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.
| 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 | |||
| Athol | 17.1 | 17.1 | 25.7 | 25.7 | 51.2 | 51.1 | 59.7 | 117.2 | 100.6 | 75.6 | |||||||||
| Clinton | 14.6 | 29.0 | 43.4 | 50.5 | 14.3 | 35.7 | 35.7 | 45.4 | 25.9 | 32.3 | |||||||||
| Fitchburg | 14.8 | 34.4 | 46.7 | 56.5 | 58.9 | 36.8 | 51.7 | 45.3 | 40.9 | 48.2 | |||||||||
| Gardner | 19.6 | 29.5 | 29.2 | 39.0 | 38.8 | 58.0 | 29.0 | 18.8 | 52.4 | 71.8 | |||||||||
| Northbridge | 6.2 | 6.1 | 24.4 | 12.1 | 24.0 | 35.9 | 24.0 | 18.4 | 30.7 | 18.4 | |||||||||
| Southbridge | 11.9 | 11.9 | 41.5 | 71.1 | 29.6 | 29.6 | 82.9 | 84.5 | 62.2 | 51.1 | |||||||||
| Spencer | 8.5 | 25.3 | 84.5 | 25.2 | 41.8 | 33.5 | 41.9 | 16.7 | 33.4 | 25.2 | |||||||||
| Webster | 17.8 | 23.7 | 47.3 | 29.5 | 58.7 | 53.0 | 64.9 | 45.0 | 28.3 | 45.5 | |||||||||
| Worcester | 23.5 | 30.3 | 45.5 | 41.7 | 46.9 | 53.4 | 43.7 | 49.9 | 51.1 | 68.7 | |||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||
Notes: Rates per 100,000 residents. Numbers are age- and sex-adjusted.
| 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 | |||
| Athol | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 9 | |||||||||
| Clinton | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||
| Fitchburg | 6 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 20 | |||||||||
| Gardner | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 15 | |||||||||
| Northbridge | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||
| Southbridge | 2 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 9 | |||||||||
| Spencer | 1 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||
| Webster | 3 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 8 | |||||||||
| Worcester | 43 | 56 | 84 | 77 | 87 | 99 | 81 | 103 | 105 | 141 | |||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||
Notes: Opioids include heroin, illicitly manufactured fentanyl, opioid-based prescription painkillers, and other unspecified opioids.
