Health · Cushing
Cushing, ME health
On most measures Cushing looks like Maine as a whole. It has fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth (10.8% vs 14.8%) and more adults seeing a dentist (69% vs 63.8%).
CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 04563 (all of Cushing)TownTapestry Health GradeNew
B+
Cushing’s Health Grade: B+
On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Cushing is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns and 78% of Maine towns.
B+Self-rated healthBPhysical distressB+Mental distressAObesityB+DiabetesBSmokingA-Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 71%
Less healthyHealthier
Maine towns we grade (276)Healthier than 78%
Towns with similar incomes, $63K–$104K (9,596)Healthier than 76%
About what its income would suggest. Cushing does about as well against towns with similar incomes as against all towns.
These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Cushing 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 Maine 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 Cushing 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. Cushing’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 Cushing compares with Maine
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
29.3% have obesity
1 better11 close0 worse
Habits
21.4% get no exercise
0 better4 close0 worse
Care & screenings
81.9% had a checkup
1 better6 close0 worse
Mind & connection
29.6% feel lonely
0 better5 close0 worse
Everyday needs
9.1% face food insecurity
0 better5 close0 worse
Disability
29.8% have a disability
7 measures · shown without a better/worse judgment
Chronic conditions
Out of every 100 Cushing adults…
36 of every 100 Cushing adults have high blood pressure
Maine: 36 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.4–39%
Bars show Cushing; the black tick is Maine. Tap a condition to see it as people.
Habits
Everyday habits, side by side with the state
Cushing, betterCushing, worseToo close to callMaine
Get no exerciseshare of adults
21.4% Cushing
ME 23.1%
ME 23.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults
29.2% Cushing
ME 32.8%
ME 32.8%
Binge drinkshare of adults
14.4% Cushing
ME 15.5%
ME 15.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults
14.1% Cushing
ME 14.4%
ME 14.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings
Keeping up with care
Share of Cushing adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.
Yearly checkup
ME 81%Dentist visit
ME 64%Cholesterol check
ME 87%Colon screening
ME 71%Mammogram
ME 80%Taking BP meds
ME 76%1 in 14
working-age adults has no health insurance
Cushing 7.1% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)
Mind & connection
How Cushing adults are doing
1 in 3Cushing adults feel lonely
29.6% · Maine 32% · too close to call
1 in 4Cushing adults have been diagnosed with depression
26.1% · Maine 26.9% · too close to call
1 in 4Cushing adults lack social or emotional support
22.4% · Maine 22.7% · too close to call
1 in 6Cushing adults are in frequent mental distress
15.9% · Maine 17.7% · 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 11
Cushing adults worry about having enough food
9.1% · ME 10.7% · about the same
1 in 11
Cushing adults worry about keeping their housing
8.7% · ME 9.8% · about the same
1 in 15
Cushing adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
6.8% · ME 7.4% · about the same
1 in 14
Cushing adults lack reliable transportation
7% · ME 7.8% · about the same
12.3% of Cushing adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.
Disability
Living with a disability
29.8%
of Cushing adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Walking or climbing stairs14%
Thinking or memory14%
Hearing8.7%
Errands alone7.7%
Vision4.4%
Dressing or bathing3.6%
Black tick: Maine. Shown without a better/worse judgment.
Around Cushing
Cushing 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 Cushing.
