Health in Athol
Athol differs from Massachusetts on 20 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more adults with COPD (9% vs 5.9%) and more smokers (16.6% vs 11.3%).
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, from ZIP codes 01331, 01368. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Athol
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
38 miles of trails across 16 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
19.4% of Athol adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
How Athol adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Athol runs above Massachusetts.
1 in 3 Athol 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.
Care in and near Athol
1 hospital in Athol, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Athol; ≈ 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).
Athol’s Health Grade: C
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Athol is healthier than 33% of U.S. towns.
About what its income would suggest. Athol does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
How the Health Grade works
- Seven CDC estimates. Adults in fair or poor health, frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, obesity, diabetes, smoking and no exercise (CDC PLACES, 2025 release). On each one a town earns the share of U.S. towns doing worse, and those shares are averaged. It’s the same score as the Healthiest towns in Massachusetts ranking.
- Graded on a national curve. Every U.S. town with 1,000+ residents and all seven estimates (19,420 places): A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D and D− the bottom 15%. There’s no F.
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Athol with U.S. towns whose median household income is within 25% of its own.
- Modeled, not measured. CDC combines national survey answers with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix. High blood pressure is left out because it tracks age more than anything else. The confidence line recomputes the grade with every estimate at the low, then the high, end of its range.
Out of every 100 Athol adults…
Athol runs above MA on 11 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Keeping up with care
Share of Athol adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Athol and the towns around it
Athol’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 6 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 Grades next door
Tap a town to see its health pageLiving with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Athol adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
All 40 CDC measures for Athol
| Measure | Athol | Likely range | Massachusetts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 37.3% | 34.4–40.2% | 30.9% | worse |
| High cholesterol | 37.6% | 34.7–40.6% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 35.1% | 30.8–39.8% | 27.7% | worse |
| Arthritis | 31.7% | 29.1–34.2% | 25.4% | worse |
| Depression | 28.2% | 25.3–31.1% | 23.8% | worse |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 16.4% | 13.4–19.3% | 11.9% | worse |
| Asthma | 13.2% | 11.9–14.6% | 11.6% | worse |
| Cancer (not skin) | 9.6% | 8.8–10.5% | 8.5% | worse |
| Diabetes | 12% | 10.5–13.5% | 9.8% | worse |
| COPD | 9% | 7.9–10.1% | 5.9% | worse |
| Heart disease | 7.6% | 6.8–8.4% | 5.8% | worse |
| Stroke | 3.9% | 3.5–4.2% | 3% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.6% | 14.4–18.9% | 11.3% | worse |
| Binge drink | 17.3% | 15.1–19.8% | 17% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 27.5% | 24.3–30.9% | 21.7% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.1% | 31.1–38.7% | 33.6% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 81.4% | 79–83.8% | 80.9% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 66.5% | 63.5–69.1% | 69.8% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 89% | 87.4–90.3% | 89.7% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 69% | 65.4–72.4% | 68.4% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 83.8% | 78.9–87.5% | 83.7% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 76.9% | 74.3–79.4% | 75.4% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 5.4% | 4.5–6.5% | 5.2% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 34.9% | 31.7–38.3% | 34.2% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 24.9% | 22.2–27.8% | 23.4% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 19.3% | 17.4–21.3% | 16.2% | worse |
| Fair or poor health | 21% | 18.7–23.5% | 16.3% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 16.3% | 14.6–18.1% | 12.3% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 15.1% | 13.1–17.4% | 12.4% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 11.9% | 10.4–13.7% | 11.1% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 8.6% | 7.5–9.7% | 7% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 8.8% | 7.8–9.9% | 7.6% | worse |
| Receive SNAP | 19.4% | 16.8–22.1% | 14.1% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 33.4% | 30.2–36.7% | 27.3% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 15.6% | 13.7–17.6% | 11.6% | |
| Thinking or memory | 17% | 15.3–18.9% | 13.7% | |
| Hearing | 7.4% | 6.6–8.3% | 6% | |
| Vision | 5.1% | 4.6–5.7% | 4.1% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 4.3% | 3.8–4.7% | 3.1% | |
| Errands alone | 9.5% | 8.5–10.7% | 7.2% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC combines a large national health survey with each area’s age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Athol door to door.
Every figure has a likely range. When the Massachusetts figure falls inside it, we don’t call Athol better or worse.
CDC publishes towns like Athol by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Athol by how much of its land each one covers.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Athol.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Massachusetts 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.