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View at Union, MEPhoto: Public domain · Public domain
≈ BHealth Grade
Health in Union · CDC PLACES 2025

On CDC estimates, Union is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns

Union beats Maine on 1 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.

Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04862. How CDC estimates town health

Health Grade

What’s behind Union’s grade

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Union is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 81% of U.S. towns); physical distress pulls it down (better than 39%).

BSelf-rated health18.8% · ME 18.7% · U.S. 19.4%
C+Physical distress14.8% · ME 14.3% · U.S. 13%
BMental distress16.7% · ME 17.7% · U.S. 15.9%
A−Obesity30.7% · ME 32.7% · U.S. 32.9%
B−Diabetes11.8% · ME 11.2% · U.S. 12%
C+Smoking15.8% smoke · ME 14.4% · U.S. 11.8%
B+Exercise22.9% · ME 23.1% · U.S. 24.7%
All U.S. towns we grade (21,250)Healthier than 58%
Less healthyHealthier
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $61K–$101K (10,706)Healthier than 61%

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). Union’s median household income is $80,724; among the 10,706 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($61K–$101K), it’s healthier than 61%, about where its income would put it.

A rough placement. CDC’s likely ranges are wide here: with every estimate at one end or the other, Union could be anywhere from C to A−. The letter shows with “≈”. Shared figures. CDC doesn’t publish an estimate for Union itself, so these are ZIP code 04862’s, which Union shares with Appleton. The two towns get the same figures and the same grade, and the ZIP’s 3,063 adults include people outside Union.

How TownRatings grades health →

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Union adults…

Union runs below ME on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.

36 of every 100 Union adults have high blood pressure
Maine: 36 in 100 · about the same · likely 33.2–39.6%
Better than MEWorseAbout the sameMaine
Getting care

Care in and near Union

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

HNearest ERMainehealth Pen Bay HospitalRockport · 11.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyMainehealth Pen Bay Hospital★★★★★ · 11.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careMid-Coast Health Net/Knox Clinic Main SiteRockland · 12.2 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
11.7 mi
Mainehealth Pen Bay Hospital
Rockport · ★★★★★
ER
12.2 mi
Mid-Coast Health Net/Knox Clinic Main Site
Rockland · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
13 mi
Health Reach Community Health Centers
2 sites · nearest in Whitefield
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
18.5 mi
Lincolnhealth
Damariscotta · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
20.3 mi
Mainehealth Waldo Hospital
Belfast · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
20.8 mi
Togus VA Medical Center
Augusta · ★★★★★
ERFor veterans
✓ Primary careUnion is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careUnion is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthUnion 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 Union; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with Maine

Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.

Get no exercise 22.9%ME 23.1%
Sleep under 7 hours 31.3%ME 32.8%
Binge drink 14.2%ME 15.5%
Smoke cigarettes 15.8%ME 14.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Union, betterUnion, worseAbout the sameMaine
Where Union gets moving

5.7 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves

Parks & trails →
Checkups & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

82%Yearly checkupME 81%
64%Dentist visitME 64%
88%Cholesterol checkME 87%
68%Colon screeningME 71%
78%MammogramME 80%
78%Taking BP medsME 76%
1 in 13
working-age adults has no health insurance
Union 7.7% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)
Mind & connection

How Union adults are doing

About the same as Maine on each measure.

3 in 10Union adults feel lonely
29.9% · ME 32% · About the same as ME
1 in 4Union adults lack social or emotional support
22.9% · ME 22.7% · About the same as ME
1 in 4Union adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.9% · ME 26.9% · About the same as ME
1 in 6Union adults are in frequent mental distress
16.7% · ME 17.7% · About the same as ME
The one neighbors can help with

3 in 10 Union 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
Union adults worry about having enough food
10.6% · ME 10.7%
About the same as ME
1 in 10
Union adults worry about keeping their housing
9.8% · ME 9.8%
About the same as ME
1 in 13
Union adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
7.8% · ME 7.4%
About the same as ME
1 in 13
Union adults lack reliable transportation
7.9% · ME 7.8%
About the same as ME

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

Around town

Union and the towns around it

Union’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 6 graded towns around it.

