ZIP code
21677
in Woolford, MarylandPopulation 436
52.40/ 100
Ranked #12,901 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)
Ranked #353 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 23%)
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.
Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›PFAS in drinking water
6.3%
in the bottom 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
13.6%
in the top 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Poverty rate
38.7%
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
53.9%
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Loneliness
27.6%
in the bottom 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
17.4 mi
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
12.5%
in the bottom 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
45.5%
in the top 11.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
9.5%
in the top 14.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS86thDefinition & 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
By its overall health score, Woolford, Maryland (ZIP 21677) lands in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,901st) and the bottom 23% of Maryland (353rd).
The measures split the difference for this area: modeled industrial-pollution burden is in the bottom 2.3% nationally, and pfas stands in the bottom 2.4% nationally. Modeled loneliness settles in the bottom 5.4% nationally, and expected annual loss lies in the bottom 10.9% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise resides at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Modeled binge drinking lands in the bottom 9.9% nationally. Against that, outer-floodplain exposure registers in the top 2.9% nationally, poverty sits in the top 3.4% nationally, and floodplain exposure rests in the top 3.4% nationally. Distance to an emergency room is in the top 7.8% nationally.
Weighed against the ZIPs nearby, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To translate a couple of terms, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. 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. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 21648, 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 98%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 96%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 82%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 87%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 51%
16%
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 25%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 99%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 89%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 65%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 70%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 4%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 28%
16%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 4%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
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
21613
Marylandshares a border
Score 47.72
Closest healthier
21648
Marylandshares a border
Score 55.67
Similar health profile
23045
Virginia98% similar profile
Score 53.69
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 | 41.2% | 37.4–45.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 45.5% | 41.3–49.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.9% | 12.6–15.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.4–12.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.5% | 8.3–10.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.8% | 8.0–11.6 |
| Depression among adults | 19.8% | 16.8–22.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.4% | 13.1–17.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.0% | 39.0–47.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.9% | 31.3–42.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.9% | 4.2–5.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.7% | 9.6–14.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.5% | 4.9–8.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.7% | 81.1–86.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 84.5% | 81.9–86.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 93.0% | 91.8–94.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 71.8% | 67.6–75.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.7% | 62.4–68.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.1% | 73.3–84.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.5% | 10.3–15.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.3% | 10.6–16.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.5% | 21.8–31.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.1% | 28.4–37.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.2% | 16.7–23.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.1–16.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.9% | 13.6–18.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.1–14.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.5% | 27.8–37.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.1% | 8.8–11.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 6.8–9.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.0% | 15.0–21.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.5–5.0 |
| 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 | 20.3% | 17.0–23.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 8.1–13.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 7.0–11.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 6.9–10.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.6% | 4.6–6.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 27.6% | 23.4–32.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.6% | 4.6–6.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 38.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 96.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 20.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.3% | 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 | 1.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 81.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 26.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 48.6 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 | $328,600 | $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 | 80.1 yr ± 2.23 | 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 2.23 years of 80.1, 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