Redlined Massachusetts Neighborhoods Face Higher Overdose Rates
A Boston Medical Center study links historical redlining grades to opioid overdose death rates across Massachusetts census tracts.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Substance Abuse
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Researchers at Boston Medical Center found that Massachusetts neighborhoods given the lowest redlining grades had 86% higher annual opioid-related overdose death rates than those given the highest grades. The study was published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.
Why it matters
The findings suggest historical housing discrimination may still shape present-day public health outcomes in Massachusetts communities. The state's overdose deaths have fallen sharply, but the study indicates neighborhood disparities persist.
The analysis drew on 1,829 adult opioid-related overdose deaths across 326 Massachusetts census tracts from 2015 to 2019, with rates 53% higher in "still desirable" tracts and 61% higher in "declining" tracts than in "best" tracts. The study excluded nonurban communities, and the causal pathways linking redlining to overdose risk were not determined.
The players
Boston Medical Center
A major academic medical center in Boston that conducted the study examining redlining and overdose deaths.
University of Southern California
The academic institution with which the study's first author is affiliated.
The details
Researchers assigned historical grades to census tracts using Home Owners' Loan Corporation maps created in the 1930s, then compared those grades with overdose death data. Differences remained statistically significant after accounting for race and ethnicity, neighborhood age composition, and social vulnerability.
Timeline
The Home Owners' Loan Corporation created the redlining maps in the 1930s.
Opioid-related overdose deaths analyzed in the study occurred from 2015 to 2019.
Massachusetts overdose deaths fell nearly 60% from 2022 to 2025.
Boston Medical Center publicized the study findings on November 3, 2026.
Historical Roots
The study builds on the Home Owners' Loan Corporation redlining maps created in the 1930s, which graded neighborhoods by perceived lending risk. Its findings extend that historical grading system to present-day opioid overdose death rates in Massachusetts.
Residents of neighborhoods historically graded lower under redlining may face elevated overdose risk, making access to addiction treatment and naloxone especially relevant. The findings point to neighborhood-level factors that could shape how local prevention resources are prioritized.
The takeaway
Historical housing policy may still influence health outcomes decades later, so neighborhood history can matter when understanding overdose risk. Readers seeking treatment or prevention resources can contact local health providers.
Further reading
For more on addiction trends and treatment, explore Substance Abuse coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News-Medical.
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Should local governments increase investment in historically disinvested neighborhoods to reduce overdoses?