Washington: 31.7%Warren: 31.3%Appleton: 30.7%Hope: 29.5%Waldoboro: 31.1%Somerville: 33%Palermo: 34.2%Liberty: 35.3%Jefferson: 33%Thomaston: 29.9%Cushing: 29.3%Rockport: 27.5%Rockland: 28.7%Searsmont: 34.9%Lincolnville: 32.7%Camden: 27.6%Friendship: 28.8%Nobleboro: 32.1%Bremen: 29.5%Damariscotta: 30.8%Union: 30.7%UnionWashingtonWarrenAppletonHopeWaldoboroMainehealth Pen Bay Hospital · Rockport · 11.7 mi · 3★ MedicareHLincolnhealth · Damariscotta · 18.5 mi · 3★ MedicareHMainehealth Waldo Hospital · Belfast · 20.3 mi · 3★ MedicareHMid-Coast Health Net/Knox Clinic Main Site · Rockland · 12.2 mi+Sheepscot Valley Health Center · Whitefield · 13 mi+
Healthier than MENear MELess healthyHHospital+Health center
Obesity
#9 of 21 towns on this map, healthiest first
Hope29.5%
Union30.7%
Appleton30.7%
Waldoboro31.1%
Warren31.3%
Washington31.7%
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
Union · AppletonB30.7%11.8%15.8%ZIP 04862
WashingtonB−31.7%12.3%17%ZIP 04574
WarrenB31.3%10.2%17.9%ZIP 04864
WaldoboroB+31.1%10.4%13.2%ZIP 04572
HopeB+29.5%10.6%14.3%ZIP 04847

Union and Appleton share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.

Disability

Living with a disability

Shown without a better/worse judgment.

31.2%

of Union adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs15.2%
Thinking or memory15%
Hearing8.9%
Errands alone8.5%
Vision4.9%
Dressing or bathing4.1%
Maine

Every CDC estimate for Union

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

On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Union is better than Maine on 1 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Union’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.

Adults who…UnionMEU.S.vs ME
Overall health
Fair or poor health18.8%16–21.718.7%19.4%About the same
Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month)14.8%12.8–16.714.3%13%About the same
Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month)16.7%14.7–18.717.7%15.9%About the same
Conditions
Obesity30.7%26.4–35.432.7%32.9%About the same
Diabetes11.8%10.2–13.411.2%12%About the same
High blood pressure36.4%33.2–39.635.7%34.4%About the same
High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years)39.6%36.4–42.937.4%37.1%About the same
Arthritis34.6%31.7–37.532%25.3%About the same
Asthma12.5%11.1–13.912.6%9.9%About the same
Cancer, other than skin cancer10.2%9.2–11.19.9%7.9%About the same
Coronary heart disease8.2%7.3–9.27.6%6.4%About the same
COPD9.5%8–118.4%6.3%About the same
Stroke4%3.5–4.53.6%3.4%About the same
Lost all teeth (ages 65+)11.3%9.4–13.514.8%12.3%Better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes15.8%13–18.714.4%11.8%About the same
No exercise outside work22.9%19.3–26.723.1%24.7%About the same
Binge drinking14.2%12.1–16.615.5%15.4%About the same
Sleep under 7 hours31.3%27.2–35.532.8%36%About the same
Checkups and coverage
No health insurance (ages 18–64)7.7%6.1–9.67.8%11%About the same
Checkup in the past year81.7%79–84.281.2%77.4%About the same
Dentist visit in the past year63.8%60.4–66.863.8%63.2%About the same
Cholesterol check in 5 years87.9%86.2–89.587.1%87.1%About the same
Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure)77.5%74.5–80.276.4%76.5%About the same
Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75)67.8%63.9–71.370.5%65.5%About the same
Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74)77.7%71.7–82.880.3%76.4%About the same
Mind and connection
Ever told they have depression26.9%23.8–3026.9%20.6%About the same
Feel lonely29.9%26.2–33.832%32.5%About the same
Lack social and emotional support22.9%19.9–26.222.7%23.6%About the same
Everyday needs
Worried about having enough food10.6%8.5–12.910.7%15%About the same
Worried about keeping housing9.8%8.1–11.79.8%12%About the same
Threatened with a utility shut-off7.8%6.5–9.27.4%7.6%About the same
Lack reliable transportation7.9%6.7–9.27.8%7.9%About the same
Received SNAP (food stamps)14.9%12–18.114.3%11.6%About the same
Disability
Any disability31.2%27.4–34.932.1%30.1%About the same
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs15.2%13–17.514%13.6%About the same
Difficulty concentrating or remembering15%12.9–17.115.5%13.9%About the same
Hearing difficulty8.9%7.8–9.98.4%6.7%About the same
Vision difficulty4.9%4.3–5.64.4%5.4%About the same
Difficulty doing errands alone8.5%7.3–9.88.1%7.9%About the same
Difficulty dressing or bathing4.1%3.5–4.73.5%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 Union

Is Union a healthy place to live?

On seven CDC estimates for adults, Union is healthier than 58% of U.S. towns: ≈ B for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 61%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.

What is the obesity rate in Union?

CDC estimates 30.7% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 04862, which Union shares with Appleton) have obesity, likely between 26.4% and 35.4%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.

What hospital is closest to Union?

Mainehealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, 11.7 miles in a straight line from Union’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.

How many people in Union have no health insurance?

CDC estimates 7.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–9.6%), 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 Union more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C to A−. The figures are ZIP code 04862’s, shared with Appleton.

Neighbors talk health

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

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.