.2%Cumberland: 25.4%Hollis: 34.5%Dayton: 33.7%Saco: 32.4%Limington: 35.4%Steep Falls: 31.8%Sebago: 30.4%Baldwin: 30.6%Cape Elizabeth: 24.3%Old Orchard Beach: 33.9%South Portland: 27%Portland: 27.7%Gorham: 26.2%GorhamWindhamLittle FallsSouth WindhamNorth WindhamBuxtonStandishScarboroughWestbrookMainehealth Maine Medical Center · Portland · 10 mi · 4★ MedicareHNorthern Light Mercy Hospital · Portland · 10.5 mi · 4★ MedicareHGreater Portland Health at 654 Riverside Street · Portland · 6.8 mi+
Healthier than MENear MELess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#5 of 24 towns on this map, healthiest first
Scarborough25.3%
Gorham26.2%
Windham26.9%
Little Falls27%
South Windham27%
North Windham27.2%
Westbrook27.8%
Standish28.7%
Buxton32.5%
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
GorhamA26.2%8%11.2%ZIP 04038
WindhamA26.9%8.3%11.5%ZIP 04062
Little Falls————
South Windham————
North Windham————
BuxtonA−32.5%9.1%13.1%ZIP 04093
StandishB+28.7%9.7%14.2%ZIP codes
ScarboroughA25.3%8.9%9.5%ZIP 04074

Little Falls: fewer than 1,000 residents. South Windham and North Windham: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

25.6%

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

Walking or climbing stairs9.6%
Thinking or memory14.2%
Hearing6.2%
Errands alone6.7%
Vision3.2%
Dressing or bathing2.5%
Maine

Every CDC estimate for Gorham

Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Gorham is better than Maine on 19 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Gorham’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…GorhamMEU.S.vs ME
Overall health
Fair or poor health13.8%12.1–15.718.7%19.4%Better
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)11.8%10.5–13.214.3%13%Better
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)18%16.1–20.117.7%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity26.2%22.7–3032.7%32.9%Better
Diabetes8%7–911.2%12%Better
High blood pressure29.3%27–31.935.7%34.4%Better
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)31.6%29.1–34.237.4%37.1%Better
Arthritis25.1%23.1–27.332%25.3%Better
Asthma12.2%11–13.612.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer8.4%7.7–9.19.9%7.9%Better
Coronary heart disease5.3%4.7–5.97.6%6.4%Better
COPD5.7%5–6.58.4%6.3%Better
Stroke2.6%2.4–2.93.6%3.4%Better
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)10.2%8.5–12.114.8%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes11.2%9.5–13.114.4%11.8%Better
No exercise outside work16.3%14–18.923.1%24.7%Better
Binge drinking18.8%16.4–21.315.5%15.4%Worse
Sleep under 7 hours30%26.7–33.432.8%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)6.3%5.1–7.67.8%11%Better
Checkup in the past year78.8%76.1–81.281.2%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year71.1%68.6–73.563.8%63.2%Better
Cholesterol check in 5 years86.6%84.8–88.287.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)71.6%68.7–74.376.4%76.5%Worse
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)71.1%67.9–74.270.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)80.9%76.4–84.980.3%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26.9%24.2–29.826.9%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely33%30–36.332%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.5%20–25.422.7%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food7.8%6.5–9.410.7%15%Better
Worried about keeping housing8.2%6.9–9.79.8%12%Better
Threatened with a utility shut-off6%5.2–77.4%7.6%Better
Lack reliable transportation6.7%5.8–7.87.8%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)9.6%8–11.514.3%11.6%Lower
Disability
Any disability25.6%23–28.632.1%30.1%Lower
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs9.6%8.4–10.914%13.6%Lower
Difficulty concentrating or remembering14.2%12.5–16.115.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty6.2%5.5–6.98.4%6.7%Lower
Vision difficulty3.2%2.8–3.64.4%5.4%Lower
Difficulty doing errands alone6.7%5.9–7.78.1%7.9%Lower
Difficulty dressing or bathing2.5%2.2–2.83.5%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 Maine figure falls inside that range.

Questions about health in Gorham

Is Gorham a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gorham is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns: A for health, #12 of 143 in Maine. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 77%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Gorham?

CDC estimates 26.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 22.7% and 30%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Gorham?

Mainehealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, 10.0 miles in a straight line from Gorham’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.

How many people in Gorham have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.1–7.6%), 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 Gorham 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 Gorham.

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. 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.