ZIP code
21850
in Pittsville, MarylandPopulation 3,850
51.51/ 100
Ranked #14,098 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 44%)
Ranked #372 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 19%)
Ranked #16 of 24 Salisbury, MD ZIPs (bottom 33%)
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.
Recreation access
0.95 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›Pharmacy access
0.32 per 1,000 residents
in the top 12.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS87thDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Pittsville, Maryland (ZIP 21850) ranks in the top 44% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,098th) and the bottom 19% of Maryland (372nd).
A handful of measures stand out most sharply across the profile here: recreation resides in the top 9.9% nationally, and pharmacy registers in the top 12.7% nationally. Park land rests in the top 14.3% nationally. Crowded housing stands at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Home broadband subscription lies in the top 17% nationally, and households without a vehicle lands in the bottom 17% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure sits at the national minimum, shared with about 36% of ZIPs. On the other side, modeled pfas is in the top 13.9% nationally. Physicians settles at the national minimum, shared with about 38% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home resides in the top 20% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, 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. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Close by, ZIP 19966, just across the boundary, ranks 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 Salisbury, MD metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 92%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 66%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 53%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 60%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 49%
11%
Disability
healthier than 52%
7%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 38%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 93%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 78%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 24%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 29%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 25%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 13%
8%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 31%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 70%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 83%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 57%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 39%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 13%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 35%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 13%
8%
“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 91.7 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 40.6 — 51 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,404 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
19940
Delawareshares a border
Score 51.35
Closest healthier
19966
Delawareshares a border
Score 53.59
Similar health profile
46967
Indiana96% similar profile
Score 52.80
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 | 30.8% | 28.5–33.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.9% | 34.1–39.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.0% | 8.2–9.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.9–12.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.1% | 6.4–7.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.8 |
| Depression among adults | 23.4% | 20.8–26.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.4% | 11.0–13.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.8% | 39.0–44.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.4% | 35.2–43.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.7% | 12.2–17.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.4% | 7.9–11.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.8% | 76.3–81.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.9% | 77.2–82.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.9% | 86.2–89.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.1% | 65.4–72.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.4% | 53.3–59.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.9% | 70.0–81.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.4% | 13.2–17.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.2% | 14.1–18.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 28.8% | 25.4–32.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.3% | 30.4–38.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.6% | 19.1–24.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.9% | 16.0–19.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.6% | 13.1–16.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.3% | 13.5–17.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.8% | 26.7–33.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.3–7.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.8% | 13.0–16.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.7–4.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.6% | 20.7–26.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.7% | 12.4–17.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 12.7% | 10.7–14.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.6% | 10.0–13.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.8–8.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.9% | 30.1–37.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.7–8.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 88.3% | 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 | 5.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 51.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 21.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 43.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $79,665 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $234,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $748 | $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 | 75.3 yr ± 0.85 | 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 0.85 years of 75.3, 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