Asthma Facts & Awareness

Springfield/Hampden County is #12 Asthma Capital

The Greater Springfield area has dropped to the 12th most challenging places to live with asthma, according to a report by Asthma and Allergy Foundation.  This is in addition to its ranking as 3rd worst for Allergy Capitals. The reports are based on asthma prevalence and mortality data from all of Hampden County, and emergency department visits from Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties. Thus, the concerns about asthma are regional, and not limited to the City of Springfield.


In many ways, air quality is improving.  While in past years, Springfield received D's  for particle pollution and ozone, the latest  American Lung Association State of the Air report ranks Springfield region as one of the healthier air quality areas in the country.   The closing of coal powered plants in Holyoke and Springfield and across the country are likely to have improved air quality.

Western MA Asthma Statistics

Statewide Comparisons

People of color in Hampden county are more likely to visit the Emergency Department for asthma. Black and Latinx people in Hampden county visit the Emergency both more than white people and Hampden county and above the state average.


Graph Source

Asthma and COPD Disproportionally Impact People of Color in Our Community

Springfield residents of color continued to be at substantially greater risk of experiencing complications from asthma than White Springfield residents (Figure 10). Latinx residents visited the emergency room for asthma-related complications at a rate nearly five times that of White Springfield residents, while Black residents had rates double that of Whites. Children age 0-14 also experienced these inequities with the highest rates among Latino/a children with rates double those of Whites (2,837 vs 1,107 per 100,000)


Source: Springfield Healthy Equity Report


Asthma Prevalence for Children and Older Adults

  • Across many cities in Hampden county the childhood asthma rate is above the state average
  • Across many cities in Hampden county the asthma rate for older adults is significantly higher than the state average


Source: Baystate Medical Center Community Health Needs Assessment 

For statistics on asthma and other environmental issues in Massachusetts,

visit the Massachusetts Environmental Public Health Tracking website.

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