Worcester Senior AdvisorFitchburg is the largest city in North County, set in the Nashua River valley where Route 2 and Route 12 meet, with the commuter rail's western terminus at Wachusett station and Fitchburg State University on North Street. Its older mill neighborhoods climb the hills above Main Street, while West Fitchburg and the Route 31 corridor are more suburban.
Fitchburg shares a hospital system with neighboring Leominster, so families here routinely treat the two cities as one market for nursing homes, home health and assisted living. Several nursing homes and an assisted living residence carry Fitchburg addresses.
How many older residents and certified care options are in Fitchburg, MA?
Fitchburg had about 42,136 residents on July 1, 2025 (up 201 since 2020) and about 5,985 residents 65 and older (14.3%), and the state and CMS records show 1 certified assisted living residence and 3 nursing homes there.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population, July 1, 2025 (Census estimate) | 42,136 |
| Population, April 2020 base | 41,935 |
| Residents 65+ (ACS 2020-2024) | 5,985 |
| Residents 85+ (ACS 2020-2024) | 745 |
| With an address in Fitchburg | Without an address in Fitchburg | |
|---|---|---|
| State and CMS records | Certified assisted living: 1, Nursing homes: 3, Home health agencies: 3 | Hospices |
Which assisted living residences are certified in Fitchburg?
Fitchburg has 1 certified Assisted Living Residence with 47 units; the longest-certified, The Gables of Fitchburg, has held certification since September 17, 2012.
| Residence / provider | Certified units | Special Care (memory) units | Certified since | Latest AGE compliance review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gables of Fitchburg 935 John Fitch Highway, 01740 | 47 | 0 | 09/17/2012 | 08/06/2024 |
Where is the closest memory care to Fitchburg?
The closest residence with Special Care Residence units is Benchmark Senior Living at Leominster Crossings in Leominster, about 5.3 miles away, with 17 memory care units.
- Benchmark Senior Living at Leominster Crossings, Leominster: 17 SCR units, 5.3 miles
- Manor on the Hill, Leominster: 17 SCR units, 5.3 miles
- Sunrise of Leominster, Leominster: 32 SCR units, 5.3 miles
What nursing homes are in Fitchburg, and how does CMS rate them?
3 certified nursing homes are in Fitchburg with 415 certified beds; 0 of the 3 rated by CMS hold four or five stars overall.
| Residence / provider | CMS overall rating | Certified beds | Avg. beds filled | Nurse hours / resident / day | Deficiencies cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitchburg Healthcare 1199 John Fitch Hwy, 01420 | 1 of 5 | 160 | 80% | 3.47 | 13 |
| Fitchburg Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 94 Summer Street, 01420 | 1 of 5 | 87 | 72% | 3.28 | 11 |
| Highlands, the 335 Nichols Road, 01420 | 3 of 5 | 168 | 93% | 3.98 | 7 |
Which home health agencies and hospices have offices in Fitchburg?
3 Medicare-certified home health agencies and 0 hospices list an office in Fitchburg; agencies typically serve clients well beyond their office town.
- Equalizer Home Health Services Inc — home health agency, Medicare-certified since 2016
- Ick-Assurance Home Health Care Inc — home health agency, Medicare-certified since 2013
- Transitions Home Health & Private Care Co — home health agency, Medicare-certified since 2019
Which hospitals are closest to Fitchburg?
Measured from the center of Fitchburg, the closest hospitals with emergency departments in CMS's data are UMass Memorial HealthAlliance Hospitals (about 5.3 miles) and Heywood Hospital (about 8.6 miles).
Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester is about 22.3 miles away. These are straight-line distances, useful for comparison but not drive times.
Who helps older adults and caregivers in Fitchburg?
Home care, nutrition programs and caregiver support for Fitchburg run through Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts, the Aging Services Access Point at (978) 537-7411, which also does free in-home assessments.
The town council on aging and senior center are the place to start for rides, meals and SHINE Medicare counseling; the ASAP handles home care and long-term care screening.
