Douglas, Massachusetts is a small town of 8,500 people situated in the south central part of the state. Despite its small size, Douglas has a strong health infrastructure available to its citizens. The town is home to two local hospitals and numerous medical facilities that provide quality care for patients. These facilities are staffed by highly trained professionals offering specialized care in areas such as family medicine, orthopedics, and preventive health care. In addition, the area has several physical therapy centers that help those with physical disabilities or chronic conditions manage their symptoms. This wide range of services allows residents to receive excellent health care without having to travel far from home. Additionally, the community is served by numerous transportation options making it easy for those who need medical attention to access these services quickly and efficiently. All of this comes together to ensure that Douglas residents have access to all the healthcare options they need to stay healthy and safe.
The health of a city has many different factors. It can refer to air quality, water quality, risk of getting respiratory disease or cancer. The people you live around can also affect your health as some places have lower or higher rates of physical activity, increased alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, and cancer rates.
Physicians per Capita
There are 246 physicians per 100,000 population in Douglas. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Douglas area is 84.6 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
84.6 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Douglas area is 52 (100=best). The US average is 55.
52 / 100
Note that this is a measure of Watershed quality, not the water that comes from your faucet. The EPA has stated that a healthy watershed is closely related to drinking water quality. The EPA has a complex method of measuring watershed quality using 15 indicators such as pH, chemicals, metals, and bacteria.
Superfund Index
The annual BestPlaces Superfund Index for the Douglas area is 92 (100=best). The US average is 87.
92 / 100
The EPA's Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of our nation's most contaminated land. Our index is based on the number of active Superfund sites (over 15,000 in the United States), with particular attention paid to those on the National Priorities List which pose the greatest health danger.
Quick Facts
Commuting can effect your health. The average person in Douglas commutes 38.6 minutes one-way, which is longer than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
Air Quality Index
The annual BestPlaces Air Quality Index for the Douglas area is 78 (100=best). The US average is 58.
78 / 100
This is based on new measures of hazardous air pollutants from the EPA, called the National Air Toxics Assessment. This analysis models respiratory illness and cancer risk down to the zip code level, providing better detail and insight than the previous analysis based solely on results from air monitoring stations.