Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Wales is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns
Wales differs from Maine on 6 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP code 04280. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wales
Making ends meet is harder in Wales
1 in 8 adults worry about keeping their housing (12.1%), vs 9.8% across Maine. Utility shut-off threats (9% vs 7.4%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Wales sleeps less
37.2% of adults sleep under 7 hours a night, vs 32.8% 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 Wales’ likely range; Wales’ figures come from ZIP code 04280, which may reach past town lines; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+.
What’s behind Wales’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wales is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 52% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 12%).
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). Wales’ median household income is $77,004; among the 10,827 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($58K–$96K), it’s healthier than 32%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
16.5% of Wales adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maine
Share of adults, with the Maine figure marked.
9.5 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Out of every 100 Wales adults…
Wales runs below ME on 1 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 11% of Wales residents are 65 or older, vs 22% across Maine. Cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Wales
No hospital or community health center in Wales 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 Wales; ≈ 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).
Keeping up with care
Share of Wales adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
How Wales adults are doing
About the same as Maine on each measure.
1 in 3 Wales 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.
Wales and the towns around it
Wales’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wales · Sabattus | C+ | 36% | 11.9% | 17.1% | ZIP 04280 |
| Greene | C | 36.7% | 13.2% | 17.4% | ZIP 04236 |
| Monmouth | B+ | 31.8% | 10.8% | 14.2% | ZIP codes |
| Litchfield | B− | 32.7% | 11.8% | 16.2% | ZIP 04350 |
Wales and Sabattus share one ZIP estimate, so they share a row. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wales adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wales
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wales is better than Maine on 1 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Maine figure falls inside Wales’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wales | ME | U.S. | vs ME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 19.8%16.7–23 | 18.7% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.4%13.3–17.6 | 14.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.6%17.3–22 | 17.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36%31.5–40.8 | 32.7% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.9%10.3–13.6 | 11.2% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 33.3%30.2–36.6 | 35.7% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.1%35–41.5 | 37.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.7%29.9–35.6 | 32% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 13.4%12–15 | 12.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.8%8–9.8 | 9.9% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.2%6.3–8.2 | 7.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.8%7.4–10.2 | 8.4% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.6%3.1–4 | 3.6% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 17.2%14.5–20.2 | 14.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 17.1%14.1–20.2 | 14.4% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.2%22.1–30.3 | 23.1% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.3%13–17.9 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.2%32.9–41.4 | 32.8% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.5%6.7–10.7 | 7.8% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.5%76.6–82.2 | 81.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 60.7%57.5–63.7 | 63.8% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.3%84.2–88.2 | 87.1% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 74.5%71.4–77.4 | 76.4% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.5%62.5–70.1 | 70.5% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 81%75.3–85.4 | 80.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 30%26.8–33.6 | 26.9% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.6%29.8–37.5 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.5%21.4–28 | 22.7% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.6%10–15.4 | 10.7% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.1%10–14.3 | 9.8% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9%7.7–10.6 | 7.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.9%7.6–10.3 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16.5%13.3–19.8 | 14.3% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.6%29.4–37.8 | 32.1% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.3%12.1–16.7 | 14% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.9%14.5–19.3 | 15.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.1%7.1–9.1 | 8.4% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 4.6%4–5.3 | 4.4% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.8%7.4–10.1 | 8.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.8%3.2–4.4 | 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 Wales
Is Wales a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wales is healthier than 36% of U.S. towns: ≈ C+ for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 32%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Wales?
CDC estimates 36% of adults (the figure for ZIP code 04280, which Wales shares with Sabattus) have obesity, likely between 31.5% and 40.8%, against 32.7% across Maine and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wales?
St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, 6.9 miles in a straight line from Wales’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wales have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.7–10.7%), 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 Wales more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B+. The figures are ZIP code 04280’s, shared with Sabattus.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Wales.
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.