Health Profile of Medford, Massachusetts
Medford Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A+
Medford Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 80.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.4% | 2.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 8.9% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Medford is about the same as in Massachusetts, at 80.5 years. The uninsured rate is 3.4%, higher than the Massachusetts average of 2.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 8.9% of residents, lower than the Massachusetts average of 11.8%.
Population by Age
Older residents
19,093 residents in Medford are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,571 524 men · 1,046 women
- 75–84 2,506 959 men · 1,547 women
- 65–74 4,917 2,114 men · 2,803 women
- 50–64 10,099 4,889 men · 5,210 women
Younger residents
7,763 residents in Medford are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 2,228 1,138 boys · 1,090 girls
- 7–12 2,140 1,120 boys · 1,020 girls
- 3–7 1,868 968 boys · 900 girls
- 0–3 1,527 750 boys · 778 girls
About 2,596 residents in Medford (4.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 80.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.1% | 8.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.4% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.7% | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 21.7% | 25.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Medford is about 19% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of diabetes in Medford is about 17% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of obesity in Medford is about 15% lower than in Massachusetts.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 10.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 16.8% | 17.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 16.3% | 20.3% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in Medford is about 25% lower than in Massachusetts. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Medford is about 20% lower than in Massachusetts.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 54,124 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 595,367 minutes a day and 217.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Medford is 80.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.14 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.85 | 5.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.8 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Medford is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Medford, MA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
Medford, MA is typical in size for this group, 59,237 residents against a local median of 66,048, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Medford, MA apart most is uninsured: 3.4%, 98% above the local median of 1.7%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread 3.9% on uninsured, so Medford, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Medford, MA has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, MA | 59,237 | 80.5 yrs #6/6 | 3.4% #5/6 | 21.7% #5/6 |
| Somerville, MA | 81,027 | 80.6 yrs | 1.9% | 20.2% |
| Winchester, MA | 23,377 | 83.6 yrs | 1.0% | 19.3% |
| Cambridge, MA | 117,266 | 82.1 yrs | 1.7% | 19.1% |
| Malden, MA | 66,048 | 80.5 yrs | 4.9% | 23.4% |
| Stoneham, MA | 23,334 | 82.1 yrs | 1.2% | 21.5% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Medford, Massachusetts has an overall health index grade of A+, making it somewhat better than Massachusetts, and far better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Medford, Massachusetts.
What is the health grade for Medford, Massachusetts?
Medford, Massachusetts has a Map AI Health Index grade of A+, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A+ grade means residents are among the healthiest and longest-living in the country.
What is the average lifespan in Medford, Massachusetts?
People in Medford, Massachusetts can expect to live 80.5 years on average, about the same as the Massachusetts average of 80.5.
What percentage of Medford, Massachusetts residents are uninsured?
3.4% of residents in Medford, Massachusetts have no health insurance, about 1 in 29 people, 0.8 points above the Massachusetts rate of 2.6%.
How common is obesity in Medford, Massachusetts?
21.7% of adults in Medford, Massachusetts are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 3.9 points below the Massachusetts rate of 25.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Medford, Massachusetts go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 54,124 cigarettes a day, 1.6 million a month, or 19.8 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 595,367 minutes a day and 217.3 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Medford is 80.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.14 lifetimes a year.
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