Winslow Homer Studio · Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Scarborough is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns
Scarborough beats Maine on 22 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04074. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Scarborough
Scarborough is an active town
Only 15.8% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.1% across Maine. The town has 48 miles of trails across 24 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Scarborough keeps up with checkups
It beats Maine on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (73% vs 63.8%) and cholesterol checks (89.9% vs 87.1%). Checkups ↓
COPD and obesity are less common in Scarborough
Scarborough runs below Maine on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (5.7% vs 8.4%), obesity (25.3% vs 32.7%) and diabetes (8.9% vs 11.2%). Conditions ↓
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 Scarborough’s likely range; Scarborough’s figures come from ZIP code 04074, which may reach past town lines.
What’s behind Scarborough’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Scarborough is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns, #5 of 143 in Maine. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is no exercise (fewer adults who get no exercise than 97% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 80%.
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). Scarborough’s median household income is $133,558; among the 4,196 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($100K–$167K), it’s healthier than 84%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maine
Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.
48 miles of trails across 24 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Scarborough adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
Out of every 100 Scarborough adults…
Scarborough runs below ME on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Scarborough
No hospital or community health center in Scarborough 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 Scarborough; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Scarborough adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Scarborough does better than Maine.
3 in 10 Scarborough 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.
7.8% of Scarborough adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Scarborough and the towns around it
Scarborough’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarborough | A | 25.3% | 8.9% | 9.5% | ZIP 04074 |
| Cape Elizabeth | A+ | 24.3% | 8.8% | 7.3% | ZIP 04107 |
| Gorham | A | 26.2% | 8% | 11.2% | ZIP 04038 |
| Saco | A− | 32.4% | 9.1% | 12.6% | CDC place |
| Westbrook | A− | 27.8% | 8.9% | 12.4% | CDC place |
| Old Orchard Beach | — | — | — | — | |
| Old Orchard Beach | B | 33.9% | 12.2% | 13.1% | ZIP codes |
| South Portland | A− | 27% | 8.7% | 11.4% | CDC place |
Old Orchard Beach: a Census-designated place inside a larger town, graded as part of it. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Scarborough adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Scarborough
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Scarborough is better than Maine on 22 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Scarborough’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Scarborough | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.1%11.7–14.6 | 18.7% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.5%10.3–12.7 | 14.3% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.6–16.7 | 17.7% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 25.3%22–28.9 | 32.7% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8.9%7.8–10 | 11.2% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 32.9%30.3–35.4 | 35.7% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35%32.2–37.8 | 37.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.5%26.2–30.8 | 32% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.5%10.4–12.7 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 10.5%9.6–11.4 | 9.9% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.1%5.5–6.7 | 7.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 8.4% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.9%2.7–3.2 | 3.6% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.7%7.2–10.3 | 14.8% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.5%8.2–10.8 | 14.4% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 15.8%13.8–17.8 | 23.1% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.6%14.5–18.9 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.5%25.4–31.8 | 32.8% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.3%4.5–6.2 | 7.8% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.6%79.2–83.9 | 81.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73%70.5–75.3 | 63.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.9%88.6–91.1 | 87.1% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.8%73–78.4 | 76.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 74.8%71.8–77.6 | 70.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.2%77.8–85.8 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 24.3%21.8–26.9 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 30.1%27.3–32.9 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.6%18.4–22.9 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 6.4%5.5–7.5 | 10.7% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.7%5.8–7.7 | 9.8% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5%4.4–5.8 | 7.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.8%6.7–9.1 | 14.3% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25%22.5–27.4 | 32.1% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.1%9–11.3 | 14% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.8%10.5–13.1 | 15.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.1%6.3–7.8 | 8.4% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 4.4% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6%5.4–6.7 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.5%2.2–2.7 | 3.5% | 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 Scarborough
Is Scarborough a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Scarborough is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns: A for health, #5 of 143 in Maine. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 84%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Scarborough?
CDC estimates 25.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 22% and 28.9%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Scarborough?
Mainehealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, 6.4 miles in a straight line from Scarborough’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Scarborough have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.5–6.2%), 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 Scarborough more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Scarborough.
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.