ZIP code
21539
in Lonaconing, MarylandPopulation 1,975
47.13/ 100
Ranked #19,991 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 38%)
Ranked #412 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 10.1%)
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.
Tree cover
76.6%
in the top 6.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
13.1%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.91%
in the bottom 11.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS12thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
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 ›Poverty rate
19.5%
in the top 19% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS81stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
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 ›Median household income
$57,708
in the bottom 25% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST5thUS25thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›The read
In its overall standing, Lonaconing, Maryland (ZIP 21539) lands in the bottom 38% nationally (19,991st) and the bottom 10.1% of Maryland (412th).
This area's measures are easy to read as a mixed set: modeled tree cover stands in the top 6.3% nationally. Modeled extreme heat rests at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Floodplain exposure registers in the bottom 11.9% nationally. Distance to a nursing home resides at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Crowded housing settles at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise is in the bottom 16% nationally, and pfas sits in the bottom 19% nationally. Set against that, households without a vehicle lands in the top 9.3% nationally. Recreation lies at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs. Physicians stands at the national minimum, shared with about 38% of ZIPs.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, 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. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". On the overall standing, ZIP 21532, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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 88%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 50%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 35%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 23%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 24%
8%
Disability
healthier than 37%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 91%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 99%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 18%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 8%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 7%
8%
Disability
healthier than 11%
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 88.3; chronic-disease standing 28.6 — 60 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,751 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
21521
Marylandshares a border
Score 44.77
Closest healthier
21532
Marylandshares a border
Score 49.99
Similar health profile
16734
Pennsylvania97% similar profile
Score 49.29
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 | 34.1% | 31.9–36.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.3% | 37.7–43.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.5% | 9.7–11.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.3% | 10.3–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.5–9.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.9% | 8.8–11.2 |
| Depression among adults | 25.3% | 22.9–28.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.2% | 11.9–14.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.0% | 37.3–42.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.6% | 31.7–39.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.4% | 12.3–16.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.6% | 7.2–10.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.2% | 76.1–80.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.9% | 77.7–82.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.6% | 86.3–89.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.7% | 60.5–67.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.0% | 56.4–61.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.5% | 69.4–79.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.8% | 12.9–16.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.0% | 15.1–19.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.2% | 27.9–34.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.9% | 36.4–43.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.1% | 19.7–24.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.4% | 16.7–20.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.8% | 14.3–17.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.7% | 14.1–17.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.0% | 31.9–38.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.3–10.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.6% | 14.8–18.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.8–6.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.5% | 20.8–26.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.0% | 13.0–17.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.2% | 11.4–15.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.4% | 10.0–13.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.4% | 6.6–8.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.0% | 30.6–37.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.4% | 6.5–8.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 13.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.6% | 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 | 2.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 51.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 28.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 45.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $57,708 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $130,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $874 | $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 | 77.2 yr ± 0.99 | 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 0.99 years of 77.2, 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