Lowell is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Lowell differs from Massachusetts on 19 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults who have had cancer (5.9% vs 8.5%) and fewer adults with arthritis (22% vs 25.4%). Where it trails the state: more adults facing food insecurity (21.1% vs 12.4%).
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lowell. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lowell
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
23.5% of Lowell adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.
Keeping up with care
Share of Lowell adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Massachusetts.
How Lowell adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Lowell runs above Massachusetts.
1 in 3 Lowell 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with Massachusetts
Share of adults, with the Massachusetts figure marked.
19 miles of trails across 52 parks and preserves
Care in and near Lowell
1 hospital and 2 community health centers in Lowell, 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 Lowell; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Lowell’s Health Grade: B
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Lowell is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns.
About what its income would suggest. Lowell 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 Lowell 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 Lowell adults…
Lowell runs below MA on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Lowell residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Massachusetts. Arthritis and cancer (not skin) run low partly because the town is young. College towns can run higher on other measures, like food insecurity and mental distress, which students report more often.
Lowell and the towns around it
Lowell’s Health Grade ranks 5th 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 Grades next door
Tap a town to see its health pageLiving with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lowell adults live with a disability (Massachusetts 27.3%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
All 40 CDC measures for Lowell
| Measure | Lowell | Likely range | Massachusetts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 29% | 26.8–31.4% | 30.9% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 34.4% | 31.9–36.9% | 35.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 27.2% | 23.8–30.8% | 27.7% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 22% | 20.3–23.9% | 25.4% | better |
| Depression | 24.5% | 22.2–27% | 23.8% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 14.4% | 12.1–16.9% | 11.9% | worse |
| Asthma | 11.9% | 10.8–13.1% | 11.6% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 5.9% | 5.4–6.4% | 8.5% | better |
| Diabetes | 10.9% | 9.8–12.2% | 9.8% | about the same |
| COPD | 6.1% | 5.5–6.7% | 5.9% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 5.4% | 4.9–5.9% | 5.8% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3.1% | 2.8–3.3% | 3% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.1% | 12.6–15.7% | 11.3% | worse |
| Binge drink | 15.1% | 13.4–17% | 17% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 27.5% | 24.8–30.3% | 21.7% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.7% | 33.2–40.2% | 33.6% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 77.6% | 75.1–80% | 80.9% | worse |
| Dentist visit | 60.1% | 57.3–62.8% | 69.8% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 85.9% | 84.4–87.4% | 89.7% | worse |
| Colon screening | 64.1% | 60.8–67.3% | 68.4% | worse |
| Mammogram | 80.3% | 75.9–84.3% | 83.7% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 70.6% | 68.1–73.1% | 75.4% | worse |
| No health insurance | 8.2% | 7.2–9.3% | 5.2% | worse |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 39.2% | 36–42.4% | 34.2% | worse |
| Lack emotional support | 27.7% | 25–30.5% | 23.4% | worse |
| Frequent mental distress | 18.5% | 16.9–20.2% | 16.2% | worse |
| Fair or poor health | 21% | 19.1–22.9% | 16.3% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 13% | 11.8–14.3% | 12.3% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 21.1% | 19–23.3% | 12.4% | worse |
| Housing insecurity | 17% | 15.2–18.9% | 11.1% | worse |
| Utility shut-off threat | 10.1% | 9–11.4% | 7% | worse |
| No reliable transportation | 12.4% | 11.1–13.7% | 7.6% | worse |
| Receive SNAP | 23.5% | 21.2–25.9% | 14.1% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.5% | 29–34.2% | 27.3% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 12.9% | 11.6–14.2% | 11.6% | |
| Thinking or memory | 17.8% | 16.2–19.4% | 13.7% | |
| Hearing | 5.7% | 5.1–6.2% | 6% | |
| Vision | 5.8% | 5.4–6.3% | 4.1% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.9% | 3.6–4.2% | 3.1% | |
| Errands alone | 9.5% | 8.7–10.5% | 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 Lowell door to door.
Every figure has a likely range. When the Massachusetts figure falls inside it, we don’t call Lowell better or worse.
CDC publishes Lowell directly, so these are its own figures.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Lowell.
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.