Health · Franklin

Franklin, ME health

On most measures Franklin looks like Maine as a whole. Where it trails the state most: fewer adults seeing a dentist (57.8% vs 63.8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 04634 (all of Franklin)
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Franklin’s Health Grade: C+

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Franklin is healthier than 43% of U.S. towns, and than 60% of towns with similar incomes.

C+Self-rated healthCPhysical distressC-Mental distressB+ObesityB-DiabetesCSmokingB+Exercise
All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 43%
Less healthyHealthier
Maine towns we grade (276)Healthier than 43%
Towns with similar incomes, $49K–$82K (9,113)Healthier than 60%

Better than its income would suggest. Franklin is healthier than most towns with similar incomes, even though its overall grade is C+.

These are estimates. At the ends of CDC’s likely ranges, Franklin could be anywhere from C− to B+.
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 Franklin 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. Franklin’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 Franklin 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 Franklin adults…

37 of every 100 Franklin adults have high blood pressure
Maine: 36 in 100 · too close to call · margin 33.5–39.9%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Franklin, betterFranklin, worseToo close to callMaine
Get no exerciseshare of adults 23.4% Franklin
ME 23.1%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 32.3% Franklin
ME 32.8%
Binge drinkshare of adults 15.5% Franklin
ME 15.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 17% Franklin
ME 14.4%
0%10%20%30%40%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Franklin adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maine.

82%
Yearly checkup
ME 81%
58%
Dentist visit
ME 64%
87%
Cholesterol check
ME 87%
70%
Colon screening
ME 71%
79%
Mammogram
ME 80%
77%
Taking BP meds
ME 76%
1 in 12
working-age adults has no health insurance
Franklin 8.5% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)
Mind & connection

How Franklin adults are doing

1 in 3Franklin adults feel lonely
31.6% · Maine 32% · too close to call
1 in 4Franklin adults have been diagnosed with depression
27.6% · Maine 26.9% · too close to call
1 in 4Franklin adults lack social or emotional support
22.5% · Maine 22.7% · too close to call
1 in 5Franklin adults are in frequent mental distress
18.7% · 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 8
Franklin adults worry about having enough food
12.9% · ME 10.7% · about the same
1 in 9
Franklin adults worry about keeping their housing
11.4% · ME 9.8% · about the same
1 in 11
Franklin adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
8.8% · ME 7.4% · about the same
1 in 11
Franklin adults lack reliable transportation
8.9% · ME 7.8% · about the same

17.8% of Franklin adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.

Disability

Living with a disability

34.1%

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

Walking or climbing stairs15.4%
Thinking or memory17.3%
Hearing9%
Errands alone9.1%
Vision5.2%
Dressing or bathing4.3%

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

Around Franklin

Franklin 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 Franklin.

Hancock: 30% Sullivan: 32.5% Sorrento: 32% Lamoine: 29.7% Bar Harbor: 28.2% Gouldsboro: 29.9% Franklin: 32.3% Franklin Hancock Sullivan Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital · Ellsworth · 9.2 mi · 3★ MedicareH Mount Desert Island Hospital · Bar Harbor · 15.1 miH
28.2%32.5%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#6 of 7towns on this map, healthiest first
Hancock30%
Franklin32.3%
Sullivan32.5%
6 places to get careNearest ER 9.2 mi

Nearby towns are shaded from CDC's estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC's own figure for cities and villages.

Getting care

Care in and near Franklin

No hospital or community health center in Franklin itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERNorthern Light Maine Coast HospitalEllsworth · 9.2 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyNorthern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center★★★★★ · 28.7 miDirections →
+Low-cost careBucksport Regional Health CenterEllsworth · 9.7 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
9.2 mi
Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital
Ellsworth · ★★★★★
ER
9.7 mi
Bucksport Regional Health Center
2 sites · nearest in Ellsworth
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
15.1 mi
Mount Desert Island Hospital
Bar Harbor · not rated
ERRural critical access
21.3 mi
Northern Light Blue Hill Memorial Hospital
Blue Hill · not rated
ERRural critical access
22.1 mi
Harrington Family Health Center
Harrington · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
28.7 mi
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center
Bangor · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careFranklin is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Milbridge · need score 14 of 25
! Dental careFranklin is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Gouldsboro · need score 16 of 25
! Mental healthFranklin is a federal shortage area.Ellsworth · need score 15 of 25

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 Franklin. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Franklin
MeasureFranklinMarginMaine
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure36.7%33.5–39.9%35.7%about the same
High cholesterol38.7%35.6–41.9%37.4%about the same
Obesity32.3%28–37%32.7%about the same
Arthritis33.4%30.6–36.3%32%about the same
Depression27.6%24.6–30.8%26.9%about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)13.2%10.7–15.7%14.8%about the same
Asthma12.9%11.6–14.4%12.6%about the same
Cancer (not skin)10.1%9.1–11%9.9%about the same
Diabetes12.2%10.5–13.9%11.2%about the same
COPD9.8%8.3–11.4%8.4%about the same
Heart disease8.3%7.3–9.3%7.6%about the same
Stroke4.1%3.6–4.6%3.6%about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes17%13.8–20%14.4%about the same
Binge drink15.5%13.3–18.1%15.5%about the same
Get no exercise23.4%19.5–27.3%23.1%about the same
Sleep under 7 hours32.3%28.2–36.8%32.8%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup81.8%79.2–84.4%81.2%about the same
Dentist visit57.8%54.4–61.1%63.8%worse
Cholesterol check86.8%85.1–88.6%87.1%about the same
Colon screening70%66–73.7%70.5%about the same
Mammogram79.3%73.7–84.2%80.3%about the same
Taking BP meds77.3%74.5–80%76.4%about the same
No health insurance8.5%6.9–10.5%7.8%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely31.6%27.8–35.2%32%about the same
Lack emotional support22.5%19.4–25.5%22.7%about the same
Frequent mental distress18.7%16.5–21%17.7%about the same
Fair or poor health20.4%17.3–23.5%18.7%about the same
Frequent physical distress15.5%13.4–17.6%14.3%about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity12.9%10.4–15.4%10.7%about the same
Housing insecurity11.4%9.4–13.4%9.8%about the same
Utility shut-off threat8.8%7.4–10.2%7.4%about the same
No reliable transportation8.9%7.5–10.2%7.8%about the same
Receive SNAP17.8%14.7–21.1%14.3%
Disability
Any disability34.1%30–38.2%32.1%
Walking or climbing stairs15.4%13.1–17.9%14%
Thinking or memory17.3%14.9–19.6%15.5%
Hearing9%7.9–10.1%8.4%
Vision5.2%4.5–6%4.4%
Dressing or bathing4.3%3.7–4.9%3.5%
Errands alone9.1%7.7–10.5%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 Franklin door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Maine figure falls inside it, we don't call Franklin better or worse.
Why a ZIP codeCDC publishes towns like Franklin by ZIP code. We weight the ZIP codes that cover Franklin 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01