ZIP code
21251
in Baltimore, MarylandPopulation 191
64.92/ 100
Ranked #2,033 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 6.4%)
Ranked #87 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (top 19%)
Ranked #42 of 157 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ZIPs (top 27%)
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.
High cholesterol
14.3%
in the bottom 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
8.6%
in the bottom 0.10% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Obesity
14.4%
in the bottom 0.03% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
1.2%
in the bottom 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
0.60%
in the bottom 0.07% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Stroke
0.40%
in the bottom 0.10% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
51%
in the top 0.09% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
1.8%
in the bottom 0.04% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
1.7%
in the bottom 0.09% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
23.4%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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
In overall standing, ZIP 21251, one of several in Baltimore, Maryland comes out in the top 6.4% healthiest ZIPs nationally (2,033rd) and the top 19% of Maryland (87th).
The profile opens balanced, with readings on either hand: modeled high blood pressure resides in the bottom 0.10% nationally, obesity rests in the bottom 0.03% nationally, and diabetes lies in the bottom 0.2% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease sits in the bottom 0.07% nationally, stroke settles in the bottom 0.10% nationally, and mobility disability registers in the bottom 0.04% nationally. Modeled self-care disability stands in the bottom 0.03% nationally, and fair or poor health lands in the bottom 0.4% nationally. By contrast, modeled loneliness is in the top 0.09% nationally, and binge drinking resides in the top 1.0% nationally.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 21210, about 1.7 miles away.
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
in the top 0.03%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Disability
in the top 0.3%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 75%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 51%
16%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 32%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 27%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
in the top 0.00%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 72%
11%
Disability
in the top 0.5%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 77%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 28%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 14%
14%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.7%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 11%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 14%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
in the top 0.00%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 64%
11%
Disability
healthier than 99%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 19%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 25%
14%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.7%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 14%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 9%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
21214
Marylandshares a border
Score 55.80
Closest healthier
21210
Marylandabout 1.7 mi away
Score 71.24
Similar health profile
23691
Virginia100% similar profile
Score 64.12
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 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 2.6% | 2.2–3.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 8.6% | 7.2–10.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 0.6% | 0.5–0.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–10.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 0.6% | 0.5–0.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 1.1% | 0.7–1.6 |
| Depression among adults | 22.2% | 19.3–25.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 1.2% | 0.9–1.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 14.3% | 12.6–16.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 14.4% | 11.9–17.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 0.4% | 0.3–0.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.0% | 4.2–11.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 15.4% | 12.7–18.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 67.0% | 62.5–71.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 70.8% | 63.5–77.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 68.3% | 65.5–70.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 23.4% | 20.3–26.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 4.8% | 2.8–7.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 13.2% | 9.0–18.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.4% | 27.1–33.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 9.2% | 6.3–13.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.1% | 15.5–22.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 5.6% | 4.2–7.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.8% | 11.5–20.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 21.6% | 16.2–27.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 1.7% | 1.3–2.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.4% | 3.9–7.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 1.8% | 1.3–2.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 0.7% | 0.5–1.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 2.4% | 1.8–3.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 31.1% | 24.8–37.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.8% | 7.8–19.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 5.5% | 3.3–8.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.7% | 6.1–11.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.8% | 6.3–11.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 51.0% | 44.8–56.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 3.9% | 2.9–5.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | — | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 50.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | — | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | — | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | — | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | — | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | — | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 7.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | — | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 0.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 19.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 76.3 yr ± 1.69 | 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 1.69 years of 76.3, 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