Photo: Public domain · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Owls Head is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns
Owls Head differs from Maine on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04854. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Owls Head
Owls Head keeps up with checkups
It beats Maine on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (84% vs 81.2%) and dentist visits (71.4% vs 63.8%). Checkups ↓
Cancer and arthritis run high in Owls Head
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.3%), vs 9.9% across Maine. 36.9% of adults have arthritis, vs 32% across Maine. Age is part of it: 32% of residents are 65 or older (Maine 22%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Fewer Owls Head adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Maine. 1 in 13 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 9 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 Owls Head’s likely range; Owls Head’s figures come from ZIP code 04854, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Owls Head’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Owls Head is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 90% of towns); the weakest is physical distress, still better than 59%.
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). Owls Head’s median household income is $87,325; among the 10,216 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($65K–$109K), it’s healthier than 83%, about where its income would put it.
Keeping up with care
Share of Owls Head adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
Out of every 100 Owls Head adults…
Owls Head runs below ME on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Owls Head is an older town: 32% of residents are 65 or older, vs 22% across Maine. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Owls Head as about how healthy they are.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.7% of Owls Head adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Care in and near Owls Head
No hospital or community health center in Owls Head 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 Owls Head; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maine
Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.
5.9 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
How Owls Head adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Owls Head does better than Maine.
3 in 10 Owls Head 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.
Owls Head and the towns around it
Owls Head’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 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
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owls Head | A− | 27.8% | 11.4% | 12.4% | ZIP 04854 |
| South Thomaston | A− | 28.2% | 11% | 13% | ZIP 04858 |
| North Haven | — | — | — | — | |
| Rockland | B+ | 28.7% | 10.6% | 14.4% | CDC place |
North Haven: 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 Owls Head adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Owls Head
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Owls Head is better than Maine on 13 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Owls Head’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Owls Head | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.5%13.5–19.7 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%11.6–15.8 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.2–16 | 17.7% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 27.8%23.6–32.1 | 32.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 11.4%9.7–13.2 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.7%34.3–41.1 | 35.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.7%38.5–45 | 37.4% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 36.9%33.7–39.9 | 32% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.5–13.1 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.3%11.1–13.5 | 9.9% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.5%7.3–9.8 | 7.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.5%6.7–10.4 | 8.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4%3.4–4.7 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.7%8.7–12.9 | 14.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.4%9.6–15.3 | 14.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 21%17.1–25.2 | 23.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 12.9%10.9–15.1 | 15.5% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28%24.2–31.9 | 32.8% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.7%5–8.9 | 7.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 84%81.6–86.3 | 81.2% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 71.4%68.4–74.1 | 63.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 90.9%89.3–92.3 | 87.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 80.2%77.3–82.7 | 76.4% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.2%69.6–76.5 | 70.5% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80%74.6–84.6 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.4%21.6–27.5 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.6%25–32.5 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.7%18.5–25.1 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 7.5%5.6–9.6 | 10.7% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7.3%5.8–9 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.5%4.4–6.6 | 7.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.8%4.8–7 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.7%7.2–12.5 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.8%25.8–34.3 | 32.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.6%11.9–17.3 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.4%10.5–14.6 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.4%8.2–10.7 | 8.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.2%3.5–5 | 4.4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.2%6–8.6 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%2.8–4.1 | 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 Owls Head
Is Owls Head a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Owls Head is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns: A− for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Owls Head?
CDC estimates 27.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.6% and 32.1%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Owls Head?
Mainehealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, 4.0 miles in a straight line from Owls Head’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Owls Head have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5–8.9%), 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 Owls Head 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 Owls Head.
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.