27.5%31.4%· darker is worse for health
Obesity
#7 of 14towns on this map, healthiest first
St. George28%
South Thomaston28.2%
Friendship28.8%
Cushing29.3%
Thomaston29.9%
Warren31.3%
Care nearby
Mainehealth Pen Bay HospitalRockport · 12.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
LincolnhealthDamariscotta · 13.5 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access
DirectionsMedicare profile
Togus VA Medical CenterAugusta · 28.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · VA
DirectionsMedicare profile
Maine General Medical CenterAugusta · 33.7 mi · ★★★★★ · ER
DirectionsMedicare profile
Mid-Coast Health Net/Knox Clinic Main SiteRockland · 9.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
North Haven Medical ClinicNorth Haven · 20.7 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees
Directions
✓ Primary careCushing is not a shortage area
✓ Dental careCushing is not a shortage area
✓ Mental healthCushing 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 Cushing. 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 Cushing
| Measure | Cushing | Margin | Maine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions | ||||
| High blood pressure | 35.6% | 32.4–39% | 35.7% | about the same |
| High cholesterol | 39.4% | 36.3–42.7% | 37.4% | about the same |
| Obesity | 29.3% | 25–34% | 32.7% | about the same |
| Arthritis | 33.9% | 30.8–36.9% | 32% | about the same |
| Depression | 26.1% | 23.1–29.3% | 26.9% | about the same |
| Lost all teeth (65+) | 10.8% | 8.9–12.9% | 14.8% | better |
| Asthma | 12.1% | 10.8–13.6% | 12.6% | about the same |
| Cancer (not skin) | 10.5% | 9.4–11.5% | 9.9% | about the same |
| Diabetes | 11.1% | 9.5–12.8% | 11.2% | about the same |
| COPD | 8.5% | 6.9–10.3% | 8.4% | about the same |
| Heart disease | 7.9% | 6.8–9.1% | 7.6% | about the same |
| Stroke | 3.8% | 3.2–4.4% | 3.6% | about the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 14.1% | 11–17.3% | 14.4% | about the same |
| Binge drink | 14.4% | 12.2–16.7% | 15.5% | about the same |
| Get no exercise | 21.4% | 17.5–25.6% | 23.1% | about the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 29.2% | 25.3–33.2% | 32.8% | about the same |
| Care & screenings | ||||
| Yearly checkup | 81.9% | 79.2–84.4% | 81.2% | about the same |
| Dentist visit | 69% | 66–71.6% | 63.8% | better |
| Cholesterol check | 88.4% | 86.5–90.1% | 87.1% | about the same |
| Colon screening | 68.7% | 64.7–72.3% | 70.5% | about the same |
| Mammogram | 79.1% | 73.7–83.8% | 80.3% | about the same |
| Taking BP meds | 77.7% | 74.7–80.3% | 76.4% | about the same |
| No health insurance | 7.1% | 5.4–9.2% | 7.8% | about the same |
| Mind & connection | ||||
| Feel lonely | 29.6% | 26–33.6% | 32% | about the same |
| Lack emotional support | 22.4% | 19.1–26.1% | 22.7% | about the same |
| Frequent mental distress | 15.9% | 13.8–18.1% | 17.7% | about the same |
| Fair or poor health | 17.2% | 14.2–20.5% | 18.7% | about the same |
| Frequent physical distress | 13.8% | 11.8–16% | 14.3% | about the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Food insecurity | 9.1% | 6.9–11.7% | 10.7% | about the same |
| Housing insecurity | 8.7% | 6.9–10.7% | 9.8% | about the same |
| Utility shut-off threat | 6.8% | 5.5–8.1% | 7.4% | about the same |
| No reliable transportation | 7% | 5.8–8.3% | 7.8% | about the same |
| Receive SNAP | 12.3% | 9.3–15.6% | 14.3% | |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 29.8% | 25.8–34.2% | 32.1% | |
| Walking or climbing stairs | 14% | 11.6–16.7% | 14% | |
| Thinking or memory | 14% | 11.9–16.4% | 15.5% | |
| Hearing | 8.7% | 7.5–9.9% | 8.4% | |
| Vision | 4.4% | 3.7–5.2% | 4.4% | |
| Dressing or bathing | 3.6% | 3–4.3% | 3.5% | |
| Errands alone | 7.7% | 6.4–9.1% | 8.1% | |
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 Cushing door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Maine figure falls inside it, we don't call Cushing better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Cushing by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Cushing by how much of its land each one covers.
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maine 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.