Health · Fairhaven

Fairhaven, MA health

Fairhaven differs from Massachusetts on 13 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (78.5% vs 75.4%) and more adults getting a yearly checkup (83.7% vs 80.9%). Where it trails the state: more adults with heart disease (7.7% vs 5.8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 02719 (all of Fairhaven)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Fairhaven’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Fairhaven is healthier than 62% of U.S. towns.

BSelf-rated healthB-Physical distressB-Mental distressA-ObesityB+DiabetesB-SmokingB+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 62%
Less healthyHealthier
Massachusetts towns we grade (320)Healthier than 16%
Towns with similar incomes, $72K–$120K (8,436)Healthier than 48%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Fairhaven 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 Fairhaven 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. Fairhaven’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 Fairhaven 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 Fairhaven adults…

36 of every 100 Fairhaven adults have high blood pressure
Massachusetts: 31 in 100 · worse · margin 32.8–38.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Fairhaven, betterFairhaven, worseToo close to callMassachusetts
Get no exerciseshare of adults 23.3% Fairhaven
MA 21.7%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.5% Fairhaven
MA 33.6%
Binge drinkshare of adults 16.3% Fairhaven
MA 17%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 14.3% Fairhaven
MA 11.3%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

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

84%
Yearly checkup
MA 81%
72%
Dentist visit
MA 70%
91%
Cholesterol check
MA 90%
71%
Colon screening
MA 68%
83%
Mammogram
MA 84%
79%
Taking BP meds
MA 75%
1 in 23
working-age adults has no health insurance
Fairhaven 4.3% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)
Mind & connection

How Fairhaven adults are doing

1 in 3Fairhaven adults feel lonely
31.9% · Massachusetts 34.2% · too close to call
1 in 4Fairhaven adults have been diagnosed with depression
23.4% · Massachusetts 23.8% · too close to call
1 in 4Fairhaven adults lack social or emotional support
22.8% · Massachusetts 23.4% · too close to call
1 in 6Fairhaven adults are in frequent mental distress
17.2% · Massachusetts 16.2% · too close to call
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
Fairhaven adults worry about having enough food
11.1% · MA 12.4% · about the same
1 in 10
Fairhaven adults worry about keeping their housing
10% · MA 11.1% · about the same
1 in 16
Fairhaven adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.4% · MA 7% · about the same
1 in 15
Fairhaven adults lack reliable transportation
6.7% · MA 7.6% · about the same

13.4% of Fairhaven adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.

Disability

Living with a disability

30.9%

of Fairhaven adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.6%
Thinking or memory14.2%
Hearing7.9%
Errands alone8.2%
Vision4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.6%

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

Around Fairhaven

Fairhaven 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 Fairhaven.

New Bedford: 36.3% Mattapoisett: 26.4% Acushnet: 30.5% Dartmouth: 29% Rochester: 28.8% Marion: 28.3% Freetown: 29.4% Fairhaven: 30.5% Fairhaven New Bedford Mattapoisett Acushnet Greater New Bedford Community Health Center Bh Site · New Bedford · 2.8 mi+
26.4%36.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#6 of 8towns on this map, healthiest first
Mattapoisett26.4%
Fairhaven30.5%
Acushnet30.5%
New Bedford36.3%
6 places to get careNearest ER 13.7 mi

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 Fairhaven

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

HNearest ERFalmouth HospitalFalmouth · 13.7 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbySouthcoast Hospitals Group★★★★★ · 15.1 miDirections →
+Low-cost careGreater New Bedford Community Health CenterNew Bedford · 2.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
2.8 mi
Greater New Bedford Community Health Center
3 sites · nearest in New Bedford
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
13.4 mi
Community Health Center of Cape Cod
3 sites · nearest in North Falmouth
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
13.7 mi
Falmouth Hospital
Falmouth · ★★★★★
ER
15.1 mi
Southcoast Hospitals Group
Fall River · ★★★★★
ER
15.6 mi
Saint Anne's Hospital
Fall River · ★★★★★
ER
19.2 mi
Martha's Vineyard Hospital
Oak Bluffs · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
✓ Primary careFairhaven is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careFairhaven is not a shortage area
! Mental healthFairhaven is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, New Bedford · need score 10 of 25

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 Fairhaven. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Fairhaven
MeasureFairhavenMarginMassachusetts
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure35.7%32.8–38.9%30.9%worse
High cholesterol39.1%35.9–42.4%35.4%worse
Obesity30.5%26.4–35%27.7%about the same
Arthritis31.5%28.8–34.2%25.4%worse
Depression23.4%20.7–26.3%23.8%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)15.7%13–18.5%11.9%worse
Asthma12.5%11.2–13.9%11.6%about the same
Cancer (not skin)11.1%10.1–12.1%8.5%worse
Diabetes10.9%9.6–12.4%9.8%about the same
COPD7.8%6.9–8.9%5.9%worse
Heart disease7.7%6.9–8.5%5.8%worse
Stroke3.7%3.4–4.1%3%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes14.3%12.3–16.6%11.3%worse
Binge drink16.3%14.1–18.6%17%about the same
Get no exercise23.3%20.3–26.6%21.7%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.5%28.8–36.3%33.6%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup83.7%81.3–85.8%80.9%better
Dentist visit72.2%69.4–74.6%69.8%about the same
Cholesterol check91.1%89.8–92.2%89.7%better
Colon screening71%67.3–74.3%68.4%about the same
Mammogram83%78.3–87%83.7%about the same
Taking BP meds78.5%75.8–81%75.4%better
No health insurance4.3%3.5–5.2%5.2%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.9%28.6–35.6%34.2%about the same
Lack emotional support22.8%20.2–25.8%23.4%about the same
Frequent mental distress17.2%15.5–19.1%16.2%about the same
Fair or poor health18.5%16.3–20.8%16.3%about the same
Frequent physical distress14.5%13–16.3%12.3%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity11.1%9.4–13%12.4%about the same
Housing insecurity10%8.5–11.5%11.1%about the same
Utility shut-off threat6.4%5.5–7.4%7%about the same
No reliable transportation6.7%5.8–7.6%7.6%about the same
Receive SNAP13.4%11.4–15.6%14.1%
Disability
Any disability30.9%27.7–34.3%27.3%
Walking or climbing stairs14.6%12.9–16.6%11.6%
Thinking or memory14.2%12.6–15.9%13.7%
Hearing7.9%7.1–8.8%6%
Vision4.4%3.9–4.9%4.1%
Dressing or bathing3.6%3.2–4%3.1%
Errands alone8.2%7.3–9.3%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 Fairhaven door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Massachusetts figure falls inside it, we don't call Fairhaven better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Fairhaven by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Fairhaven 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.

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