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ZipVitals

ZIP code

21635

in Galena, MarylandPopulation 2,085

52.68/ 100

Ranked #12,512 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 39%)

Ranked #348 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 24%)

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.

Pharmacy access

0.51 per 1,000 residents

in the top 4.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST97th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The number of pharmacies 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 ›

Poverty rate

2.5%

in the bottom 8.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST18th
US8th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

The read

Overall, Galena, Maryland (ZIP 21635) lands in the top 39% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,512th) and the bottom 24% of Maryland (348th).

continue reading

A number of measures place this area on solid footing: pharmacy is in the top 4.9% nationally, and poverty settles in the bottom 8.0% nationally. Modeled mammography resides in the top 10.6% nationally. Crowded housing registers at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle rests in the bottom 16% nationally, and physicians stands in the top 19% nationally. By contrast, modeled high cholesterol lies in the top 11.1% nationally. Recreation lands at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs. Distance to an emergency room sits in the top 21% nationally. Childcare is at the national minimum, shared with about 42% of ZIPs.

For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 19734, just across the boundary, ranks better overall. Crowded housing is at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs.

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

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 71%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 81%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 79%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 64%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 62%

5%

About typical

Mental Health

healthier than 55%

8%

Disability

healthier than 49%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 43%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 29%

21%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 79%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 68%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 46%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 47%

13%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 16%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 39%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 22%

8%

Disability

healthier than 17%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 37%

5%

“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 80.4; chronic-disease standing 29.0 — 51 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #2,380 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.

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 adults33.9%30.3–37.3
High blood pressure among adults42.8%38.5–46.7
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.8%9.7–12.0
Current asthma among adults10.8%9.5–12.2
Coronary heart disease among adults8.2%7.2–9.3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults9.1%7.5–10.8
Depression among adults23.5%19.9–27.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.8%11.8–15.8
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened42.9%38.6–47.0
Obesity among adults36.0%29.8–42.2
Stroke among adults4.2%3.7–4.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years11.4%9.4–13.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.0%7.1–11.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.4%76.3–81.9
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults79.4%75.6–82.5
Cholesterol screening among adults88.9%87.0–90.5
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years69.0%64.6–73.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults65.2%62.0–68.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.1%74.0–85.4
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults16.0%13.1–19.2
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.4%11.6–17.5
No leisure-time physical activity among adults25.5%21.0–30.3
Short sleep duration among adults33.4%28.2–38.8
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults20.7%17.3–24.2
Frequent mental distress among adults16.0%13.9–18.3
Frequent physical distress among adults14.5%12.4–16.7
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.0%11.9–16.3
Any disability among adults30.5%25.9–35.1
Hearing disability among adults8.3%7.2–9.4
Independent living disability among adults8.5%7.1–9.9
Mobility disability among adults15.7%13.0–18.4
Self-care disability among adults4.2%3.5–4.9
Vision disability among adults5.2%4.4–6.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.7%19.3–26.6
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.4%10.8–16.5
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults11.1%8.9–13.7
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.6%8.8–12.8
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults7.1%6.0–8.3
Loneliness among adults31.4%26.9–36.4
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.7%5.7–8.0
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate2.5%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459
Uninsured 18–6411.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2864.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459
No HS diploma (25+)12.8%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463
Bachelor's or higher (25+)38.2%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50537.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463
Unemployment rate (16+)3.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457
Households without a vehicle0.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457
Broadband subscription93.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)26.9%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457
Homeownership rate81.8%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 population1.1%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5536.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464
Single-parent households67.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450
Population 65+29.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55318.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464
Median age50.3 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460
Median household income$101,618$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419
Median home value$402,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427
Median gross rent$1,088$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 birth79.4 yr ± 1.1978.9 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 1.19 years of 79.4, 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