Health · Reading

Reading, MA health

Reading differs from Massachusetts on 22 of 40 measures. It has fewer adults facing food insecurity (6.4% vs 12.4%) and fewer uninsured adults (2.7% vs 5.2%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had cancer (10.2% vs 8.5%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 01867 (all of Reading)

Report card

How Reading 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 Reading adults…

29 of every 100 Reading adults have high blood pressure

Massachusetts: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 26.5–31.3%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Reading, betterReading, worseToo close to callMassachusetts

Get no exerciseshare of adults 15.9% Reading
MA 21.7%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 28.8% Reading
MA 33.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.9% Reading
MA 17%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 8.2% Reading
MA 11.3%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Reading 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 37

working-age adults has no health insurance

Reading 2.7% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)

Mind & connection

How Reading adults are doing

1 in 3Reading adults feel lonely

31.5% · Massachusetts 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Reading adults have been diagnosed with depression

24.3% · Massachusetts 23.8% · too close to call

1 in 5Reading adults lack social or emotional support

18.6% · Massachusetts 23.4% · better

1 in 7Reading adults are in frequent mental distress

13.7% · Massachusetts 16.2% · better

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 16

Reading adults worry about having enough food

6.4% · MA 12.4% · better

1 in 15

Reading adults worry about keeping their housing

6.5% · MA 11.1% · better

1 in 25

Reading adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

4% · MA 7% · better

1 in 21

Reading adults lack reliable transportation

4.8% · MA 7.6% · better

7.1% of Reading adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.

Disability

Living with a disability

22.9%

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

Walking or climbing stairs9.3%

Thinking or memory10.7%

Hearing5.5%

Errands alone5.6%

Vision2.8%

Dressing or bathing2.2%

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

Around Reading

Reading 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.

19.5%33.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#4 of 20towns on this map, healthiest first

Reading23.3%

North Reading23.9%

Stoneham24.2%

Wakefield24.5%

Wilmington24.7%

Woburn25.6%

Lynnfield26.3%

Care nearby

Winchester HospitalWinchester · 4.9 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, BurlingtonBurlington · 5.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Melrosewakefield HealthcareMelrose · 5.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Bedford VA Medical CenterBedford · 9.3 mi · VA Directions Medicare profile

Cab TransitionsTewksbury · 7.6 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Commercial Street ClinicMalden · 8.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careReading is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careReading is not a shortage area

✓ Mental healthReading 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 Reading. 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 Reading

Measure	Reading	Margin	Massachusetts
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	28.8%	26.5–31.3%	30.9%	about the same
High cholesterol	36.9%	34.2–39.7%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	23.3%	20.3–26.7%	27.7%	better
Arthritis	25.9%	23.8–28.1%	25.4%	about the same
Depression	24.3%	22.1–26.9%	23.8%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	6.7%	5.5–8.1%	11.9%	better
Asthma	11.3%	10.3–12.5%	11.6%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.2%	9.4–11.1%	8.5%	worse
Diabetes	8%	7–9.1%	9.8%	better
COPD	4.6%	3.9–5.3%	5.9%	better
Heart disease	5.1%	4.5–5.7%	5.8%	better
Stroke	2.6%	2.3–2.8%	3%	better
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	8.2%	6.8–9.7%	11.3%	better
Binge drink	16.9%	15.1–19%	17%	about the same
Get no exercise	15.9%	13.7–18.3%	21.7%	better
Sleep under 7 hours	28.8%	25.7–31.9%	33.6%	better
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.7%	79.5–83.7%	80.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	78.3%	76.2–80.2%	69.8%	better
Cholesterol check	92.7%	91.6–93.6%	89.7%	better
Colon screening	74.3%	71.4–77.1%	68.4%	better
Mammogram	83.9%	80.2–87.4%	83.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	75.4%	72.7–78%	75.4%	about the same
No health insurance	2.7%	2.2–3.3%	5.2%	better
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.5%	28.6–34.6%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	18.6%	16.4–20.9%	23.4%	better
Frequent mental distress	13.7%	12.4–15.2%	16.2%	better
Fair or poor health	11.8%	10.2–13.5%	16.3%	better
Frequent physical distress	9.8%	8.7–11%	12.3%	better
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	6.4%	5.3–7.6%	12.4%	better
Housing insecurity	6.5%	5.5–7.6%	11.1%	better
Utility shut-off threat	4%	3.5–4.7%	7%	better
No reliable transportation	4.8%	4.1–5.5%	7.6%	better
Receive SNAP	7.1%	5.9–8.6%	14.1%
Disability
Any disability	22.9%	20.5–25.5%	27.3%
Walking or climbing stairs	9.3%	8–10.7%	11.6%
Thinking or memory	10.7%	9.4–12.1%	13.7%
Hearing	5.5%	4.9–6.1%	6%
Vision	2.8%	2.5–3.1%	4.1%
Dressing or bathing	2.2%	1.9–2.5%	3.1%
Errands alone	5.6%	4.9–6.4%	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 Reading door to door.

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

Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Reading by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Reading 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.