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Porter-Bell-Brackley EstatePorter-Bell-Brackley Estate · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0
≈ B−Health Grade
Health in Strong · CDC PLACES 2025

Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Strong is healthier than 88%

On every measure CDC estimates, Strong looks like Maine as a whole.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04983. How CDC estimates town health

What stands out · In brief

What stands out about health in Strong

Strong is healthier than its income would predict

Against all U.S. towns, Strong is healthier than 47%. Against the 4,862 towns with similar household incomes ($36K–$59K), it’s healthier than 88%. Health Grade ↓

Strong has a community health center but no hospital

Health Reach Community Health Centers is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Mainehealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, 11.3 miles away. Getting care ↓

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 Strong’s likely range; Strong’s figures come from ZIP code 04983, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to A−.

Health Grade

What’s behind Strong’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Strong is healthier than 47% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 60% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 33%).

B−Self-rated health19.9% · ME 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
CPhysical distress15.1% · ME 14.3% · U.S. 13%
CMental distress18% · ME 17.7% · U.S. 15.9%
BObesity34.9% · ME 32.7% · U.S. 32.9%
BDiabetes11.6% · ME 11.2% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking15.5% smoke · ME 14.4% · U.S. 11.8%
BExercise24.6% · ME 23.1% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 47%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $36K–$59K (4,862)Healthier than 88%

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). Strong’s median household income is $47,557; among the 4,862 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($36K–$59K), it’s healthier than 88%, more than its income alone would suggest.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Strong could be anywhere from C− to A−. The letter shows with “≈”. These are ZIP code figures (ZIP 04983), weighted by land area, which can reach past town lines.

How TownRatings grades health →

Getting care

Care in and near Strong

1 community health center in Strong, plus the nearest just outside it.

HNearest ERMainehealth Franklin HospitalFarmington · 11.3 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMainehealth Franklin Hospital★★★★★ · 11.3 miDirections →
+Low-cost careHealth Reach Community Health CentersStrong · 2.3 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.3 mi
Health Reach Community Health Centers
7 sites · nearest in Strong
Sliding-scale feesIn Strong
Directions to nearest
11.3 mi
Mainehealth Franklin Hospital
Farmington · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
23.6 mi
Rumford Hospital
Rumford · not rated
ERRural critical access
24.3 mi
Redington Fairview General Hospital
Skowhegan · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
33.7 mi
DFD Russell Medical Center - Leeds
Leeds · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
37.6 mi
Maine General Medical Center
Augusta · ★★★★★
ER
✓ Primary careStrong is not a shortage area
! Dental careStrong is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Farmington · need score 10 of 25
✓ Mental healthNo HRSA shortage area covers Strong itself

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 Strong; ≈ 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).

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Strong adults…

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

38 of every 100 Strong adults have high blood pressure
Maine: 36 in 100 · about the same · likely 34.6–41.1%
Better than MEWorseAbout the sameMaine
Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Maine

Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.

Get no exercise 24.6%ME 23.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 36.4%ME 32.8%
Binge drink 14.7%ME 15.5%
Smoke cigarettes 15.5%ME 14.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Strong, betterStrong, worseAbout the sameMaine
Where Strong gets moving

5.5 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

81%Yearly checkupME 81%
62%Dentist visitME 64%
88%Cholesterol checkME 87%
71%Colon screeningME 71%
81%MammogramME 80%
76%Taking BP medsME 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Strong 7.5% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)
Mind & connection

How Strong adults are doing

About the same as Maine on each measure.

1 in 3Strong adults feel lonely
34% · ME 32% · About the same as ME
1 in 4Strong adults lack social or emotional support
23.7% · ME 22.7% · About the same as ME
3 in 10Strong adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.6% · ME 26.9% · About the same as ME
1 in 6Strong adults are in frequent mental distress
18% · ME 17.7% · About the same as ME
The one neighbors can help with

1 in 3 Strong 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 9
Strong adults worry about having enough food
11.2% · ME 10.7%
About the same as ME
1 in 9
Strong adults worry about keeping their housing
10.6% · ME 9.8%
About the same as ME
1 in 13
Strong adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.6% · ME 7.4%
About the same as ME
1 in 13
Strong adults lack reliable transportation
7.7% · ME 7.8%
About the same as ME

14.9% of Strong adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.

Around town

Strong and the towns around it

How health changes across the town line.

Avon: 36.6%New Vineyard: 35.8%Farmington: 34.2%Phillips: 36.6%Temple: 35.4%Weld: 36.9%Industry: 34.2%Anson: 37%New Portland: 36.3%Chesterville: 34.2%New Sharon: 36.7%Wilton: 37%Strong: 34.9%StrongAvonNew VineyardFarmingtonMainehealth Franklin Hospital · Farmington · 11.3 mi · 3★ MedicareHRumford Hospital · Rumford · 23.6 miHStrong Area Health Center · Strong · 2.3 mi+
Healthier than MENear MELess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#4 of 13 towns on this map, healthiest first
Farmington34.2%
Strong34.9%
New Vineyard35.8%
Avon36.6%
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
StrongB−34.9%11.6%15.5%ZIP 04983
Avon————
New Vineyard————
FarmingtonC+34.2%11%15.3%ZIP 04938

Avon and New Vineyard: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

34.3%

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

Walking or climbing stairs14.9%
Thinking or memory16%
Hearing9.1%
Errands alone8.4%
Vision4.7%
Dressing or bathing3.9%
Maine

Every CDC estimate for Strong

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Strong is better than Maine on 0 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Strong’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…StrongMEU.S.vs ME
Overall health
Fair or poor health19.9%17–23.118.7%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)15.1%13.2–17.214.3%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)18%15.9–20.217.7%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity34.9%30.1–39.532.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.6%10–13.211.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure37.8%34.6–41.135.7%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.4%36–42.837.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis34.2%31.2–37.332%25.3%About the same
Asthma13.2%11.8–14.712.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.5%9.5–11.69.9%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease8.3%7.3–9.37.6%6.4%About the same
COPD9.2%7.7–10.78.4%6.3%About the same
Stroke3.9%3.4–4.43.6%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)15%12.3–17.514.8%12.3%About the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.5%12.9–18.414.4%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work24.6%20.9–28.423.1%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking14.7%12.4–17.115.5%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours36.4%31.8–40.732.8%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.5%5.9–9.37.8%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year80.5%77.6–83.181.2%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year62%58.5–6563.8%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years88.2%86.5–89.787.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)76.3%73.2–79.176.4%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)70.7%66.8–74.170.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)81.3%76.1–85.580.3%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression27.6%24.4–30.726.9%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely34%30.1–37.932%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support23.7%20.5–2722.7%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food11.2%9.1–13.710.7%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing10.6%8.9–12.69.8%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.6%6.4–8.97.4%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.7%6.6–8.97.8%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)14.9%12.1–1814.3%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability34.3%30.3–38.532.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs14.9%12.7–17.314%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering16%13.8–18.215.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty9.1%8.1–10.28.4%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty4.7%4.1–5.44.4%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.4%7.2–9.78.1%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing3.9%3.4–4.53.5%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 Strong

Is Strong a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Strong is healthier than 47% 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 Strong?

CDC estimates 34.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.1% and 39.5%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Strong?

Mainehealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, 11.3 miles in a straight line from Strong’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Strong have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.9–9.3%), 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 Strong 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 Strong.

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.