ZIP code
20744
in Fort Washington, MarylandPopulation 54,441
60.81/ 100
Ranked #4,259 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 13.3%)
Ranked #178 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (top 39%)
Ranked #177 of 308 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ZIPs (bottom 43%)
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.
Mammography
83.5%
in the top 1.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
0 ppb
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
US1stDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
43.6%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
4.4%
in the bottom 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST13thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
11.3%
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Transit access
4.7 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST88thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of public-transit stops inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
365 units
in the top 6.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST87thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$124,190
in the top 8.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST65thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
35.8 per million
in the top 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›Park land
15%
in the top 8.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›The read
Fort Washington, Maryland (ZIP 20744), on the composite measure, lands in the top 13.3% healthiest ZIPs nationally (4,259th) and the top 39% of Maryland (178th).
Reading across the measures, this area's clearest strengths come through: modeled mammography stands in the top 1.8% nationally, lead in tap water is at the national minimum, and modeled hearing disability rests in the bottom 3.2% nationally. Modeled binge drinking sits in the bottom 4.0% nationally. Distance to an emergency room registers at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Transit lands in the top 5.7% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing resides in the top 6.6% nationally. Household income lies in the top 8.4% nationally. By contrast, modeled short sleep settles in the top 5.3% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk stands in the top 8.8% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 20607, just across the boundary.
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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 88%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 72%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 99%
8%
Disability
healthier than 78%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 89%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 55%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 49%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 49%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 66%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 96%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 92%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 50%
11%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 37%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 39%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 31%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 75%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 96%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 90%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 41%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 18%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 20%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 32%
11%
Disability
healthier than 35%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 35%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 82.0 ± 1.4 years. The 43 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.1 years — 2.9 years above them.
Ranked #867 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
20607
Marylandshares a border
Score 64.45
Closest healthier
22308
Virginiaabout 0.5 mi away
Score 70.93
Similar health profile
08005
New Jersey98% similar profile
Score 60.46
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 | 26.7% | 24.6–28.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.1% | 39.5–44.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–6.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.5% | 10.4–12.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.3% | 4.7–5.8 |
| Depression among adults | 13.7% | 12.0–15.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.6% | 14.2–17.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.9% | 35.2–40.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 41.0% | 37.1–44.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 9.3% | 7.8–11.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.5% | 9.2–11.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.0% | 76.8–80.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.3% | 78.0–82.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.4% | 90.3–92.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 71.8% | 68.9–74.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.8% | 59.2–64.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 83.5% | 79.8–87.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.3% | 9.7–12.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 9.3% | 8.1–10.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.6% | 23.0–28.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 43.6% | 40.3–46.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.2% | 17.4–21.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.2% | 11.9–14.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.9% | 10.7–13.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.2% | 10.0–12.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.3% | 23.9–28.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–4.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.3–7.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.3% | 12.9–15.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.7–5.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 27.1% | 24.5–30.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 19.0% | 17.1–21.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.3% | 15.6–19.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 8.0–10.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.7% | 32.5–39.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.2% | 9.1–11.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 12.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 37.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.4% | 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) | 31.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 19.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 51.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 21.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 44.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $124,190 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $439,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $1,827 | $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 | 82.0 yr ± 0.71 | 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 0.71 years of 82.0, 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