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ZIP code

21766

in Little Orleans, MarylandPopulation 854

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

43.10/ 100

Ranked #24,291 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 24%)

Ranked #439 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 4.2%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Crowded housing

21.1%

in the top 1.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.

Full methodology ›

Civic-institution access

1.6 per 1,000 residents

in the top 1.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US98th
Definition & 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 ›

Tree cover

83.5%

in the top 3.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.

Full methodology ›

Slow internet speeds

3.2%

in the top 3.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.

Full methodology ›

PFAS in drinking water

9.6%

in the bottom 8.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST7th
US8th
Definition & 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 ›

Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility

12.7 mi

in the top 10.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US90th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.

Full methodology ›

Coronary heart disease

10.0%

in the top 9.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US90th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.

Full methodology ›

Hearing disability

10.6%

in the top 12.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US87th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

44.9%

in the top 12.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US87th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.

Full methodology ›

Stroke

5.1%

in the top 12.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US87th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

The read

Little Orleans, Maryland (ZIP 21766), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 24% nationally (24,291st) and the bottom 4.2% of Maryland (439th).

continue reading

What the numbers press hardest on defines much of the story here: crowded housing lands in the top 1.1% nationally, and slow internet speeds resides in the top 3.7% nationally. Fiber broadband lies at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled coronary heart disease settles in the top 9.7% nationally. On the encouraging side, civic stands in the top 1.8% nationally, and modeled tree cover is in the top 3.6% nationally. Unemployment rests at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled pfas sits in the bottom 8.2% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility registers in the top 10.2% nationally. Modeled expected annual loss lands in the bottom 12.8% nationally.

Set against the neighboring ZIPs, crowded housing runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, 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. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 21555, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 74%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 68%

5%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 57%

13%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 11%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 24%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 22%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 34%

8%

Disability

healthier than 26%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 26%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 67%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 81%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 2%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 10%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 23%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 7%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 10%

8%

Disability

healthier than 5%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 14%

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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults38.2%35.1–41.2
High blood pressure among adults44.9%41.6–48.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.9%10.8–13.1
Current asthma among adults11.1%9.9–12.4
Coronary heart disease among adults10.0%8.8–11.3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.6%9.7–13.5
Depression among adults24.8%22.0–28.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.5%13.6–17.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened42.9%39.6–46.2
Obesity among adults36.1%31.6–40.8
Stroke among adults5.1%4.5–5.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years19.3%16.2–22.9
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years8.5%6.5–10.6
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure81.0%78.5–83.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults81.9%79.3–84.4
Cholesterol screening among adults89.1%87.5–90.7
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years64.7%60.4–68.7
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults53.9%50.7–57.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years73.5%67.3–79.4
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.3%11.3–15.6
Current cigarette smoking among adults18.2%15.2–21.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults33.8%29.2–38.3
Short sleep duration among adults39.9%35.8–44.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults24.0%20.6–27.6
Frequent mental distress among adults17.4%15.5–19.3
Frequent physical distress among adults17.1%14.9–19.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.4%13.2–17.5
Any disability among adults37.6%33.4–41.7
Hearing disability among adults10.6%9.3–11.8
Independent living disability among adults9.7%8.3–11.2
Mobility disability among adults18.9%16.2–21.9
Self-care disability among adults4.8%4.1–5.7
Vision disability among adults5.9%5.1–6.9
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.5%20.0–27.3
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults15.5%12.5–18.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults13.7%10.9–16.7
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults11.0%9.1–13.1
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults7.4%6.3–8.7
Loneliness among adults33.2%28.8–37.8
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults7.3%6.1–8.5
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate9.8%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459
Uninsured 18–6427.4%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2864.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459
No HS diploma (25+)5.6%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463
Bachelor's or higher (25+)31.5%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50537.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457
Households without a vehicle2.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457
Broadband subscription85.4%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)22.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457
Homeownership rate69.6%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457
Crowded housing (>1 per room)21.1%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457
Foreign-born population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5536.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464
Single-parent households54.2%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450
Population 65+14.1%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55318.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464
Median age30.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460
Median household income$62,054$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419
Median home value$221,100$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427
Median gross rent$736$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,626 ($958–$2,415) n=339
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth80.5 yr ± 1.5978.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.5 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 1.59 years of 80.5, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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