Health · Jay

Jay, ME health

On most measures Jay looks like Maine as a whole. Where it trails the state most: fewer adults seeing a dentist (60.5% vs 63.8%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · ZIP code 04239 (all of Jay)

B-Health Grade

TownTapestry Health GradeNew

B⁻

Jay’s Health Grade: B−

On seven CDC health estimates for adults, Jay is healthier than 54% of U.S. towns and 56% of Maine towns.

BSelf-rated healthB-Physical distressCMental distressB+ObesityA-DiabetesC+SmokingBExercise

All U.S. towns we grade (19,420)Healthier than 54%

Less healthyHealthier

Maine towns we grade (276)Healthier than 56%

Towns with similar incomes, $53K–$88K (9,616)Healthier than 68%

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

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

36 of every 100 Jay adults have high blood pressure

Maine: 36 in 100 · too close to call · margin 32.1–38.7%

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

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Jay, betterJay, worseToo close to callMaine

Get no exerciseshare of adults 24.1% Jay
ME 23.1%

Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 36.8% Jay
ME 32.8%

Binge drinkshare of adults 15.7% Jay
ME 15.5%

Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 15.4% Jay
ME 14.4%

0%10%20%30%40%

Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Jay 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

Jay 8% · Maine 1 in 13 (7.8%)

Mind & connection

How Jay adults are doing

1 in 3Jay adults feel lonely

35.3% · Maine 32% · too close to call

1 in 4Jay adults have been diagnosed with depression

27.3% · Maine 26.9% · too close to call

1 in 4Jay adults lack social or emotional support

25.1% · Maine 22.7% · too close to call

1 in 5Jay adults are in frequent mental distress

18.3% · 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 9

Jay adults worry about having enough food

10.6% · ME 10.7% · about the same

1 in 10

Jay adults worry about keeping their housing

10.4% · ME 9.8% · about the same

1 in 14

Jay adults were threatened with a utility shut-off

7% · ME 7.4% · about the same

1 in 14

Jay adults lack reliable transportation

7.2% · ME 7.8% · about the same

13.3% of Jay adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.3% across Maine.

Disability

Living with a disability

33.4%

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

Walking or climbing stairs13.7%

Thinking or memory16.1%

Hearing8.6%

Errands alone8%

Vision4.2%

Dressing or bathing3.5%

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

Around Jay

Jay 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 Jay.

31.4%42.3%· darker is worse for health

Obesity

#5 of 18towns on this map, healthiest first

Jay33.7%

Canton33.7%

Chesterville34.2%

Livermore34.5%

Wilton37%

Livermore Falls42.3%

Care nearby

Mainehealth Franklin HospitalFarmington · 7.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Rumford HospitalRumford · 17.6 mi · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Maine General Medical CenterAugusta · 25.2 mi · ★★★★★ · ER Directions Medicare profile

Mainehealth Stephens HospitalNorway · 26.8 mi · ★★★★★ · ER · rural critical access Directions Medicare profile

Western Maine Family Health CenterLivermore Falls · 3.1 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

Dfd Russell Medical Center - LeedsLeeds · 15.2 mi · community health center, sliding-scale fees Directions

✓ Primary careJay is not a shortage area

✓ Dental careJay is not a shortage area

! Mental healthJay's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Franklin County · need score 16 of 25

Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes). Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Distances are straight-line from the center of Jay. 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 Jay

Measure	Jay	Margin	Maine
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure	35.5%	32.1–38.7%	35.7%	about the same
High cholesterol	38%	34.6–41.1%	37.4%	about the same
Obesity	33.7%	28.9–38.3%	32.7%	about the same
Arthritis	32%	29–34.9%	32%	about the same
Depression	27.3%	24–30.4%	26.9%	about the same
Lost all teeth (65+)	17%	14.2–20%	14.8%	about the same
Asthma	12.9%	11.5–14.3%	12.6%	about the same
Cancer (not skin)	9.9%	9–10.8%	9.9%	about the same
Diabetes	10.4%	8.9–11.8%	11.2%	about the same
COPD	8.3%	7–9.7%	8.4%	about the same
Heart disease	7.5%	6.6–8.5%	7.6%	about the same
Stroke	3.6%	3.1–4%	3.6%	about the same
Habits
Smoke cigarettes	15.4%	12.8–18.2%	14.4%	about the same
Binge drink	15.7%	13.3–18.1%	15.5%	about the same
Get no exercise	24.1%	20.4–27.9%	23.1%	about the same
Sleep under 7 hours	36.8%	32.3–41.2%	32.8%	about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup	79.2%	76.2–81.8%	81.2%	about the same
Dentist visit	60.5%	57.1–63.7%	63.8%	worse
Cholesterol check	87.4%	85.6–89.1%	87.1%	about the same
Colon screening	71.1%	67.2–74.6%	70.5%	about the same
Mammogram	81.3%	76–85.6%	80.3%	about the same
Taking BP meds	74.8%	71.7–77.6%	76.4%	about the same
No health insurance	8%	6.3–9.8%	7.8%	about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely	35.3%	31.3–39.5%	32%	about the same
Lack emotional support	25.1%	21.8–28.7%	22.7%	about the same
Frequent mental distress	18.3%	16.1–20.4%	17.7%	about the same
Fair or poor health	18.8%	16.1–21.7%	18.7%	about the same
Frequent physical distress	14.5%	12.6–16.4%	14.3%	about the same
Everyday needs
Food insecurity	10.6%	8.6–12.9%	10.7%	about the same
Housing insecurity	10.4%	8.6–12.3%	9.8%	about the same
Utility shut-off threat	7%	5.9–8.1%	7.4%	about the same
No reliable transportation	7.2%	6.1–8.4%	7.8%	about the same
Receive SNAP	13.3%	10.8–15.9%	14.3%
Disability
Any disability	33.4%	29.4–37.5%	32.1%
Walking or climbing stairs	13.7%	11.5–15.7%	14%
Thinking or memory	16.1%	14–18.3%	15.5%
Hearing	8.6%	7.6–9.6%	8.4%
Vision	4.2%	3.7–4.9%	4.4%
Dressing or bathing	3.5%	3–4%	3.5%
Errands alone	8%	6.8–9.2%	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 Jay door to door.

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

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