ZIP code
21654
in Oxford, MarylandPopulation 1,179
55.28/ 100
Ranked #9,121 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 28%)
Ranked #295 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 36%)
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.
Recreation access
3.5 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›High cholesterol
47.9%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
54.2%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
77%
in the top 1.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
6.9%
in the bottom 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 4.1% 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 ›Civic-institution access
0.89 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›Coronary heart disease
10.8%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
28.9%
in the bottom 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
47.6%
in the top 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›The read
By its overall health score, Oxford, Maryland (ZIP 21654) lands in the top 28% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,121st) and the bottom 36% of Maryland (295th).
The measures split the difference for this area: recreation resides in the top 0.4% nationally, and modeled colon screening lands in the top 1.1% nationally. Modeled pfas registers in the bottom 3.2% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden sits in the bottom 4.1% nationally. Civic rests in the top 5.2% nationally, and modeled short sleep is in the bottom 5.5% nationally. Against that, modeled high cholesterol stands in the top 0.9% nationally, housing-cost burden settles in the top 2.0% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease lies in the top 5.1% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure resides in the top 6.6% nationally.
Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, recreation runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, 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. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 21601, 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.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 84%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 94%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 91%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 23%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 96%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 87%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 80%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 61%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 2%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 34%
16%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 10%
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 83.5; chronic-disease standing 10.9 — 73 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #911 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
21601
Marylandshares a border
Score 59.50
Closest healthier
21673
Marylandshares a border
Score 56.37
Similar health profile
28571
North Carolina99% similar profile
Score 56.72
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 | 39.8% | 36.4–43.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 47.6% | 43.8–51.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 15.4% | 14.1–16.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.8% | 9.5–12.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.0% | 8.3–12.0 |
| Depression among adults | 20.3% | 17.7–23.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.5% | 13.5–17.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 47.9% | 44.2–51.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 29.7% | 25.2–34.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.5–5.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.6% | 9.4–13.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.3% | 4.9–8.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 85.7% | 83.4–87.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 85.5% | 83.1–87.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 93.2% | 92.2–94.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 77.0% | 73.2–80.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 69.9% | 66.8–72.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.8% | 70.3–82.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.0% | 10.0–14.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.1% | 8.9–13.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.4% | 21.2–30.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 28.9% | 24.8–33.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.8% | 16.6–23.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 12.5% | 10.9–14.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.1% | 13.0–17.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.0% | 9.4–12.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.0% | 28.9–37.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.8–12.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.7% | 6.5–9.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.1% | 15.2–21.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.5–4.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.3–5.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 18.1% | 15.3–21.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 7.4–11.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.0% | 6.2–10.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 5.8–8.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.1% | 4.3–6.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.9% | 24.8–33.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.7% | 3.9–5.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 67.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 10.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 97.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 54.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.7% | 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 | 8.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 77.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 55.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 68.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $82,772 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $840,000 | $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
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.8 yr ± 1.32 | 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 1.32 years of 80.8, 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