Dawson, MD health
Dawson differs from Maryland on 18 of 40 measures. It has more adults treating high blood pressure (80.4% vs 76.6%). Where it trails the state: more adults with COPD (12.8% vs 5.9%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for DawsonNot graded
Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 180 people are less certain, so we show Dawson's figures without a grade.
How Dawson compares with Maryland
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
Habits
Care & screenings
Mind & connection
Everyday needs
Disability
Out of every 100 Dawson adults…
Bars show Dawson; the black tick is Maryland. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
MD 23.6%
MD 37.7%
MD 14.1%
MD 10.9%
Keeping up with care
Share of Dawson adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Dawson adults are doing
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
16.1% of Dawson adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Living with a disability
of Dawson adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Black tick: Maryland. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Care in and near Dawson
No hospital or community health center in Dawson itself. These are the nearest.
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 Dawson. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
All 40 measures for Dawson
| Measure | Dawson | Margin | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 48.4% | 44.8–52% | 36.8% | worse |
| High cholesterol | 43.5% | 40–46.8% | 38.1% | worse |
| Obesity | 39% | 34.1–43.9% | 35.1% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 39.4% | 35.9–42.6% | 25.8% | worse |
| Depression | 23.5% | 20.6–26.5% | 19.4% | worse |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 15.5% | 12.9–18.4% | 9.9% | worse |
| Asthma | 10.6% | 9.4–11.9% | 10.6% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 12.3% | 11–13.8% | 7.6% | worse |
| Diabetes | 17.4% | 14.8–20% | 12.5% | worse |
| COPD | 12.8% | 10.1–15.6% | 5.9% | worse |
| Heart disease | 11.4% | 9.7–13.5% | 5.8% | worse |
| Stroke | 5.8% | 4.8–7% | 3.4% | worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20.7% | 15.9–25.2% | 10.9% | worse |
| Binge drink | 13.5% | 11.3–15.8% | 14.1% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 36.7% | 30.5–42.7% | 23.6% | worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39.2% | 35.1–43.6% | 37.7% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 81.8% | 79–84.4% | 79.2% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 57.8% | 54.6–60.9% | 64.4% | worse |
| Cholesterol check | 89.4% | 87.3–91.3% | 89.6% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 60.9% | 56.7–64.9% | 68.2% | worse |
| Mammogram | 73.1% | 66.2–79.3% | 80.7% | worse |
| Taking BP meds | 80.4% | 77.8–82.9% | 76.6% | better |
| No health insurance | 10.2% | 7.3–13.8% | 8.7% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 31.9% | 27.5–36.5% | 34.3% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 24% | 20.2–28.1% | 24.2% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 17.1% | 14.7–19.3% | 15% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 26.8% | 21.9–32% | 17.9% | worse |
| Frequent physical distress | 18.2% | 15.3–21.1% | 12% | worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 17.5% | 13.2–22.7% | 15.4% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 12.8% | 9.8–16% | 13.5% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 9.1% | 7.2–11% | 8.4% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 8.3% | 6.6–10.2% | 7.8% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 16.1% | 11.8–21.1% | 11.8% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.8% | 34.3–45% | 26.4% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 20.9% | 17.1–24.8% | 12.4% | |
| Thinking or memory | 15.7% | 13–18.5% | 12.2% | |
| Hearing | 11.9% | 10.2–13.7% | 5.6% | |
| Vision | 6.8% | 5.5–8.3% | 4.5% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 5.6% | 4.5–6.9% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 10.4% | 8.4–12.5% | 7% | |
How CDC estimates town health
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maryland 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.