ZIP code
20903
in Silver Spring, MarylandPopulation 24,815
49.73/ 100
Ranked #16,614 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 48%)
Ranked #396 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 13.6%)
Ranked #289 of 308 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ZIPs (bottom 6.2%)
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.
Uninsured (under 65)
24.6%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
12.9%
in the top 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
25.7%
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
40 per million
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›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 ›Food insecurity
32.6%
in the top 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
2.6%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
46.3%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.
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 ›Homeownership rate
41.2%
in the bottom 5.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
ZIP 20903, one of several in Silver Spring, Maryland, by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 48% nationally (16,614th) and the bottom 13.6% of Maryland (396th).
The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: lead in tap water is at the national minimum. Set against that, modeled uninsured resides in the top 2.4% nationally, crowded housing rests in the top 3.0% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity lies in the top 3.6% nationally. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk sits in the top 4.5% nationally, and food insecurity settles in the top 4.6% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise registers in the top 4.7% nationally, and housing-cost burden stands in the top 4.7% nationally. PFAS in drinking water lands at the national maximum, and homeownership is in the bottom 5.6% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. PFAS in drinking water is the family of man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 20901, 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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 75%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 84%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 77%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 81%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 29%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 6%
13%
Disability
healthier than 34%
7%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 67%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 66%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 94%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 84%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 5%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 12%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 2%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 18%
11%
Disability
healthier than 10%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 97%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 38%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 2%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 17%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 3%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 8%
11%
Disability
healthier than 4%
7%
“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.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 40.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 80.7 ± 1.6 years.
Ranked #504 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
20783
Marylandshares a border
Score 46.81
Closest healthier
20901
Marylandshares a border
Score 64.81
Similar health profile
60085
Illinois98% similar profile
Score 47.91
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 | 19.7% | 18.3–21.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.0% | 32.1–35.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.3% | 3.9–4.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.2% | 9.4–11.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.2–6.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.0% | 5.5–6.5 |
| Depression among adults | 17.7% | 16.0–19.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.3% | 13.2–15.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.2% | 36.1–40.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.7% | 32.6–38.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.6% | 3.3–3.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.3% | 13.1–17.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 24.6% | 22.2–27.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 71.0% | 68.8–73.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 72.3% | 69.9–74.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.2% | 82.6–85.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 57.7% | 54.9–60.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 50.7% | 48.4–53.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.7% | 71.5–79.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.0% | 11.7–14.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.6% | 30.0–35.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 40.7% | 37.8–43.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 28.1% | 25.9–30.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.2% | 14.9–17.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.9% | 13.7–16.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.2% | 15.7–18.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.4% | 30.1–34.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.4% | 5.0–5.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.6% | 8.8–10.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.8% | 13.5–16.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.9–5.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.3% | 7.7–9.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 29.6% | 27.1–32.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 32.6% | 29.8–35.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 24.4% | 22.0–27.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 25.7% | 23.5–28.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 14.4% | 13.1–15.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 38.8% | 36.1–41.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 14.5% | 13.1–16.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 37.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 33.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 27.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 12.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 46.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 41.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 12.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 55.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 31.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 11.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 34.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $80,768 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $485,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $1,818 | $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 | 80.6 yr ± 0.84 | 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 0.84 years of 80.6, 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