ZIP code
21226
in Curtis Bay, MarylandPopulation 6,674
51.34/ 100
Ranked #14,358 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 45%)
Ranked #374 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 18%)
Ranked #136 of 157 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ZIPs (bottom 13.4%)
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.
Transit access
9.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of public-transit stops 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 ›Distance to a Superfund site
In this ZIP
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Mental-health provider access
0.27 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics 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 ›PFAS in drinking water
64.3%
in the top 6.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Fiber broadband
97.2%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Mammography
80.9%
in the top 7.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST67thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
5.4%
in the bottom 10.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST32ndUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 13.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS87thDefinition & 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 ›Fatal road crashes
27 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS84thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
18%
in the top 19% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS81stDefinition & 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
Curtis Bay, Maryland (ZIP 21226), by its composite score, sits in the top 45% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,358th) and the bottom 18% of Maryland (374th).
The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: transit settles in the top 1.5% nationally, and mental-health providers sits in the top 2.5% nationally. Fiber broadband lies in the top 7.9% nationally, and modeled mammography rests in the top 7.1% nationally. Modeled hearing disability resides in the bottom 10.0% nationally, and outpatient is in the top 11.4% nationally. Pulling the other way, distance to a Superfund site lands at the national minimum, modeled pfas stands in the top 6.3% nationally, and housing-cost burden registers in the top 11.0% nationally. Floodplain exposure settles in the top 11.3% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, walkability runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. 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. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 21060, 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 74%
21%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 76%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 54%
13%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 11%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 32%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 24%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 66%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 78%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 24%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 3%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 20%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 9%
8%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 11%
5%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 76%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 17%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 6%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 16%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 10%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 12%
8%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 4%
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.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 11.5; chronic-disease standing 74.3 — 63 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #15,680 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
21060
Marylandshares a border
Score 56.11
Closest healthier
21122
Marylandshares a border
Score 60.03
Similar health profile
19405
Pennsylvania96% similar profile
Score 54.21
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 | 24.3% | 22.7–26.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.7% | 31.6–35.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.0% | 6.5–7.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.4% | 10.5–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.4% | 5.0–6.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.7% | 5.9–7.5 |
| Depression among adults | 24.4% | 22.3–26.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.7% | 9.8–11.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.6% | 32.5–36.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.4% | 33.1–39.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.1% | 2.9–3.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.7% | 9.4–12.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.2% | 7.9–10.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 72.1% | 69.9–74.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.3% | 75.0–79.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.2% | 85.6–88.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.9% | 64.2–69.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.8% | 59.7–64.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.9% | 77.4–83.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.0% | 16.1–20.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.3% | 13.5–17.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.3% | 20.9–26.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.1% | 36.4–42.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.6% | 17.7–21.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.9% | 16.4–19.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.4% | 12.2–14.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 13.7–16.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.5% | 27.0–32.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.9–5.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.3–9.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.8% | 11.5–14.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.4–5.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.0% | 21.9–26.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.8% | 15.9–20.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.8% | 14.0–17.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.2% | 13.7–17.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.3% | 33.6–39.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 8.9–11.0 |
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 | 13.4% | 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+) | 32.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 89.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 39.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 8.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 50.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 9.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 33.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $82,635 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $330,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $1,335 | $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 unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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