ZIP code
21659
in Galestown, MarylandPopulation 1,601
51.35/ 100
Ranked #14,354 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 45%)
Ranked #373 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 19%)
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.
Mammography
83.3%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
0.91 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.0% 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 ›Fatal road crashes
37.5 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 8.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
79.6%
in the bottom 16% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST9thUS16thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.7%
in the bottom 19% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS19thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
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 ›The read
Galestown, Maryland (ZIP 21659), overall, ranks in the top 45% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,354th) and the bottom 19% of Maryland (373rd).
This area's strengths are easy to pick out across the measures: modeled mammography rests in the top 2.0% nationally, civic registers in the top 5.0% nationally, and park land resides in the top 10.5% nationally. Unemployment settles in the bottom 16% nationally, households without a vehicle is in the bottom 17% nationally, and modeled colon screening sits in the top 17% nationally. Working the other way, fatal road crashes lands in the top 8.1% nationally, and home broadband subscription lies in the bottom 16% nationally. Recreation stands at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs. Physicians rests at the national minimum, shared with about 38% of ZIPs.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. ZIP 21631, just across the boundary, comes out 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.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 85%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 62%
8%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 52%
11%
Disability
healthier than 46%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 43%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 32%
16%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 90%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 59%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 33%
8%
Disability
healthier than 15%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 29%
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 86.6; chronic-disease standing 28.9 — 58 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,905 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
19956
Delawareshares a border
Score 46.66
Closest healthier
21631
Marylandshares a border
Score 53.47
Similar health profile
21863
Maryland98% similar profile
Score 51.62
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 | 34.5% | 31.4–37.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.2% | 37.7–45.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.1% | 9.9–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.1–8.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.1% | 7.9–10.5 |
| Depression among adults | 21.0% | 18.1–24.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.6% | 12.8–16.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.4% | 34.8–42.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.7% | 33.0–44.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.1% | 11.7–16.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.7% | 7.1–10.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.9% | 77.5–82.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.8% | 77.7–83.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.5% | 86.8–90.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.6% | 66.2–74.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.4% | 57.1–63.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 83.3% | 78.4–87.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.8% | 12.3–17.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.1% | 12.7–17.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.9% | 23.0–31.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.2% | 32.4–42.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.1% | 18.3–24.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.9% | 14.9–19.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.4% | 13.5–17.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.6% | 12.7–16.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.1% | 28.2–36.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.1–8.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.6–10.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.4% | 14.1–18.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.7–6.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.0% | 20.7–27.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.9% | 12.4–17.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.1% | 10.9–15.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.2% | 10.4–14.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.9–9.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.6% | 27.2–36.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.7–8.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 23.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 10.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 79.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 69.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 20.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 49.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $73,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $259,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $892 | $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 | 79.4 yr ± 1.28 | 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 1.28 years of 79.4, 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