The ‘Unhealthiest’ City In Massachusetts

Massachusetts usually ranks at the top of the list when it comes to healthy states in the country. The commonwealth is ranked number one in health care.

When it comes to health insurance coverage and access to care, the top-performing states in 2023 were Massachusetts, Hawaii, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia. Massachusetts reported the nation’s lowest adult uninsured rate, 3.4 percent. -commonwealthfund.org

The Most 'Unhealthy' City in Massachusetts

Springfield, MA

Springfield is city of about 155,000 in the western part of the state and has been named the most unhealthy municipality, according to 247wallst.com.

Adults in fair or poor health: 12.9% (state: 10.8%)
> Adult smoking rate: 15.4% (state: 11.4%)
> Adult obesity rate: 29.2% (state: 24.5%)
> Median household income: $65,520 (state: $89,645)

Unhealthy lifestyle attributes

• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Poor diet
• High levels of stressors that lead to anxiety, depression

• Potential life lost per 100,000 individuals: 9,900 (compared to the state average of 5,600)
• Adults reporting fair or poor health: 23.9% (compared to the state average of 13.6%)
• Adults afflicted by obesity: 32.6% (compared to the state average of 24.4%)
• Physically inactive adults: 26.9% (compared to the state average of 18.9%)

I quit smoking cigarettes at 37, drinking alcohol at 42, and using cannabis at 43. Abstaining from these intoxicants improved my health dramatically. Your body can only take so much abuse.

Surrounding yourself and having access to better lifestyle choices is paramount for longevity. Sometimes bigger cities with a lower income level can contribute to poor  health.

The 10 Leading Causes of Death in Massachusetts

10. Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis

The main factors that lead to this are viruses, obesity, and alcohol misuse.

9. Kidney Disease

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the main causes of kidney disease.

8. Alzheimer's Disease

The causes probably include a combination of age-related changes in the brain, along with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

7. Diabetes

Type 1 you're born with, type 2 you develop with poor diet choices and physical inactivity.

6. Stroke

There are two main causes of stroke, a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke).

5. Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases

Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Flu, and more all contribute to this conditions .

4. Accidents

Pedestrian deaths were up 35% last year (2022).

3. Covid-19

The pandemic was still high on the list of leading causes of death in Massachusetts.

2. Heart Disease

Leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity.

1. Cancer

Breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, uterine, and bladder cancers, in that order, are the top types of diagnosed disease in Massachusetts and nationally.

An estimated 12,500 people will die of cancer in 2023 in Massachusetts. The above data courtesy of cdc.gov