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ZIP code

21540

in Luke, MarylandPopulation 89

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

44.39/ 100

Ranked #23,026 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 28%)

Ranked #429 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 6.4%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Housing-cost burden

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 2.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US2nd
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the bottom 2.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US3rd
Definition & source ›

FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

100%

at the national maximum

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

2.2%

in the bottom 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST16th
US7th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Short sleep

41.9%

in the top 9.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST88th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

Unemployment rate

9.8%

in the top 10.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST92nd
US90th
Definition & source ›

The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.

Full methodology ›

Cognitive disability

18.9%

in the top 14.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US85th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Full methodology ›

High cholesterol

33.3%

in the bottom 10.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US11th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

20 per million

in the bottom 25% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US25th
Definition & 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 ›

The read

By its overall health score, Luke, Maryland (ZIP 21540) lands in the bottom 28% nationally (23,026th) and the bottom 6.4% of Maryland (429th).

continue reading

Where this area bears down hardest, the measures speak first: modeled short sleep is in the top 9.5% nationally. Fiber broadband stands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Unemployment settles in the top 10.0% nationally. On the encouraging side, housing-cost burden lies at the national minimum, modeled disaster risk resides in the bottom 2.4% nationally, and modeled expected annual loss lands in the bottom 2.7% nationally. Home broadband subscription registers at the national maximum, and poverty sits in the bottom 7.5% nationally. Households without a vehicle rests at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled extreme heat is at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs.

Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 26726, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 61%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 80%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 72%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 43%

16%

Disability

healthier than 40%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 50%

5%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 20%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 6%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 3%

8%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 76%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 88%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 44%

21%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 46%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 21%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 6%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 1%

11%

Mental Health

in the bottom 0.7%

8%

Disability

healthier than 12%

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 ›

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults26.5%24.1–29.0
High blood pressure among adults33.3%30.4–36.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.1%6.4–7.8
Current asthma among adults11.8%10.4–13.2
Coronary heart disease among adults6.5%5.6–7.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.8%7.3–10.4
Depression among adults29.8%26.5–33.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults10.7%9.3–12.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened33.3%30.4–36.3
Obesity among adults36.8%32.3–41.5
Stroke among adults3.4%3.0–4.0
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years17.6%14.8–20.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.9%7.1–13.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure70.3%67.5–73.0
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults76.0%72.5–79.3
Cholesterol screening among adults82.3%78.9–85.1
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years64.7%60.6–68.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults54.5%51.2–57.7
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years75.7%69.8–80.9
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults17.4%14.7–20.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults19.8%16.0–23.6
No leisure-time physical activity among adults31.5%26.9–36.4
Short sleep duration among adults41.9%37.6–46.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults22.2%18.8–26.0
Frequent mental distress among adults22.4%19.5–25.0
Frequent physical distress among adults15.1%13.1–17.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults18.9%15.9–22.0
Any disability among adults34.6%30.2–39.2
Hearing disability among adults7.3%6.5–8.3
Independent living disability among adults10.1%8.5–11.9
Mobility disability among adults13.6%11.5–15.9
Self-care disability among adults4.0%3.4–4.8
Vision disability among adults5.4%4.6–6.3
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults24.7%20.9–28.7
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults19.8%15.5–24.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults18.4%14.1–23.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults14.8%11.8–18.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.8%8.0–11.9
Loneliness among adults37.2%32.6–41.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.8%8.1–11.7
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate2.2%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459
Uninsured 18–641.9%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2864.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459
No HS diploma (25+)11.5%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463
Bachelor's or higher (25+)11.5%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50537.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463
Unemployment rate (16+)9.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457
Broadband subscription100.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)0.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457
Homeownership rate88.6%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457
Foreign-born population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5536.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464
Single-parent households52.2%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450
Population 65+12.4%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55318.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464
Median age44.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460
Median household income$81,250$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419
Median home value$51,000$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth76.4 yr ± 1.1278.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.5 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 1.12 years of 76.4, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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