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ZIP code

21655

in Preston, MarylandPopulation 5,053

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

54.35/ 100

Ranked #10,249 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 32%)

Ranked #309 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 33%)

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

Robust across all 9 health domains

The read

On balance, and by the composite measure, Preston, Maryland (ZIP 21655) ranks in the top 32% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,249th) and the bottom 33% of Maryland (309th).

continue reading

The profile opens on a set of genuinely favorable readings: distance to a community health center sits at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Poverty rests in the bottom 15% nationally, and modeled colon screening is in the top 14.7% nationally. Pharmacy stands in the top 24% nationally, modeled fair or poor health settles in the bottom 25% nationally, and modeled independent living disability lies in the bottom 24% nationally. Modeled vision disability resides in the bottom 25% nationally, radon lands in the bottom 34% nationally, and tooth loss registers in the bottom 30% nationally. On the other side, floodplain exposure sits in the top 27% nationally.

Compared with the ZIPs it borders, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 82%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 80%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 63%

11%

Disability

healthier than 72%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 66%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 46%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 46%

16%

Mental Health

healthier than 55%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 41%

5%

Nothing measured is holding this score back.

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 83%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 70%

5%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 49%

13%

Disability

healthier than 40%

7%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 28%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 23%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 37%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 24%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 27%

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.

  • Below what income predicts

    The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes

    Estimated life expectancy is 76.5 ± 1.7 years. A median household income of $90,385 predicts 79.7 years — 3.2 years below.

    Ranked #4,338 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, 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 adults31.8%28.9–35.0
High blood pressure among adults39.1%35.6–42.7
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.7%8.8–10.6
Current asthma among adults11.3%10.1–12.6
Coronary heart disease among adults6.7%6.0–7.5
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.3%6.4–8.3
Depression among adults23.1%20.1–26.4
Diagnosed diabetes among adults12.1%10.7–13.8
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened40.5%36.7–44.2
Obesity among adults38.3%32.9–43.9
Stroke among adults3.6%3.3–4.0
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years10.7%8.7–12.9
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.0%5.8–8.6
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.7%74.9–80.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults79.8%76.7–82.5
Cholesterol screening among adults89.9%88.4–91.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years71.1%66.6–75.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults65.0%61.4–68.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.6%69.8–82.4
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.3%12.7–17.9
Current cigarette smoking among adults13.3%11.3–15.6
No leisure-time physical activity among adults22.7%19.4–26.6
Short sleep duration among adults38.0%32.6–43.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults16.9%14.8–19.4
Frequent mental distress among adults16.2%14.3–18.2
Frequent physical distress among adults13.0%11.5–14.7
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults13.2%11.6–15.0
Any disability among adults28.1%24.7–32.0
Hearing disability among adults6.9%6.1–7.7
Independent living disability among adults7.2%6.4–8.2
Mobility disability among adults13.1%11.4–15.0
Self-care disability among adults3.5%3.1–3.9
Vision disability among adults4.2%3.8–4.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.7%19.4–26.3
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.0%10.1–14.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.7%8.1–11.5
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.7%9.1–12.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.4%5.6–7.3
Loneliness among adults32.7%28.0–37.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.8%5.9–7.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate4.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459
Uninsured 18–643.7%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2864.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459
No HS diploma (25+)10.1%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463
Bachelor's or higher (25+)24.0%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 vehicle3.2%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457
Broadband subscription92.1%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)27.1%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457
Homeownership rate84.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457
Foreign-born population1.7%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5536.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464
Single-parent households52.1%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450
Population 65+18.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55318.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464
Median age42.2 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460
Median household income$90,385$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419
Median home value$289,200$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427
Median gross rent$1,380$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 birth76.5 yr ± 0.8778.9 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 0.87 years of 76.5, 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