ZIP code
21742
in Hagerstown, MarylandPopulation 34,069
52.96/ 100
Ranked #12,151 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 38%)
Ranked #343 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 25%)
Ranked #12 of 28 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV ZIPs (top 43%)
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.
Distance to a Superfund site
In this ZIP
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Nitrate in drinking water
23.3%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS98thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams 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 ›Radon
3.1 pCi/L
in the top 9.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Dental provider access
0.85 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices 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 ›The read
ZIP 21742, one of several in Hagerstown, Maryland, overall, ranks in the top 38% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,151st) and the bottom 25% of Maryland (343rd).
Taken together, the data gives a genuinely mixed reading: distance to an emergency room stands at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Dental providers rests in the top 9.7% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing registers in the top 11.1% nationally. Distance to a community health center resides at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home settles at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Pharmacy is in the top 13.8% nationally, and physicians sits in the top 14.1% nationally. On the other side, distance to a Superfund site lands at the national minimum, and modeled nitrate lies in the top 2.0% nationally. Modeled radon stands in the top 9.4% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. ZIP 17263, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 72%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Disability
healthier than 62%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 60%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 51%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 57%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
8%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 12%
14%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 63%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 47%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 33%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 3%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 31%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 31%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 23%
8%
Disability
healthier than 28%
7%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 70%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 67%
11%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 52%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 48%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 59%
8%
Disability
healthier than 52%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 26%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 30%
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
17225
Pennsylvaniashares a border
Score 52.90
Closest healthier
17263
Pennsylvaniashares a border
Score 54.82
Similar health profile
15065
Pennsylvania97% similar profile
Score 52.37
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 | 31.0% | 28.7–33.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.1% | 35.5–40.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.6% | 8.8–10.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.7–12.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.4–7.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.9% | 7.2–8.7 |
| Depression among adults | 23.0% | 20.6–25.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.8% | 11.5–14.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.2% | 33.7–38.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.2% | 33.4–41.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.4–3.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.4% | 10.5–14.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.3% | 7.2–9.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.6% | 75.3–79.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.2% | 77.9–82.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.7% | 87.3–89.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.0% | 62.7–69.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.7% | 60.1–65.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.2% | 72.4–81.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.4% | 11.6–15.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.5% | 12.0–15.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.7% | 25.0–30.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.2% | 35.8–42.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.9% | 17.2–20.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.3% | 14.8–18.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.8% | 12.5–15.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.8–15.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.9% | 28.3–33.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.5–8.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.2–8.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.9% | 12.5–15.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.3–5.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.9% | 21.3–26.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.9% | 12.3–15.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.6% | 10.2–13.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.1% | 10.7–13.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.8–8.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.4% | 31.2–37.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 7.0–8.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 9.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 50.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 19.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 41.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $86,288 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $304,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $1,351 | $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 unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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