ZIP code
21521
in Barton, MarylandPopulation 1,400
44.77/ 100
Ranked #22,646 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 29%)
Ranked #426 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 7.0%)
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.
Transportation noise
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.85 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Unemployment rate
13.4%
in the top 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
73.4%
in the top 7.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
10.2%
in the bottom 9.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
76.6%
in the bottom 11.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS12thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
28.6 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 14.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS85thDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›Stroke
4.6%
in the top 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS77thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
18.6%
in the top 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS77thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Barton, Maryland (ZIP 21521) sits in the bottom 29% nationally (22,646th) and the bottom 7.0% of Maryland (426th).
An even profile, with readings pulling both ways: modeled transportation noise stands at the national minimum, childcare resides in the top 3.3% nationally, and modeled tree cover sits in the top 7.6% nationally. Modeled extreme heat stands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Housing-cost burden resides in the bottom 9.7% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise sits at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Crowded housing stands at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Against that, unemployment resides in the top 4.9% nationally. Fiber broadband sits at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Home broadband subscription stands in the bottom 11.8% nationally.
Put plainly, transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 21536, 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 78%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 88%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 58%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 20%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 30%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 13%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 23%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 7%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 2%
8%
Disability
healthier than 8%
7%
“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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 78.1; chronic-disease standing 19.7 — 58 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,858 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
21536
Marylandshares a border
Score 50.48
Closest healthier
21539
Marylandshares a border
Score 47.13
Similar health profile
26707
West Virginia99% similar profile
Score 43.31
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 | 35.5% | 32.9–38.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.9% | 38.0–43.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.7% | 9.9–11.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.6–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.6% | 7.8–9.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.8% | 9.5–12.1 |
| Depression among adults | 26.9% | 24.0–29.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.8% | 12.3–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.2% | 37.2–43.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.0% | 31.8–40.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.6% | 15.7–21.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.5% | 7.0–10.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.2% | 76.9–81.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.8% | 78.2–83.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.8% | 86.2–89.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.3% | 61.5–69.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.7% | 54.6–60.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.4% | 69.6–80.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.9% | 11.9–16.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.9% | 15.4–20.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.8% | 29.2–36.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 40.0% | 35.9–44.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.1% | 20.4–25.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.0% | 17.2–20.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.5% | 14.7–18.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.2% | 14.5–18.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.3% | 32.8–39.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.8–11.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.6% | 15.5–19.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.0–5.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.4% | 20.5–26.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.3% | 13.8–19.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.8% | 12.6–17.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.9% | 10.2–13.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.8–8.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.5% | 30.8–38.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.7–8.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 12.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 13.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 76.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 10.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 89.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 59.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 32.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 54.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $64,194 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $107,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $863 | $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 | 77.3 yr ± 0.97 | 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 0.97 years of 77.3, 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