Health · Salem

Salem, MA health

On most measures Salem looks like Massachusetts as a whole. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (9.2% vs 11.9%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Salem

A-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

A⁻

Salem’s Health Grade: A−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Salem is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns.

A-Self-rated healthA-Physical distressBMental distressA-ObesityADiabetesA-SmokingB+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 81%

Less healthyHealthier

Massachusetts towns we grade (320)Healthier than 40%

Towns with similar incomes, $64K–$106K (9,476)Healthier than 88%

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

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

29 of every 100 Salem adults have high blood pressure

Massachusetts: 31 in 100 · too close to call · margin 26.8–31.8%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Salem, betterSalem, worseToo close to callMassachusetts

Get no exerciseshare of adults 22.4% Salem
MA 21.7%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 35.6% Salem
MA 33.6%

Binge drinkshare of adults 16.7% Salem
MA 17%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 11% Salem
MA 11.3%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Salem 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

Salem 5.5% · Massachusetts 1 in 19 (5.2%)

Mind & connection

How Salem adults are doing

1 in 3Salem adults feel lonely

32.3% · Massachusetts 34.2% · too close to call

1 in 4Salem adults have been diagnosed with depression

24% · Massachusetts 23.8% · too close to call

1 in 4Salem adults lack social or emotional support

22.3% · Massachusetts 23.4% · too close to call

1 in 6Salem adults are in frequent mental distress

16.4% · 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 8

Salem adults worry about having enough food

13.2% · MA 12.4% · about the same

1 in 9

Salem adults worry about keeping their housing

11.5% · MA 11.1% · about the same

1 in 13

Salem adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7.6% · MA 7% · about the same

1 in 13

Salem adults lack reliable transportation

8% · MA 7.6% · about the same

14.7% of Salem adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.1% across Massachusetts.

Disability

Living with a disability

26.8%

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

Walking or climbing stairs11.1%

Thinking or memory14.3%

Hearing5.8%

Errands alone7.5%

Vision4.2%

Dressing or bathing3.1%

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

Around Salem

Salem 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.

24.7%33.8%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#11 of 12towns on this map, healthiest first

Marblehead26.1%

Danvers27.8%

Beverly28%

Swampscott28.1%

Peabody29%

Salem29.7%

Care nearby

North Shore Medical Center -Salem · 1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Northeast Hospital CorporationBeverly · 4.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Melrosewakefield HealthcareMelrose · 8.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Winchester HospitalWinchester · 11.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Lynn Community Hlth Ctr - WicSalem · 1.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Salem Family Health CenterSalem · 1.3 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careSalem is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careSalem is not a shortage area

✓ Mental healthSalem 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 Salem. 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 Salem

Measure	Salem	Margin	Massachusetts
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	29.4%	26.8–31.8%	30.9%	about the same
High cholesterol	33.2%	30.3–35.9%	35.4%	about the same
Obesity	29.7%	25.7–33.7%	27.7%	about the same
Arthritis	23.4%	21.2–25.4%	25.4%	about the same
Depression	24%	21.3–26.6%	23.8%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	9.2%	7.5–11.2%	11.9%	better
Asthma	12%	10.8–13.3%	11.6%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	8%	7.3–8.7%	8.5%	about the same
Diabetes	9.2%	8.1–10.2%	9.8%	about the same
COPD	5.8%	5.2–6.5%	5.9%	about the same
Heart disease	5.5%	4.9–6%	5.8%	about the same
Stroke	2.8%	2.6–3%	3%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	11%	9.6–12.5%	11.3%	about the same
Binge drink	16.7%	14.5–19%	17%	about the same
Get no exercise	22.4%	19.7–25.1%	21.7%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	35.6%	31.7–39.8%	33.6%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	80.2%	77.6–82.6%	80.9%	about the same
Dentist visit	71.7%	69–74.4%	69.8%	about the same
Cholesterol check	88.6%	87.1–90%	89.7%	about the same
Colon screening	70.1%	66.5–73.6%	68.4%	about the same
Mammogram	83.9%	79.4–87.9%	83.7%	about the same
Taking BP meds	74.1%	71.3–76.6%	75.4%	about the same
No health insurance	5.5%	4.7–6.4%	5.2%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	32.3%	29–35.8%	34.2%	about the same
Lack emotional support	22.3%	19.8–25.2%	23.4%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	16.4%	14.7–18%	16.2%	about the same
Fair or poor health	15.9%	14.2–17.6%	16.3%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	12.4%	11.1–13.6%	12.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	13.2%	11.6–15.2%	12.4%	about the same
Housing insecurity	11.5%	10.1–13.1%	11.1%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	7.6%	6.6–8.7%	7%	about the same
No reliable transportation	8%	7.1–9%	7.6%	about the same
Receive SNAP	14.7%	12.9–16.7%	14.1%
Disability
Any disability	26.8%	24.1–29.4%	27.3%
Walking or climbing stairs	11.1%	9.8–12.3%	11.6%
Thinking or memory	14.3%	12.8–15.8%	13.7%
Hearing	5.8%	5.2–6.4%	6%
Vision	4.2%	3.8–4.6%	4.1%
Dressing or bathing	3.1%	2.8–3.4%	3.1%
Errands alone	7.5%	6.7–8.2%	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 Salem door to door.

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

CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Salem 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.