ZIP code
20794
in Jessup, MarylandPopulation 16,814
56.84/ 100
Ranked #7,426 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 23%)
Ranked #258 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 44%)
Ranked #112 of 157 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ZIPs (bottom 29%)
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.
Loud transportation noise
3.6%
in the top 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
4.1%
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
43.9%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
69.9%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Mammography
82.3%
in the top 3.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST83rdUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
4.3%
in the bottom 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
38.5 per million
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Grocery access
0.18 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
9.5%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 11.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›The read
Jessup, Maryland (ZIP 20794), in overall standing, comes out in the top 23% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,426th) and the bottom 44% of Maryland (258th).
A few measures carry most of this area's good news: modeled hearing disability settles in the bottom 2.3% nationally, mammography lands in the top 3.4% nationally, and coronary heart disease rests in the bottom 4.6% nationally. Grocery settles in the top 8.7% nationally, and home broadband subscription lands in the top 11.0% nationally. Set against that, modeled loud transportation noise rests in the top 2.8% nationally, and short sleep settles in the top 4.7% nationally. Modeled pfas lands in the top 4.5% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk rests in the top 7.7% nationally. Modeled transportation noise settles in the top 9.3% nationally.
Set within its surrounding area, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 20701, 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 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 89%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 84%
8%
Disability
healthier than 85%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 65%
5%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 58%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 28%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 10%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 39%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 89%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 66%
8%
Disability
healthier than 61%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 69%
5%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 59%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 2%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 12%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 13%
11%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 86%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 69%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 42%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 11%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 4%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
“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
3 of our published findings list 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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 79.2 ± 1.4 years. A median household income of $116,406 predicts 80.7 years — 1.5 years below.
Ranked #1,849 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 9.7 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 88.6 — 79 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #17,112 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 38.5 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 79.2 ± 1.4 years.
Ranked #1,687 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
20701
Marylandshares a border
Score 63.31
Closest healthier
20723
Marylandshares a border
Score 67.95
Similar health profile
07057
New Jersey97% similar profile
Score 58.33
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 | 20.1% | 18.6–21.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.6% | 32.5–36.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.9% | 4.6–5.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.9% | 9.1–10.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.3% | 3.9–4.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.0 |
| Depression among adults | 18.0% | 16.3–19.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.5% | 9.6–11.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 33.0% | 30.9–35.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.9% | 34.5–41.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.7% | 2.5–2.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 9.1% | 7.6–10.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.7% | 9.2–12.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.0% | 65.7–70.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.6% | 74.4–78.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.6% | 85.2–88.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.0% | 62.1–67.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.5% | 57.2–61.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 82.3% | 78.2–85.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.5% | 14.8–18.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.9% | 19.6–24.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 43.9% | 40.9–47.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.2% | 16.5–19.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.7–17.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.3% | 10.3–12.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.6% | 12.3–14.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.1% | 23.7–28.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.7–4.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.1–7.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.3% | 3.0–3.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 29.0% | 26.4–31.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.8% | 16.5–21.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.1% | 12.1–16.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.0% | 15.1–18.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.6% | 8.5–10.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.5% | 33.5–39.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 9.3–11.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 29.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 96.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 12.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 31.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 7.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 36.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $116,406 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $426,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $2,032 | $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 | 79.2 yr ± 0.72 | 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 0.72 years of 79.2, 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