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Waldo County Maine Incorporated Areas Jackson HighlightedPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
Health in Jackson · CDC PLACES 2025

Where Jackson residents get care

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

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04921. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Jackson

Making ends meet is harder in Jackson

1 in 11 adults were threatened with a utility shut-off (9.3%), vs 7.4% across Maine. Housing insecurity (12.3% vs 9.8%) is higher too. 19.3% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14.3% statewide. Everyday needs ↓

Smoking is more common in Jackson

1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (18.1%), vs 14.4% across Maine. 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 Jackson’s likely range; Jackson’s figures come from ZIP code 04921, which may reach past town lines.

★ What stands out · 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 8
Jackson adults worry about having enough food
13.2% · ME 10.7%
About the same as ME
1 in 8
Jackson adults worry about keeping their housing
12.3% · ME 9.8%
Worse than ME
1 in 11
Jackson adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
9.3% · ME 7.4%
Worse than ME
1 in 11
Jackson adults lack reliable transportation
9.2% · ME 7.8%
About the same as ME

19.3% of Jackson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Maine

Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.8%ME 23.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 33.8%ME 32.8%
Binge drink 15.2%ME 15.5%
Smoke cigarettes 18.1%ME 14.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Jackson, betterJackson, worseAbout the sameMaine
Where Jackson gets moving

11 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Jackson adults…

On every condition, Jackson is about the same as Maine. Tap one to see it as people.

35 of every 100 Jackson adults have high blood pressure
Maine: 36 in 100 · about the same · likely 32.1–38.5%
Better than MEWorseAbout the sameMaine
Getting care

Care in and near Jackson

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

HNearest ERMainehealth Waldo HospitalBelfast · 11.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMainehealth Waldo Hospital★★★★★ · 11.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost carePenobscot Community Health CenterBelfast · 14.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11.7 mi
Mainehealth Waldo Hospital
Belfast · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
14.7 mi
Penobscot Community Health Center
6 sites · nearest in Belfast
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
15.9 mi
Lovejoy Health Center
Albion · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
16.5 mi
Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital
Pittsfield · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
22.8 mi
St. Joseph Hospital
Bangor · ★★★★★
ER
23.5 mi
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center
Bangor · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careJackson is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Unity · need score 15 of 25
! Dental careJackson is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Unity · need score 16 of 25
✓ Mental healthJackson 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 Jackson; ≈ 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).

Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%Yearly checkupME 81%
62%Dentist visitME 64%
86%Cholesterol checkME 87%
69%Colon screeningME 71%
77%MammogramME 80%
76%Taking BP medsME 76%
1 in 11
working-age adults has no health insurance
Jackson 9% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)
Mind & connection

How Jackson adults are doing

About the same as Maine on each measure.

1 in 3Jackson adults feel lonely
32.5% · ME 32% · About the same as ME
1 in 4Jackson adults lack social or emotional support
23.9% · ME 22.7% · About the same as ME
3 in 10Jackson adults have been diagnosed with depression
29.8% · ME 26.9% · About the same as ME
1 in 5Jackson adults are in frequent mental distress
19.9% · ME 17.7% · About the same as ME
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Jackson 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.

Around town

Jackson and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Monroe: 36.2%Brooks: 36.3%Thorndike: 35.8%Dixmont: 39.6%Frankfort: 35.9%Swanville: 34.1%Winterport: 33.1%Knox: 35.8%Waldo: 34.1%Unity: 32.7%Troy: 37.8%Etna: 40.8%Newburgh: 35.3%Jackson: 36.3%JacksonMonroeBrooksThorndikeDixmontMainehealth Waldo Hospital · Belfast · 11.7 mi · 3★ MedicareHNorthern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital · Pittsfield · 16.5 mi · 2★ MedicareH
Healthier than MENear MELess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#10 of 14 towns on this map, healthiest first
Thorndike35.8%
Monroe36.2%
Jackson36.3%
Brooks36.3%
Dixmont39.6%
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
Monroe————
BrooksC36.3%11.7%18.1%ZIP 04921
DixmontC−39.6%12.7%17.1%ZIP 04932
Thorndike————

Monroe and Thorndike: not graded. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

35%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.5%
Thinking or memory17.5%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone9.6%
Vision5.1%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Maine

Questions about health in Jackson

Why doesn’t Jackson have a Health Grade?

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

What hospital is closest to Jackson?

Mainehealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast, 11.7 miles in a straight line from Jackson’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room. Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.