Northfield, MA is a small town located in Franklin County with a population of around 3,000 people. It has a unique tight-knit community and offers plenty of activities and amenities for its residents. The health of the people living in Northfield is supported by multiple local hospitals and medical facilities. Examples include Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Valley Medical Group, and more. These hospitals provide quality care to Northfield residents with access to medical specialists, advanced treatments, emergency services, and much more. Furthermore, the town itself holds events like weekly farmers markets that promote healthy eating habits among locals. These initiatives are designed to help maintain healthy lifestyles among the citizens of Northfield and create an inclusive environment for its residents.
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 139 physicians per 100,000 population in Northfield. The US average is 210 per 100,000 people.
Health Cost Index
The annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index for the Northfield area is 83.8 (lower=better). The US average is 100.
83.8 / 100
Example: 110 = 10% more expensive than national average.
Water Qualtiy Index
The annual BestPlaces Water Quality Index for the Northfield 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 Northfield 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 Northfield commutes 28.8 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 Northfield 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.