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ZIP code

21562

in Westernport, MarylandPopulation 3,032

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

43.04/ 100

Ranked #24,345 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 24%)

Ranked #441 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 3.8%)

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.

Elder-services access

0.35 per 1,000 residents

in the top 3.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›

Slow internet speeds

2.5%

in the top 4.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

75.2%

in the top 6.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.

Full methodology ›

Coronary heart disease

9.7%

in the top 12.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US88th
Definition & 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

5.1%

in the top 12.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US87th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

Floodplain exposure

1.6%

in the bottom 16% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US16th
Definition & 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 ›

Hearing disability

10.3%

in the top 15% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US85th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$47,500

in the bottom 11.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US12th
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

20.3%

in the top 18% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US82nd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

19%

in the top 22% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US78th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

The read

By the composite measure, Westernport, Maryland (ZIP 21562) sits in the bottom 24% nationally (24,345th) and the bottom 3.8% of Maryland (441st).

continue reading

The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: elder services stands in the top 3.8% nationally, and modeled tree cover is in the top 6.9% nationally. Modeled extreme heat rests at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Distance to a community health center sits at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home registers at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Dental providers lands in the top 14.1% nationally, and outpatient resides in the top 14.4% nationally. Working the other way, slow internet speeds lies in the top 4.7% nationally. Fiber broadband settles at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled coronary heart disease stands in the top 12.3% nationally.

Compared with the ZIPs that surround it, slow internet speeds runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain language, extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. ZIP 21521, just across the boundary, ranks healthier overall.

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

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 74%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 80%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 85%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 47%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 51%

13%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 15%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 13%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 15%

8%

Disability

healthier than 21%

7%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 67%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 96%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 89%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 4%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 24%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 19%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 3%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 2%

8%

Disability

healthier than 3%

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 adults36.1%33.4–38.9
High blood pressure among adults43.0%39.9–46.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.7%9.8–11.7
Current asthma among adults11.5%10.3–12.7
Coronary heart disease among adults9.7%8.7–10.7
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.8%10.3–13.3
Depression among adults26.6%23.7–29.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.1%13.4–17.0
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened40.7%37.6–44.0
Obesity among adults37.5%32.9–42.3
Stroke among adults5.1%4.6–5.6
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.9%12.5–17.6
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.3%7.5–11.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.1%76.7–81.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.6%77.7–83.2
Cholesterol screening among adults87.2%85.4–88.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years65.0%60.8–69.1
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults57.0%53.7–60.1
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years74.9%69.0–80.3
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.0%11.8–16.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults19.6%16.9–22.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults34.9%30.8–39.0
Short sleep duration among adults40.3%36.2–44.6
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults25.1%22.2–28.0
Frequent mental distress among adults19.1%17.2–21.2
Frequent physical distress among adults17.4%15.5–19.4
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults17.0%15.0–19.0
Any disability among adults38.4%34.7–42.1
Hearing disability among adults10.3%9.2–11.4
Independent living disability among adults10.6%9.4–12.0
Mobility disability among adults19.0%16.8–21.3
Self-care disability among adults5.2%4.6–5.8
Vision disability among adults6.4%5.7–7.2
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.8%20.7–27.2
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults18.3%15.5–21.4
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults17.4%14.6–20.3
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.0%11.1–15.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults8.7%7.6–10.0
Loneliness among adults34.2%30.3–38.4
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults8.9%7.7–10.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate20.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459
Uninsured 18–644.1%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2864.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459
No HS diploma (25+)8.6%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463
Bachelor's or higher (25+)13.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50537.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463
Unemployment rate (16+)0.3%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457
Households without a vehicle5.6%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457
Broadband subscription85.1%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)15.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457
Homeownership rate73.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.5%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457
Foreign-born population0.4%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5536.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464
Single-parent households56.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450
Population 65+19.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55318.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464
Median age43.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460
Median household income$47,500$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419
Median home value$98,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427
Median gross rent$547$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 birth76.6 yr ± 0.9778.9 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 0.97 years of 76.6, 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