ZIP code
21661
in Rock Hall, MarylandPopulation 2,613
54.17/ 100
Ranked #10,474 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 33%)
Ranked #316 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 31%)
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.
Elder-services access
0.41 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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
45.8%
in the top 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Mammography
81.7%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST77thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
74.1%
in the top 4.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Pharmacy access
0.41 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›High blood pressure
46.9%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
29.1%
in the bottom 14.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS15thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
9.1%
in the top 19% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS81stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Rock Hall, Maryland (ZIP 21661) sits in the top 33% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,474th) and the bottom 31% of Maryland (316th).
A few measures carry most of this area's good news: elder services registers in the top 3.1% nationally, modeled mammography is in the top 4.7% nationally, and modeled colon screening lies in the top 4.6% nationally. Pharmacy registers in the top 7.7% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise is at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Distance to a community health center lies at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Set against that, modeled high cholesterol registers in the top 3.0% nationally, and high blood pressure is in the top 7.9% nationally. Floodplain exposure lies in the top 12.7% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure registers in the top 12.9% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. 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". A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 21620, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 82%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 96%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 83%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 80%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 27%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 81%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 90%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 67%
11%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 58%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 31%
16%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 13%
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 81.6; chronic-disease standing 16.9 — 65 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,413 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
21620
Marylandshares a border
Score 56.06
Closest healthier
21617
Marylandabout 0.5 mi away
Score 61.05
Similar health profile
21654
Maryland97% similar profile
Score 55.28
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 | 37.8% | 34.2–41.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.9% | 42.7–51.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.0% | 11.7–14.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.4–12.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.1% | 7.9–10.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.1% | 7.6–10.7 |
| Depression among adults | 21.8% | 18.7–25.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.9% | 12.8–17.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 45.8% | 41.5–50.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.4% | 29.3–41.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 4.0–5.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.7% | 8.7–13.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.6% | 5.2–8.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.9% | 80.1–85.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.9% | 79.8–85.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.9% | 90.6–93.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 74.1% | 69.7–78.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.7% | 62.4–68.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 81.7% | 75.8–86.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.8% | 11.3–16.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.3% | 10.0–14.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.3% | 20.2–29.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.1% | 27.9–38.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.2% | 16.3–22.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.2–15.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.1–16.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.8% | 10.1–13.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.6% | 25.6–34.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.6% | 6.5–8.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.0% | 13.5–18.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.4–4.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.1–5.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.7% | 17.4–24.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.7% | 8.6–12.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.2–10.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.1–10.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.8% | 4.9–6.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.1% | 24.5–34.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.7% | 4.8–6.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 35.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 83.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.8% | 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 | 4.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 64.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 33.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 58.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $90,492 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $283,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $1,000 | $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 | 74.2 yr ± 1.46 | 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 1.46 years of 74.2, 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