The city of Boston, MA has a population of over 694,583 people and is home to several well-known hospitals and medical facilities. Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are all located in the city. These institutions provide excellent healthcare services to local residents and offer a variety of specialties such as cardiology, neurology, general surgery, cancer care, pediatrics, family medicine, and more. In addition to these major hospitals, Boston also offers numerous community health centers and clinics that provide affordable primary healthcare at an accessible cost for those living in the area. This allows individuals access to quality medical care regardless of income or insurance status. Additionally, the city has various programs such as The Health Safety Net which provides access to health care for low-income families who cannot afford it otherwise. Overall with its great resources for health care in Boston ensures that its residents have the access they need to receive quality medical attention when needed.
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 554 physicians per 100,000 population in Boston. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Boston area is 83.4 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
83.4 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Boston area is 1 (100=best). The US average is 55.
1 / 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 Boston area is 96 (100=best). The US average is 87.
96 / 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 Boston commutes 30.4 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 Boston area is 43 (100=best). The US average is 58.
43 / 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.