ZIP code
21653
in Newcomb, MarylandPopulation 84
64.77/ 100
Ranked #2,097 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 6.6%)
Ranked #92 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (top 20%)
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.
Colon-cancer screening
82.6%
in the top 0.04% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Mammography
87%
in the top 0.05% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full 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 ›Homeownership rate
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
27%
in the bottom 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS3rdDefinition & 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
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
4.0%
in the bottom 3.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS4thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
47.7%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Overall, Newcomb, Maryland (ZIP 21653) lands in the top 6.6% healthiest ZIPs nationally (2,097th) and the top 20% of Maryland (92nd).
The picture here is genuinely mixed, with readings on both sides: modeled colon screening settles in the top 0.04% nationally, and mammography resides in the top 0.05% nationally. Modeled transportation noise registers at the national minimum, and homeownership rests at the national maximum. Modeled short sleep stands in the bottom 1.5% nationally, modeled expected annual loss lies in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and home broadband subscription lands at the national maximum. Modeled utility shutoff sits in the bottom 3.8% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden is in the bottom 4.2% nationally. On the other side, floodplain exposure settles in the top 4.4% nationally.
A note on the terms: expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 20758, about 20 miles away, ranks better 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.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 87%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 76%
14%
Preventive Care
in the top 0.4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 98%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 94%
8%
Disability
healthier than 79%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 45%
5%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 10%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 70%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 69%
14%
Preventive Care
in the top 0.9%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 94%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Disability
healthier than 51%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 5%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 39%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
21601
Marylandshares a border
Score 59.50
Closest healthier
20758
Marylandabout 20 mi away
Score 64.81
Similar health profile
21405
Maryland99% similar profile
Score 67.73
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 | 32.5% | 29.3–35.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.9% | 35.2–42.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.8% | 12.2–15.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.5% | 8.4–10.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.2–9.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.5% | 4.7–8.9 |
| Depression among adults | 19.5% | 16.8–22.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.1% | 9.1–13.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.9% | 38.5–45.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 26.3% | 21.9–31.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.0–4.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 3.8% | 3.0–4.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.0% | 5.6–11.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.1% | 80.6–85.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.8% | 80.1–85.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 92.0% | 90.3–93.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 82.6% | 79.0–85.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 75.3% | 72.5–77.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 87.0% | 82.5–90.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.6% | 12.2–17.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 7.3% | 4.8–10.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.9% | 16.1–26.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 27.0% | 23.1–31.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.0% | 11.5–19.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 11.9% | 10.0–14.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.8% | 9.5–14.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 9.9% | 7.8–12.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.3% | 23.4–33.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.0–10.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.4% | 4.8–8.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.6% | 10.4–17.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.9% | 2.1–3.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.0–5.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 17.5% | 14.1–21.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 5.2–10.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 5.5% | 3.5–7.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 6.9% | 5.0–9.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 4.6% | 3.5–5.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.1% | 25.4–35.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.0% | 3.0–5.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 72.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 34.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 100.0% | 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 | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 100.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 85.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 72.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $829,500 | $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
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.9 yr ± 2.37 | 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 2.37 years of 83.9, 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