ZIP code
21045
in Columbia, MarylandPopulation 40,034
65.14/ 100
Ranked #1,948 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 6.1%)
Ranked #81 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (top 18%)
Ranked #39 of 157 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ZIPs (top 25%)
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.
Subsidized affordable housing
718 units
in the top 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
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 ›Mammography
82.8%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST86thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Park land
27.4%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Dental provider access
1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices located 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 ›Fiber broadband
98.3%
in the top 6.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Physician access
2.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of physicians’ offices located 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 ›Recreation access
1.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›Energy-cost burden
1.4%
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS4thDefinition & 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 ›Child-care access
0.58 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of child day-care services 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 ›The read
In its overall standing, ZIP 21045, one of several in Columbia, Maryland lands in the top 6.1% healthiest ZIPs nationally (1,948th) and the top 18% of Maryland (81st).
This area's strengths are easy to pick out across the measures: subsidized affordable housing is in the top 2.6% nationally, modeled mammography sits in the top 2.6% nationally, and park land lands in the top 5.2% nationally. Dental providers lies in the top 6.2% nationally, fiber broadband stands in the top 6.2% nationally, and physicians rests in the top 6.7% nationally. Recreation registers in the top 7.3% nationally, and modeled energy burden resides in the bottom 4.0% nationally. Childcare settles in the top 7.6% nationally. Working the other way, modeled air-toxics cancer risk is in the top 4.5% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, 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. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. On the overall standing, ZIP 21042, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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 80%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 96%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 88%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 88%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
Disability
healthier than 91%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 62%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 84%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 22%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 76%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 88%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 76%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 78%
8%
Disability
healthier than 75%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 67%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 88%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 7%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 69%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 82%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 70%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 86%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 55%
13%
Disability
healthier than 60%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 13%
14%
“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.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 82.7 ± 2.1 years. The 47 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.8 years — 2.9 years above them.
Ranked #875 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 22.2; chronic-disease standing 79.7 — 58 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #15,159 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 40.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 82.7 ± 2.1 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
21042
Marylandshares a border
Score 73.47
Closest healthier
21043
Marylandshares a border
Score 69.70
Similar health profile
60515
Illinois100% similar profile
Score 66.86
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 | 25.4% | 23.2–27.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.2% | 33.3–39.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.3% | 6.7–8.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.0% | 8.9–11.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.1% | 4.6–5.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.2 |
| Depression among adults | 18.9% | 16.6–21.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.3% | 10.0–12.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.7% | 35.8–41.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.5% | 29.3–37.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 6.8% | 5.5–8.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.5% | 6.5–8.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.4% | 72.9–77.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.5% | 77.9–82.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.6% | 89.4–91.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.3% | 65.4–73.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 68.7% | 65.9–71.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 82.8% | 77.8–87.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.4% | 11.4–15.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 8.7% | 7.5–10.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 18.5% | 16.0–21.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.7% | 34.6–43.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 14.7% | 13.0–16.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.8% | 12.4–15.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 10.6% | 9.4–11.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 10.7% | 9.6–11.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 23.6% | 21.1–26.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.5–5.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.6–4.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.5% | 19.6–25.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.6% | 10.9–14.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.1–10.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.6% | 10.1–13.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.0% | 6.1–7.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.8% | 28.1–35.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.3% | 6.4–8.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 56.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.4% | 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) | 29.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 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 | 22.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 47.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 18.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 39.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $118,563 | $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 | $1,777 | $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 | 82.7 yr ± 1.07 | 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 1.07 years of 82.7, 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