Health · Dresden

Dresden, ME health

On most measures Dresden looks like Maine as a whole. It has more adults seeing a dentist (67% vs 63.8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 04342 (all of Dresden)

BHealth Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Dresden’s Health Grade: B

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Dresden is healthier than 55% of U.S. towns and 58% of Maine towns.

B-Self-rated healthC+Physical distressC+Mental distressB+ObesityBDiabetesC+SmokingB+Exercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 55%

Less healthyHealthier

Maine towns we grade (276)Healthier than 58%

Towns with similar incomes, $56K–$94K (9,885)Healthier than 64%

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

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Dresden 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 Dresden 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. Dresden’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 Dresden 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

Out of every 100 Dresden adults…

37 of every 100 Dresden adults have high blood pressure

Maine: 36 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.3–40.1%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Dresden, betterDresden, worseToo close to callMaine

Get no exerciseshare of adults 22% Dresden
ME 23.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 29.8% Dresden
ME 32.8%

Binge drinkshare of adults 14.4% Dresden
ME 15.5%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.4% Dresden
ME 14.4%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Dresden 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 13

working-age adults has no health insurance

Dresden 7.9% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)

Mind & connection

How Dresden adults are doing

1 in 3Dresden adults feel lonely

31.1% · Maine 32% · too close to call

1 in 4Dresden adults have been diagnosed with depression

28% · Maine 26.9% · too close to call

1 in 4Dresden adults lack social or emotional support

23.4% · Maine 22.7% · too close to call

1 in 6Dresden adults are in frequent mental distress

17.9% · 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 10

Dresden adults worry about having enough food

10.4% · ME 10.7% · about the same

1 in 10

Dresden adults worry about keeping their housing

9.7% · ME 9.8% · about the same

1 in 14

Dresden adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7.1% · ME 7.4% · about the same

1 in 14

Dresden adults lack reliable transportation

7.3% · ME 7.8% · about the same

13.9% of Dresden adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.

Disability

Living with a disability

31.6%

of Dresden adults live with a disability (Maine 32.1%). Thinking or memory is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs14.4%

Thinking or memory15.4%

Hearing8.1%

Errands alone7.9%

Vision4.4%

Dressing or bathing3.7%

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

Around Dresden

Dresden 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 Dresden.

29.2%34.1%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#13 of 20towns on this map, healthiest first

Woolwich29.6%

Alna31.2%

Richmond31.7%

Wiscasset31.8%

Dresden32.4%

Pittston32.7%

Care nearby

LincolnhealthDamariscotta · 11.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Togus VA Medical CenterAugusta · 13.1 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · VA Directions Medicare profile

Mainehealth Mid Coast HospitalBrunswick · 14.6 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Maine General Medical CenterAugusta · 18.4 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Richmond Area Health CenterRichmond · 3.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Dfd Russell Medical Center - MonmouthMonmouth · 18.4 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careDresden is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careDresden is not a shortage area

✓ Mental healthDresden 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 Dresden. 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 Dresden

Measure	Dresden	Margin	Maine
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	36.8%	33.3–40.1%	35.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	39.9%	36.4–43.3%	37.4%	about the same
Obesity	32.4%	27.7–37.1%	32.7%	about the same
Arthritis	35%	31.8–38%	32%	about the same
Depression	28%	24.8–31.5%	26.9%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	13%	10.9–15.3%	14.8%	about the same
Asthma	12.6%	11.2–14.1%	12.6%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	10.1%	9.1–11.3%	9.9%	about the same
Diabetes	11.3%	9.7–13.1%	11.2%	about the same
COPD	8.7%	7.1–10.6%	8.4%	about the same
Heart disease	7.6%	6.5–8.7%	7.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.6%	3.1–4.2%	3.6%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.4%	12.2–19.1%	14.4%	about the same
Binge drink	14.4%	12.1–17%	15.5%	about the same
Get no exercise	22%	18.2–26.3%	23.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	29.8%	25.8–33.9%	32.8%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	81.7%	78.8–84.4%	81.2%	about the same
Dentist visit	67%	64–69.9%	63.8%	better
Cholesterol check	87.5%	85.2–89.5%	87.1%	about the same
Colon screening	70.1%	65.9–73.9%	70.5%	about the same
Mammogram	78.7%	73.1–83.6%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	77%	73.7–79.9%	76.4%	about the same
No health insurance	7.9%	5.8–10.6%	7.8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	31.1%	27.1–35.5%	32%	about the same
Lack emotional support	23.4%	19.7–27.4%	22.7%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	17.9%	15.7–20.4%	17.7%	about the same
Fair or poor health	19%	15.7–22.8%	18.7%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14.7%	12.7–17%	14.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	10.4%	7.6–13.6%	10.7%	about the same
Housing insecurity	9.7%	7.5–12.1%	9.8%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	7.1%	5.7–8.6%	7.4%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.3%	5.9–8.8%	7.8%	about the same
Receive SNAP	13.9%	10.2–17.9%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	31.6%	27.4–36.2%	32.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	14.4%	11.9–17.3%	14%
Thinking or memory	15.4%	13–18.2%	15.5%
Hearing	8.1%	7.1–9.2%	8.4%
Vision	4.4%	3.7–5.3%	4.4%
Dressing or bathing	3.7%	3–4.4%	3.5%
Errands alone	7.9%	6.7–9.6%	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 Dresden door to door.

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

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