Photo: James H. Fisher, Hancock County Planning Commission; color-corrected by Howcheng · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Gouldsboro is healthier than 84%
Gouldsboro differs from Maine on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 04607, 04624, 04669, 04613. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Gouldsboro
Cancer and heart disease run high in Gouldsboro
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.3%), vs 9.9% across Maine. 1 in 11 adults have heart disease (9.2%), vs 7.6% across Maine. In all, Gouldsboro runs above Maine on three of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 39% of residents are 65 or older (Maine 22%), and cancer and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
More high blood pressure in Gouldsboro, and more people treating it
39.6% of adults have high blood pressure (Maine 35.7%), but 80.9% of them take medicine for it, vs 76.4% statewide. Checkups ↓
Health varies a lot right around Gouldsboro
Grades next door run from Bar Harbor (A−) to Steuben (D). Gouldsboro is a B. Around town ↓
Gouldsboro is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Gouldsboro is healthier than 59%. Against the 9,155 towns with similar household incomes ($46K–$76K), it’s healthier than 84%. Health Grade ↓
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 Gouldsboro’s likely range; Gouldsboro’s figures come from ZIP codes 04607, 04624, 04669, 04613, 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 Gouldsboro’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gouldsboro is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 84% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 35%).
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). Gouldsboro’s median household income is $60,873; among the 9,155 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($46K–$76K), it’s healthier than 84%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Out of every 100 Gouldsboro adults…
Gouldsboro runs above ME on 6 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Gouldsboro is an older town: 39% of residents are 65 or older, vs 22% across Maine. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Gouldsboro as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Gouldsboro adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
Gouldsboro and the towns around it
Gouldsboro’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gouldsboro | B | 29.9% | 12.7% | 14.5% | ZIP codes |
| Steuben | D | 41.4% | 15.4% | 20.6% | ZIP 04680 |
| Winter Harbor | — | — | — | — | |
| Bar Harbor | A− | 28.2% | 10.3% | 11.4% | ZIP 04609 |
| Sorrento | — | — | — | — | |
| Sullivan | C+ | 32.5% | 12.4% | 16.9% | ZIP 04664 |
| Hancock | B+ | 30% | 11.2% | 14% | ZIP codes |
Winter Harbor and Sorrento: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Care in and near Gouldsboro
No hospital or community health center in Gouldsboro 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 Gouldsboro; ≈ 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.
20 miles of trails across 11 parks and preserves
How Gouldsboro adults are doing
About the same as Maine on each measure.
3 in 10 Gouldsboro 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.
12.8% of Gouldsboro adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Gouldsboro adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Gouldsboro
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Gouldsboro is better than Maine on 3 and worse on 6; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Gouldsboro’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Gouldsboro | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.3%16–22.6 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%12.9–17.4 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16%14–18.1 | 17.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 29.9%25.7–34.5 | 32.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.7%10.9–14.7 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 39.6%36.1–43 | 35.7% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 42%38.6–45.4 | 37.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.8%33.6–40 | 32% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12.1%10.8–13.5 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.3%11.1–13.6 | 9.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.2%7.9–10.6 | 7.6% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 9.7%7.8–11.7 | 8.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.3%3.7–5 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.1%10.8–15.8 | 14.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.5%11.4–17.7 | 14.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 23%18.8–27.3 | 23.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.7%11.7–16 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.1%25.2–33.3 | 32.8% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.2%6.3–10.7 | 7.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.1%81.7–86.3 | 81.2% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65%61.9–68.2 | 63.8% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.7%88.2–91.3 | 87.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.9%78–83.6 | 76.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.4%69.7–76.9 | 70.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 79.9%74.1–84.7 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.7%21.9–27.7 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.4%26.5–34.5 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.9%18.6–25.2 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 9.9%7.6–12.6 | 10.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.8%7.1–10.7 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.2%5.1–7.4 | 7.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.8%5.6–8.1 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 12.8%9.7–16.2 | 14.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 34%29.6–38.4 | 32.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%13.1–18.9 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.9%12.7–17.4 | 15.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.1%8.7–11.5 | 8.4% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.7%4–5.6 | 4.4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%6.7–9.5 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.9%3.2–4.6 | 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 Gouldsboro
Is Gouldsboro a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Gouldsboro is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Gouldsboro?
CDC estimates 29.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 25.7% and 34.5%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Gouldsboro?
Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor, 7.1 miles in a straight line from Gouldsboro’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Gouldsboro have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–10.7%), 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 Gouldsboro 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 Gouldsboro.
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.