Health · Boston
Boston, MA health
Boston differs from Massachusetts on 22 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (5.3% vs 8.5%) and fewer adults with arthritis (17.8% vs 25.4%). Where it trails the state: more adults without reliable transportation (11.4% vs 7.6%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for BostonTownTapestry Health GradeNew
A−
Boston’s Health Grade: A−
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Boston is healthier than 80% of U.S. towns.
B+Self-rated healthAPhysical distressCMental distressA+ObesityADiabetesA-SmokingB+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 80%
Less healthyHealthier
Massachusetts towns we grade (320)Healthier than 37%
Towns with similar incomes, $73K–$122K (8,337)Healthier than 78%
About what its income would suggest. Boston does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Boston could be anywhere from B+ to A.
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 our 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) is lined up by score: A+ top 5%A next 10%A- next 10%B B+ to B−, next 30%C C+ to C−, next 30%D D and D−, bottom 15%
- Not adjusted for income. Wealthier towns are usually healthier, and the grade shows that as it is. The similar-incomes bar compares Boston 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. Boston uses CDC’s own estimate for it. 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.
Report card
How Boston compares with Massachusetts
Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.
Chronic conditions
23.4% have obesity
9 better2 close1 worse
Habits
23.2% get no exercise
0 better3 close1 worse
Care & screenings
77.9% had a checkup
0 better2 close5 worse
Mind & connection
39.3% feel lonely
0 better3 close2 worse
Everyday needs
18.4% face food insecurity
0 better1 close4 worse
Disability
25.8% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Boston adults…
26 of every 100 Boston adults have high blood pressure
Massachusetts: 31 in 100 · better · margin 23.4–27.9%
Bars show Boston; the black tick is Massachusetts. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Boston, betterBoston, worseToo close to callMassachusetts
Get no exerciseshare of adults
23.2% Boston
MA 21.7%
MA 21.7%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
33.3% Boston
MA 33.6%
MA 33.6%
Binge drinkshare of adults
20.7% Boston
MA 17%
MA 17%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
10.7% Boston
MA 11.3%
MA 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Boston adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
Yearly checkup
MA 81%Dentist visit
MA 70%Cholesterol check
MA 90%Colon screening
MA 68%Mammogram
MA 84%Taking BP meds
MA 75%1 in 16
working-age adults has no health insurance
Boston 6.3% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)
Mind & connection
How Boston adults are doing
1 in 3Boston adults feel lonely
39.3% · Massachusetts 34.2% · worse
1 in 4Boston adults have been diagnosed with depression
24% · Massachusetts 23.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Boston adults lack social or emotional support
25.1% · Massachusetts 23.4% · too close to call
1 in 6Boston adults are in frequent mental distress
18% · Massachusetts 16.2% · worse
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 5
Boston adults worry about having enough food
18.4% · MA 12.4% · worse
1 in 6
Boston adults worry about keeping their housing
15.8% · MA 11.1% · worse
1 in 10
Boston adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
10.5% · MA 7% · worse
1 in 9
Boston adults lack reliable transportation
11.4% · MA 7.6% · worse
20.8% of Boston adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Disability
Living with a disability
25.8%
of Boston adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs10.4%
Thinking or memory15.3%
Hearing4.5%
Errands alone8.2%
Vision5%
Dressing or bathing3.4%
Black tick: Massachusetts. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Around Boston
Boston and the towns around it
Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are hospitals and community health centers in and near Boston.
20%33.8%· darker is worse for health
Obesity
#15 of 31towns on this map, healthiest first
Brookline20%
Newton21.2%
Cambridge21.9%
Winthrop Town22.9%
Quincy22.9%
Boston23.4%
Milton23.5%
Dedham24.3%
Revere25.7%
Hull28.3%
Chelsea28.7%
Everett31%
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.
Getting care
Care in and near Boston
14 hospitals and 16 community health centers in Boston.
