Worcester County Insights

Health And Wellbeing

Opioid Overdose Mortality Rate

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Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health

What does this measure?

Deaths due to opioid overdoses, expressed as a rate per 100,000 residents.

Why is this important?

In addition to ending a life tragically, a death by overdose profoundly affects surviving relatives and friends. Rising overdose deaths can reflect increasing rates of addiction, more potent and dangerous substances, inadequate systems to treat and support addicts, and other worrisome trends.

How is our county performing?

In 2022, Worcester County had an opioid overdose mortality rate of 38 deaths per 100,000 residents, slightly higher than the statewide rate of 34. This is the highest rate for Worcester County since 2007. The City of Worcester had the highest total number of overdose deaths at 141.

Notes about the data

Deaths may be accidental or intentional, or this information may be unknown. Opioids include heroin, illicitly manufactured fentanyl, opioid-based prescription painkillers, and other unspecified opioids. This data reflects where the individual lived, not where the overdose occurred.

Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths, per 100,000 residents

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Worcester County	9.0	9.9	8.4	9.9	10.2	11.3	14.2	19.9	27.1	30.0	30.3	33.9	32.1	32.2	32.6	38.4
Westborough							0.0	5.3	15.9	21.1	15.7	31.3	5.2	9.3	0.0	0.0
Massachusetts	10.0	9.6	9.8	8.4	9.9	11.0	14.2	20.1	25.7	30.9	29.3	29.2	29.1	29.7	32.9	33.8
Additional Worcester County localities
Milford							7.1	14.0	14.0	41.8	20.7	20.7	13.7	6.6	29.7	29.8
Harvard							15.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	15.1	0.0	0.0	29.2	14.6
Southborough							0.0	0.0	0.0	9.9	0.0	9.9	19.6	0.0	9.6	19.2

Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Notes: Rates per 100,000 residents. Numbers are age- and sex-adjusted.

Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Worcester County	71	78	67	79	82	91	115	162	222	246	250	281	267	278	281	331
Westborough							0	1	3	4	3	6	1	2	0	0
Massachusetts	642	622	638	547	656	733	954	1,356	1,746	2,110	2,008	2,013	2,005	2,091	2,299	2,359
Additional Worcester County localities
Milford							2	4	4	12	6	6	4	2	9	9
Harvard							1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	1
Southborough							0	0	0	1	0	1	2	0	1	2

Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Notes: Opioids include heroin, illicitly manufactured fentanyl, opioid-based prescription painkillers, and other unspecified opioids.

Health And Wellbeing Indicators

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All Youth and Education Indicators

INDICATORS	TREND
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments	1 Increasing
Average Charitable Contribution	0 Maintaining
Households With Internet Access	1 Increasing
Protected Land	10 Not Applicable*
Voter Participation Rate	-1 Decreasing
Voter Registration Rate	0 Maintaining
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Change in Total Population	1 Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Foreign-Born Population	1 Increasing
Language Diversity	1 Increasing
Population by Age	-1 Decreasing
Households by Type	0 Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Median Household Income	0 Maintaining
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity	0 Maintaining
80/20 Income Ratio	0 Maintaining
Income in Relation to Poverty Level	0 Maintaining
People Living in Poverty	0 Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level	1 Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Age	1 Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Overall Housing Cost Burden	-1 Decreasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Homelessness	10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance	0 Maintaining
Households Without Vehicles	0 Maintaining
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector	10 Not Applicable*
Change in Average Salary by Sector	10 Not Applicable*
Female to Male Earnings Ratio	0 Maintaining
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Employer Size	1 Increasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Self-Employment Revenue	0 Maintaining
People Entering/Leaving County for Work	1 Increasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Preterm Births	10 Not Applicable*
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels	-1 Decreasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma	1 Increasing
People with Disabilities	1 Increasing
People Without Health Insurance	-1 Decreasing
Cancer Incidence	0 Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence	-1 Decreasing
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions	-1 Decreasing
Opioid Overdose Mortality Rate	1 Increasing
Children Living in Poverty	0 Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students	1 Increasing
Disengaged Youth	-1 Decreasing
Prekindergarten Participation	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group	1 Increasing
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity	0 Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity	1 Increasing
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity	10 Not Applicable*
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup	-1 Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group	1 Increasing