Health · Dudley

Dudley, MA health

Dudley differs from Massachusetts on 7 of 40 measures. Where it trails the state most: more smokers (13.7% vs 11.3%) and more adults with obesity (33.4% vs 27.7%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 01571 (all of Dudley)

BHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Dudley’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Dudley is healthier than 59% of U.S. towns.

BSelf-rated healthB-Physical distressC-Mental distressB+ObesityA-DiabetesBSmokingBExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 59%

Less healthyHealthier

Massachusetts towns we grade (320)Healthier than 14%

Towns with similar incomes, $63K–$106K (9,533)Healthier than 58%

About what its income would suggest. Dudley does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Dudley could be anywhere from C 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 Dudley 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. Dudley’s figures come from the ZIP codes that cover it, weighted by land area. 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 Dudley 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

Out of every 100 Dudley adults…

32 of every 100 Dudley adults have high blood pressure

Massachusetts: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 29.8–35.2%

Bars show Dudley; the black tick is Massachusetts. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dudley, betterDudley, worseToo close to callMassachusetts

Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.1% Dudley
MA 21.7%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 34.6% Dudley
MA 33.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 19% Dudley
MA 17%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 13.7% Dudley
MA 11.3%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Dudley 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 18

working-age adults has no health insurance

Dudley 5.6% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)

Mind & connection

How Dudley adults are doing

1 in 3Dudley adults feel lonely

35.6% · Massachusetts 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Dudley adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.4% · Massachusetts 23.8% · worse

1 in 4Dudley adults lack social or emotional support

24.7% · Massachusetts 23.4% · too close to call

1 in 5Dudley adults are in frequent mental distress

18.9% · 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 7

Dudley adults worry about having enough food

13.5% · MA 12.4% · about the same

1 in 9

Dudley adults worry about keeping their housing

11.5% · MA 11.1% · about the same

1 in 13

Dudley adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7.8% · MA 7% · about the same

1 in 12

Dudley adults lack reliable transportation

8.3% · MA 7.6% · about the same

15.7% of Dudley adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.

Disability

Living with a disability

29.7%

of Dudley adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs12.3%

Thinking or memory16%

Hearing6%

Errands alone8.1%

Vision4.3%

Dressing or bathing3.4%

Black tick: Massachusetts. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Around Dudley

Dudley and the towns around it

Pick a measure to shade the map. Darker is worse for health. Pins are the nearest hospitals and community health centers.

30.6%37.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#8 of 10towns on this map, healthiest first

Oxford33.2%

Dudley33.4%

Webster35.2%

Southbridge Town37.3%

Care nearby

Umass Memorial Health - Harrington HospitalSouthbridge · 5.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Day Kimball HospitalPutnam · 10.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

St. Vincent HospitalWorcester · 16.3 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Adcare Hospital of WorcesterWorcester · 17 mi Directions Medicare profile

Generations Family Health Center, Inc. - PutnamPutnam · 9.9 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Wellone Primary Medical and Dental Care Behavioral Health ProgramPascoag · 13.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careDudley is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careDudley is not a shortage area

✓ Mental healthDudley is not a shortage area

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas. Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Dudley. Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

All 40 measures for Dudley

Measure	Dudley	Margin	Massachusetts
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	32.4%	29.8–35.2%	30.9%	about the same
High cholesterol	34.3%	31.6–37.2%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	33.4%	29.3–37.8%	27.7%	worse
Arthritis	27%	24.8–29.5%	25.4%	about the same
Depression	27.4%	24.6–30.6%	23.8%	worse
Lost all teeth (65+)	10.1%	8.2–12.1%	11.9%	about the same
Asthma	12.6%	11.4–14.1%	11.6%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8.3%	7.6–9.1%	8.5%	about the same
Diabetes	9.9%	8.8–11.3%	9.8%	about the same
COPD	6.9%	6–7.8%	5.9%	worse
Heart disease	5.9%	5.4–6.7%	5.8%	about the same
Stroke	3.1%	2.8–3.4%	3%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	13.7%	11.9–15.9%	11.3%	worse
Binge drink	19%	16.6–21.6%	17%	about the same
Get no exercise	24.1%	21.1–27.5%	21.7%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	34.6%	30.8–38.3%	33.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.2%	77.6–82.7%	80.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	70%	67.2–72.6%	69.8%	about the same
Cholesterol check	88%	86.3–89.6%	89.7%	worse
Colon screening	68%	64.2–71.3%	68.4%	about the same
Mammogram	84.9%	80.2–88.4%	83.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	74.3%	71.7–76.9%	75.4%	about the same
No health insurance	5.6%	4.4–7.2%	5.2%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	35.6%	32.1–39.2%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	24.7%	21.8–27.7%	23.4%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.9%	17–21.1%	16.2%	worse
Fair or poor health	17.9%	15.8–20.3%	16.3%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14.1%	12.6–15.9%	12.3%	worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	13.5%	11.4–15.8%	12.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	11.5%	9.8–13.2%	11.1%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	7.8%	6.7–8.9%	7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8.3%	7.2–9.5%	7.6%	about the same
Receive SNAP	15.7%	13.4–18.3%	14.1%
Disability
Any disability	29.7%	26.7–33.2%	27.3%
Walking or climbing stairs	12.3%	10.9–14%	11.6%
Thinking or memory	16%	14.3–18.1%	13.7%
Hearing	6%	5.4–6.8%	6%
Vision	4.3%	3.8–4.8%	4.1%
Dressing or bathing	3.4%	3–3.8%	3.1%
Errands alone	8.1%	7.2–9.2%	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 Dudley door to door.

Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Massachusetts figure falls inside it, we don't call Dudley better or worse.

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Dudley by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Dudley by how much of its land each one covers.

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.