HNearest ERTufts Medical CenterBoston · 2.8 miDirections →
+Low-cost careSouth Boston Community Health CenterSouth Boston · 1.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
1.8 mi
South Boston Community Health Center
3 sites · nearest in South Boston
South Boston Community Health CenterSouth Boston · 1.8 mi
South Boston Community Health CenterSouth Boston · 1.8 mi
SeaportBoston · 1.8 mi
1.9 mi
Harbor Health Services
5 sites · nearest in Dorchester
Geiger-Gibson Community Hlth CtrDorchester · 1.9 mi
Dorchester House Multi Svs/WicDorchester · 3.1 mi
Daniel Driscoll - Neponset Health CenterDorchester · 3.5 mi
Codman Square WicDorchester Center · 4.2 mi
Elder Service PlanMattapan · 5 mi
2.6 mi
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
22 sites · nearest in Boston
Pine Street Inn Women's ClinicBoston · 2.6 mi
Pine Street Inn-Men's ClinicBoston · 2.7 mi
Southampton Street ShelterBoston · 2.8 mi
Engagement CenterBoston · 2.8 mi
Kingston HouseBoston · 2.8 mi
St. Anthony ShrineBoston · 2.8 mi
BreaktimeBoston · 2.8 mi
St. Mary's Center for Women & Children (Bridge Home, Margaret's House, Mary's Home)Dorchester · 2.9 mi
St. Francis HouseBoston · 2.9 mi
New England Center and Home for VeteransBoston · 2.9 mi
Woods Mullen ShelterBoston · 3 mi
Jean Yawkey PlaceBoston · 3 mi
Bridge Over Troubled WatersBoston · 3 mi
Rosie's PlaceBoston · 3.2 mi
Lindemann Mental Health CenterBoston · 3.3 mi
Women's Lunch PlaceBoston · 3.4 mi
Massachusetts General HospitalBoston · 3.5 mi
Bhchp Family Care ClinicRoxbury · 4.4 mi
Pine Street Inn at the ShattuckJamaica Plain · 5.1 mi
Entre FamiliaMattapan · 5.3 mi
TransitionsMattapan · 5.4 mi
EmpathBrighton · 7.9 mi
2.6 mi
South Cove Community Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Boston
South Street ClinicBoston · 2.6 mi
Scchc PharmacyBoston · 2.7 mi
Washington Street ClinicBoston · 2.8 mi
2.7 mi
Uphams Corner Health Committee
5 sites · nearest in Dorchester
Savin HillDorchester · 2.7 mi
Upham's Eye and Dental ClinicDorchester · 2.8 mi
Upham's Corner Health Center - Business & Human Resources OfficeDorchester · 3 mi
Upham's Corner Helath CenterDorchester · 3.2 mi
Nubian SquareRoxbury · 3.4 mi
2.8 mi
Neighborhealth Corporation
9 sites · nearest in East Boston
250 Sumner StreetEast Boston · 2.8 mi
225 Sumner StreetBoston · 2.8 mi
151 Orleans StreetBoston · 2.8 mi
20 Maverick SquareEast Boston · 2.9 mi
79 Paris StreetEast Boston · 3 mi
30 Gove StreetEast Boston · 3 mi
10 Gove StreetEast Boston · 3 mi
South End Community Health CenterBoston · 3.2 mi
155 Addison StreetEast Boston · 3.6 mi
3 mi
North End Community Health Committee
2 sites · nearest in Boston
North End Waterfront HealthBoston · 3 mi
New Health CharlestownCharlestown · 3.8 mi
3.5 mi
Whittier Street Health Center
3 sites · nearest in Roxbury
Whittier North Dorchester ClinicRoxbury · 3.5 mi
Whittier Engagement CenterRoxbury Crossing · 4 mi
Whittier Street Health CenterRoxbury Crossing · 4 mi
4.2 mi
Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Dorchester
Harvard Street Neighborhood Health CenterDorchester · 4.2 mi
Harvard Street Neighborhood Health CenterDorchester Center · 4.7 mi
Nothing matches.
✓ Primary careBoston is not a shortage area
! Dental carePart of Boston is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, South End - Downtown · need score 15 of 25
✓ Mental healthBoston 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 Boston. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Boston
| Measure | Boston | Margin | Massachusetts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 25.6% | 23.4–27.9% | 30.9% | better |
| High cholesterol | 30.7% | 28.2–33.4% | 35.4% | better |
| Obesity | 23.4% | 20.2–27% | 27.7% | better |
| Arthritis | 17.8% | 16.2–19.6% | 25.4% | better |
| Depression | 24% | 21.6–26.6% | 23.8% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 14.2% | 12.2–16.6% | 11.9% | worse |
| Asthma | 11.7% | 10.6–12.9% | 11.6% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 5.3% | 4.8–5.8% | 8.5% | better |
| Diabetes | 8.6% | 7.7–9.7% | 9.8% | better |
| COPD | 4.9% | 4.4–5.4% | 5.9% | better |
| Heart disease | 4.4% | 4–4.9% | 5.8% | better |
| Stroke | 2.6% | 2.5–2.8% | 3% | better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.7% | 9.5–12.1% | 11.3% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 20.7% | 18.4–23.3% | 17% | worse |
| Get no exercise | 23.2% | 20.7–25.8% | 21.7% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.3% | 30–36.9% | 33.6% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 77.9% | 75.4–80.4% | 80.9% | worse |
| Dentist visit | 64% | 61.5–66.6% | 69.8% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 85.8% | 84.4–87.4% | 89.7% | worse |
| Colon screening | 66.1% | 62.7–69.6% | 68.4% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 83.7% | 79.5–87.5% | 83.7% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 71.1% | 68.8–73.5% | 75.4% | worse |
| No health insurance | 6.3% | 5.5–7.2% | 5.2% | worse |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 39.3% | 35.7–43% | 34.2% | worse |
| Lack emotional support | 25.1% | 22.3–28% | 23.4% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 18% | 16.4–19.8% | 16.2% | worse |
| Fair or poor health | 17% | 15.4–18.7% | 16.3% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 11.1% | 10–12.3% | 12.3% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 18.4% | 16.6–20.3% | 12.4% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 15.8% | 14.1–17.6% | 11.1% | worse |
| Utility shut-off threat | 10.5% | 9.3–11.8% | 7% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 11.4% | 10.3–12.6% | 7.6% | worse |
| Receive SNAP | 20.8% | 18.9–22.8% | 14.1% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.8% | 23.4–28.5% | 27.3% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 10.4% | 9.3–11.5% | 11.6% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15.3% | 14–16.8% | 13.7% | |
| Hearing | 4.5% | 4.1–5.1% | 6% | |
| Vision | 5% | 4.7–5.4% | 4.1% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.4% | 3.1–3.6% | 3.1% | |
| Errands alone | 8.2% | 7.5–9% | 7.2% | |
About these numbers
How CDC estimates town health
They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Boston door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Massachusetts figure falls inside it, we don't call Boston better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Boston directly, so these are its own figures.
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Massachusetts figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.