ZIP code
20603
in Waldorf, MarylandPopulation 31,844
60.76/ 100
Ranked #4,289 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 13.4%)
Ranked #179 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (top 39%)
Ranked #180 of 308 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ZIPs (bottom 42%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
What defines this ZIP
Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.
Hearing disability
4.0%
in the bottom 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$137,946
in the top 5.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
4.4%
in the bottom 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
42.3%
in the top 8.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Mammography
81.4%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
1.8%
in the bottom 10.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST26thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Obesity
42.7%
in the top 10.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
80.2 days/year
in the top 34% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS66thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›The read
ZIP 20603, one of several in Waldorf, Maryland, in overall standing, comes out in the top 13.4% healthiest ZIPs nationally (4,289th) and the top 39% of Maryland (179th).
A few measures carry most of this area's good news: modeled hearing disability settles in the bottom 2.1% nationally, household income lands in the top 5.5% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease rests in the bottom 5.1% nationally. Modeled mammography settles in the top 5.5% nationally, lead in tap water lands in the bottom 10.8% nationally, and grocery rests in the top 11.2% nationally. Fiber broadband settles in the top 11.8% nationally, and modeled energy burden lands in the bottom 10.0% nationally. Set against that, modeled short sleep rests in the top 8.3% nationally, and obesity settles in the top 10.2% nationally.
Set within its surrounding area, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 20607, just across the boundary. Beyond that, the ZIP also sits on the healthier half of the national range on at least seven of the ten good-life measures tracked here, from quiet and green space to nearby care, a combination reached by about one in twenty-five US ZIP codes.
What’s driving this score
Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts. Compare it against the US, this state and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 73%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 74%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 80%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 66%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 85%
8%
Disability
healthier than 84%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 46%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 65%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 78%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 67%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 71%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 49%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 40%
11%
Disability
healthier than 59%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 33%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 92%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 54%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 49%
8%
Disability
healthier than 46%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 30%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 30%
5%
“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
20601
Marylandshares a border
Score 59.59
Closest healthier
20607
Marylandshares a border
Score 64.45
Similar health profile
11705
New York99% similar profile
Score 67.67
How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured
Evidence
Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.
Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 23.6% | 21.5–25.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.1% | 37.2–43.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 5.4% | 4.9–5.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.1% | 9.9–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–4.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.9% | 4.4–5.5 |
| Depression among adults | 17.3% | 15.1–19.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.0% | 11.6–14.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.7% | 31.8–37.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 42.7% | 38.3–47.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.1% | 2.9–3.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 9.2% | 7.5–11.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.1% | 6.0–8.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.8% | 73.2–78.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.1% | 78.5–83.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.2% | 88.9–91.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.8% | 62.1–69.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.7% | 59.7–65.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 81.4% | 76.7–85.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.3% | 11.3–15.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.3% | 9.9–13.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.8% | 20.1–25.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 42.3% | 38.3–46.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.1% | 15.3–19.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.7–18.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.3% | 10.1–12.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.2% | 10.9–13.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 24.7% | 22.0–27.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.6–4.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–13.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.6% | 3.3–3.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.2–5.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 28.0% | 24.8–31.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.7% | 15.3–20.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.7% | 11.9–15.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.4% | 14.3–18.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.1% | 32.1–40.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 9.7–12.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 39.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 11.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 44.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 9.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 38.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $137,946 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $453,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $2,024 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,626 ($958–$2,415) n=339 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.3 yr ± 0.79 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.5 yr (75.7–82.7) n=451 |
About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 0.79 years of 80.3, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾More ZIPs to explore ▴
How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured