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ZIP code

21220

in Middle River, MarylandPopulation 42,824

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

49.33/ 100

Ranked #17,188 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 46%)

Ranked #399 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 12.9%)

Ranked #141 of 157 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ZIPs (bottom 10.2%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Outer-floodplain exposure

4.0%

in the top 8.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.

Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

1.7 mi

in the bottom 9.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST11th
US10th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the top 19% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US81st
Definition & 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 ›

The read

Middle River, Maryland (ZIP 21220), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 46% nationally (17,188th) and the bottom 12.9% of Maryland (399th).

continue reading

A balanced showing across the data, with a few readings each side: distance to a nursing home stands at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Transit resides in the top 17% nationally, and distance to an emergency room sits in the bottom 18% nationally. On the other hand, outer-floodplain exposure stands in the top 8.8% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site resides in the bottom 9.7% nationally. Floodplain exposure sits in the top 10.3% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity stands in the top 13.4% nationally. Modeled loneliness resides in the top 16% nationally, and utility shutoff sits in the top 16% nationally. Housing-cost burden stands in the top 16% nationally.

Set within its surrounding area, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 21162, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Healthcare Access

healthier than 84%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 53%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 47%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 43%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 46%

11%

Disability

healthier than 53%

7%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 35%

16%

Mental Health

healthier than 32%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 27%

5%

Lifting this score

Healthcare Access

healthier than 88%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 35%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 15%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 29%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 14%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 20%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 9%

8%

Disability

healthier than 19%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 12%

5%

Lifting this score

Healthcare Access

healthier than 85%

5%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 42%

14%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 16%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 13%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 13%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 19%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 12%

8%

Disability

healthier than 12%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 7%

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

2 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 74.8 ± 1.0 years. A median household income of $81,817 predicts 79.3 years — 4.5 years below.

    Ranked #5,355 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.

  • Below its nearby ZIPs

    The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors

    Estimated life expectancy is 74.8 ± 1.0 years. The 44 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.6 years — 2.8 years below them.

    Ranked #2,235 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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults27.6%25.9–29.6
High blood pressure among adults36.5%34.3–38.9
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.4%6.8–8.0
Current asthma among adults11.8%10.7–12.9
Coronary heart disease among adults6.5%5.9–7.1
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.1%7.4–8.9
Depression among adults23.3%21.1–25.5
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.4%12.3–14.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened37.0%34.7–39.4
Obesity among adults36.9%33.5–40.5
Stroke among adults3.6%3.4–3.9
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.2%12.0–16.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years10.1%8.9–11.4
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure74.9%72.6–77.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.4%76.1–80.6
Cholesterol screening among adults86.9%85.5–88.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years66.5%63.2–69.8
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults56.3%53.7–59.0
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.6%71.7–81.2
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.6%11.9–15.5
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.1%13.6–16.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults29.7%27.3–32.3
Short sleep duration among adults38.8%35.6–42.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults21.8%20.1–23.7
Frequent mental distress among adults18.8%17.3–20.5
Frequent physical distress among adults13.6%12.4–14.9
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.3%14.0–16.7
Any disability among adults29.5%27.3–31.8
Hearing disability among adults6.1%5.6–6.8
Independent living disability among adults9.0%8.2–9.9
Mobility disability among adults14.2%13.0–15.6
Self-care disability among adults4.4%4.1–4.8
Vision disability among adults5.5%5.1–5.9
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults27.0%24.3–30.0
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults21.0%18.8–23.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults18.2%16.3–20.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.5%15.7–19.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults10.7%9.6–11.9
Loneliness among adults36.3%33.0–39.7
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults11.4%10.1–12.8
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate13.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459
Uninsured 18–646.6%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2864.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459
No HS diploma (25+)10.4%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463
Bachelor's or higher (25+)30.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50537.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463
Unemployment rate (16+)4.2%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457
Households without a vehicle6.7%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457
Broadband subscription93.7%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)35.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457
Homeownership rate68.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.3%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457
Foreign-born population12.8%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5536.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464
Single-parent households44.6%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450
Population 65+13.8%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55318.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464
Median age37.7 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460
Median household income$81,817$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419
Median home value$300,100$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427
Median gross rent$1,673$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,626 ($958–$2,415) n=339
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth74.8 yr ± 0.5378.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.5 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 0.53 years of 74.8, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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