ZIP code
21286
in Towson, MarylandPopulation 21,853
62.84/ 100
Ranked #3,060 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 9.6%)
Ranked #129 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (top 28%)
Ranked #64 of 157 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ZIPs (top 41%)
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.
Physician access
3.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Dental provider access
1.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Outpatient-care access
0.7 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient 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 ›Transit access
5.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Civic-institution access
0.7 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
270 units
in the top 9.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST85thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Recreation access
0.93 per 1,000 residents
in the top 10.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS90thDefinition & 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 ›Mammography
80.4%
in the top 9.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST60thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.47 per 1,000 residents
in the top 12.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS88thDefinition & 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 ›Colon-cancer screening
72.3%
in the top 9.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST75thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›The read
In overall standing, ZIP 21286, one of several in Towson, Maryland comes out in the top 9.6% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,060th) and the top 28% of Maryland (129th).
Several good marks anchor the profile and deserve first mention: physicians stands in the top 3.2% nationally, dental providers lands in the top 3.6% nationally, and outpatient is in the top 4.0% nationally. Transit resides in the top 4.8% nationally, civic rests in the top 7.7% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing lies in the top 9.2% nationally. Recreation sits in the top 10.3% nationally, and mental-health providers settles in the top 11.6% nationally. Modeled mammography registers in the top 9.1% nationally. By contrast, households without a vehicle stands in the top 11.1% nationally.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 21057, 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 70%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 90%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 67%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 88%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 90%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 75%
8%
Disability
healthier than 84%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 72%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 74%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 81%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 88%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 62%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 55%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Disability
healthier than 59%
7%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 82%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 88%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 55%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 49%
8%
Disability
healthier than 40%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 58%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
“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.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 79.5 ± 1.2 years. The 44 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.4 years — 2.1 years above them.
Ranked #1,349 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.
Nearby
21057
Marylandshares a border
Score 66.20
Closest healthier
21093
Marylandshares a border
Score 68.62
Similar health profile
21714
Maryland99% similar profile
Score 65.37
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 | 27.7% | 25.8–29.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.8% | 32.6–37.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.5–9.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.6–11.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.2% | 5.7–6.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.1% | 5.4–6.8 |
| Depression among adults | 21.3% | 19.3–23.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.9% | 10.8–13.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.1% | 35.8–40.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.1% | 27.9–34.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.2% | 3.0–3.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 8.6% | 7.2–10.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.6% | 5.7–7.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.9% | 75.8–79.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.2% | 78.2–82.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.4% | 88.1–90.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.3% | 69.3–75.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.2% | 64.8–69.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.4% | 76.2–84.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.6% | 11.9–15.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 9.3% | 8.1–10.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.3% | 20.9–25.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.2% | 30.2–36.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.9% | 14.4–17.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.9–16.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.0% | 9.9–12.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.3% | 10.2–12.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 24.9% | 22.7–27.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–6.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.6% | 5.9–7.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.6% | 10.4–12.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.1% | 2.8–3.4 |
| 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 | 22.4% | 19.9–25.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 10.4–13.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.8–10.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 9.1–11.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.7% | 5.9–7.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.9% | 29.7–36.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.6% | 5.7–7.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 58.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 11.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 89.1% | 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 | 59.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 11.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 56.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 22.2% | 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 | $93,808 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $430,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $1,605 | $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 | 79.5 yr ± 0.60 | 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 0.60 years of 79.5, 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