ZIP code
21727
in Emmitsburg, MarylandPopulation 6,052
54.07/ 100
Ranked #10,606 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 33%)
Ranked #320 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 30%)
Ranked #251 of 308 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 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.
Mental-health provider access
0.15 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics 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 ›Loneliness
37.9%
in the top 9.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
10.2%
in the bottom 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST24thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
9.0%
in the bottom 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
29.7%
in the bottom 10.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Mammography
69.9%
in the bottom 13.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS14thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
0.22%
in the top 44% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS56thDefinition & source ›
The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
Full methodology ›The read
Emmitsburg, Maryland (ZIP 21727), overall, ranks in the top 33% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,606th) and the bottom 30% of Maryland (320th).
This area's strengths are easy to pick out across the measures: mental-health providers sits in the top 6.6% nationally, modeled mobility disability lands in the bottom 9.9% nationally, and modeled diabetes lies in the bottom 8.8% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure stands in the bottom 10.1% nationally. Crowded housing rests at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Lead in tap water registers in the bottom 14.5% nationally, and modeled stroke resides in the bottom 12.5% nationally. Working the other way, modeled loneliness settles in the top 9.1% nationally. Fiber broadband is at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled mammography sits in the bottom 13.6% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. ZIP 21757, just across the boundary, comes out healthier overall. This area also sits on the healthier half of the national range on at least seven of the ten good-life measures tracked here, from quiet and green space to nearby care, a combination reached by about one in twenty-five US ZIP codes.
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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 82%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 63%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 71%
11%
Disability
healthier than 73%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 60%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 19%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 16%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 79%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 65%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 48%
11%
Disability
healthier than 41%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 37%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 5%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 3%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 23%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 77%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 72%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 49%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 18%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 7%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 4%
8%
Disability
healthier than 28%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 19%
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
21757
Marylandshares a border
Score 55.59
Closest healthier
21778
Marylandshares a border
Score 55.22
Similar health profile
98295
Washington98% similar profile
Score 54.26
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 | 22.7% | 21.1–24.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 29.7% | 27.5–31.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.2% | 6.6–7.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.7–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.4% | 4.8–5.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.1% | 5.3–7.0 |
| Depression among adults | 24.9% | 22.4–27.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.0% | 8.0–10.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.3% | 32.0–36.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.3% | 29.5–36.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.8% | 2.5–3.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.2% | 11.9–16.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.3% | 6.6–10.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 71.0% | 68.8–73.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 75.3% | 72.3–78.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.2% | 79.2–84.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.6% | 62.1–69.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.9% | 58.2–63.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.9% | 64.2–75.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.8% | 14.5–19.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.4% | 8.8–12.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.5% | 18.6–24.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.6% | 33.3–40.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.8% | 14.5–19.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.2% | 18.0–22.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.3% | 14.0–18.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.2% | 24.9–31.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.3–6.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.1–9.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 10.2% | 8.9–11.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.0% | 2.7–3.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.7–4.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.9% | 21.8–28.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.8% | 11.3–16.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.2% | 8.3–12.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.2% | 9.4–13.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.7% | 7.4–10.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.9% | 34.3–41.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.2% | 6.2–8.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 16.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 26.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 81.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.4% | 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 | 10.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 56.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 19.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 29.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $95,236 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $331,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $775 | $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 | 78.4 yr ± 1.20 | 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 1.20 years of 78.4, 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