“Hold Your Breath” For The Most Hazardous Cities In Massachusetts

Not to get too melodramatic, but it amazes me that something that contributes to several thousands of deaths every year is still so common in many of our homes and schools in Massachusetts.

Believe it or not, folks, approximately 35% of homes in the United States contain lead paint! With well over 400,000 deaths every year in this country linked to lead contamination, Paint Gnome decided to look into which American cities are at the most risk of lead paint exposure.

Are you ready for this surprising statistic? TEN of the TOP 50 most lead paint-vulnerable cities in America are located in Massachusetts! I don't know about you, but that statistic just blows me away!

Before we delve into which cities in the Commonwealth made the rankings, let's find out how Paint Gnome came up with their findings. Paint Gnome compared the 500 biggest cities in the United States based on 2 main categories.

First, Paint Gnome looked at the number and share of homes built during the years when lead paint use was common. Second, they looked at each city's access to certified lead-based paint inspection, risk assessment, abatement firms, and other metrics.

2024's Top 10 Most Lead Paint-Vulnerable Cities, according to Paint Gnome:

1. Cicero - Illinois
2. Chicago - Illinois
3. Buffalo - New York
4. Reading - Pennsylvania
5. St. Louis - Missouri
6. Philadelphia - Pennsylvania
7. Detroit - Michigan
8. Somerville - Massachusetts
9. Cleveland - Ohio
10. Scranton - Pennsylvania

You may think that Massachusetts did pretty well with only one city in the top 10. Well, think again. According to Paint Gnome, every city representing Massachusetts landed in the top 100, with 10 Bay State cities in the Top 50!

Here they are with their respective rankings:

• Somerville (#8)
• New Bedford (#21)
• Newton (#24)
• Lynn (#27)
• Boston (#29)
• Lawrence (#30)
• Springfield (#40)
• Fall River (#41)
• Worcester (#46)
• Lowell (#47)

That's pretty telling, isn't it? If you've never had a lead paint inspection performed on your home, you may want to get it done. You can find out more cool info, including the American cities that are the least lead paint-vulnerable, by visiting Paint Gnome's website here.