ZIP code
21122
in Pasadena, MarylandPopulation 61,566
60.03/ 100
Ranked #4,846 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 15%)
Ranked #193 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (top 42%)
Ranked #94 of 157 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ZIPs (bottom 40%)
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.
PFAS in drinking water
78.4%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & 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
83.4%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$127,587
in the top 7.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST68thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
96.7%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
247 units
in the top 10.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST83rdUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
1.8%
in the bottom 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST23rdUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS84thDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS84thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS82ndDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
17.4%
in the top 26% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS74thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Pasadena, Maryland (ZIP 21122), by its overall standing, sits in the top 15% healthiest ZIPs nationally (4,846th) and the top 42% of Maryland (193rd).
The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: modeled mammography lands in the top 1.9% nationally, household income is in the top 7.6% nationally, and fiber broadband resides in the top 8.5% nationally. Subsidized affordable housing rests in the top 10.0% nationally, lead in tap water lies in the bottom 11.1% nationally, and modeled energy burden sits in the bottom 9.0% nationally. Home broadband subscription settles in the top 13.9% nationally, and modeled hearing disability registers in the bottom 15% nationally. Set against that, modeled pfas stands in the top 2.2% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden lands in the top 16% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, 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. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 21012, 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 76%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 90%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 83%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 62%
8%
Disability
healthier than 83%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 72%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 52%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 57%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 55%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 69%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 74%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 74%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 55%
13%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 51%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 33%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 72%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 57%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 58%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 49%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 45%
13%
Holding it back
Risk Behavior
healthier than 26%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Disability
healthier than 36%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 39%
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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 78.0 ± 0.8 years. A median household income of $127,587 predicts 81.0 years — 3.1 years below.
Ranked #4,240 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
21012
Marylandshares a border
Score 66.95
Closest healthier
21056
Marylandshares a border
Score 61.73
Similar health profile
53037
Wisconsin99% similar profile
Score 61.47
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 | 26.5% | 24.3–28.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.9% | 31.3–36.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.9% | 8.2–9.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.4% | 9.4–11.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.8 |
| Depression among adults | 22.3% | 19.9–24.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.1% | 33.4–38.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.6% | 30.9–38.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 8.7% | 7.2–10.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.8% | 5.9–7.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 74.3% | 71.7–76.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.5% | 75.9–80.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.2% | 87.9–90.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.8% | 66.5–73.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.0% | 64.3–69.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 83.4% | 79.1–87.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.4% | 15.2–19.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.6% | 10.9–14.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.0% | 18.4–23.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.1% | 34.5–41.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.9% | 15.0–18.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.4–17.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.8% | 11.4–14.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.9% | 11.6–14.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 27.4% | 24.7–30.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.8% | 6.1–7.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.6% | 10.3–12.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.0% | 2.7–3.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.6% | 3.3–4.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.7% | 19.2–24.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 9.7–12.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 7.1–9.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.5–11.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 5.3–6.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.5% | 30.2–37.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 5.4–7.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 96.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 53.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 15.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 40.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $127,587 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $425,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $2,108 | $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 | 78.0 yr ± 0.41 | 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 0.41 years of 78.0, 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