Skip to main content
ZipVitals

Menu

ZIP code

21862

in Showell, MarylandPopulation 30

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

57.97/ 100

Ranked #6,423 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 20%)

Ranked #238 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 48%)

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.

Homeownership rate

0.00%

at the national minimum

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

100%

at the national maximum

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

PFAS in drinking water

100%

at the national maximum

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.

Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.

Full methodology ›

Colon-cancer screening

74.7%

in the top 3.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST92nd
US97th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

20%

in the top 6.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US94th
Definition & 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 ›

Short sleep

29.5%

in the bottom 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US7th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the bottom 8.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST12th
US9th
Definition & source ›

FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

20 per million

in the bottom 25% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US25th
Definition & 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

Showell, Maryland (ZIP 21862) ranks in the top 20% healthiest ZIPs nationally (6,423rd) and the bottom 48% of Maryland (238th).

continue reading

A profile of give and take, with clear readings each way: housing-cost burden lies at the national minimum, and poverty is at the national minimum. Home broadband subscription registers at the national maximum, and modeled colon screening lies in the top 3.5% nationally. Unemployment is at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle registers at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled short sleep lies in the bottom 7.5% nationally. On the other side, homeownership is at the national minimum, PFAS in drinking water registers at the national maximum, and modeled binge drinking lies in the top 6.2% nationally.

Against its neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, PFAS in drinking water is the family of man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 21811, 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

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 63%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 67%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 94%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 82%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 62%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 65%

8%

Disability

healthier than 73%

7%

About typical

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 57%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 52%

5%

Nothing measured is holding this score back.

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 94%

14%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 47%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 41%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 52%

13%

Disability

healthier than 42%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 57%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 48%

5%

Holding it back

Risk Behavior

healthier than 37%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 36%

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 ›

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 adults28.3%25.4–31.6
High blood pressure among adults36.7%33.2–40.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.7%7.7–9.7
Current asthma among adults10.2%9.0–11.7
Coronary heart disease among adults6.4%5.4–7.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults6.7%5.1–8.7
Depression among adults21.6%18.7–24.9
Diagnosed diabetes among adults11.7%9.8–13.9
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened37.7%34.2–41.4
Obesity among adults34.1%29.2–39.6
Stroke among adults3.5%2.9–4.2
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years13.8%11.2–16.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.9%5.2–11.7
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure76.7%73.7–79.6
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults79.4%75.9–82.3
Cholesterol screening among adults89.1%86.0–91.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years74.7%71.2–78.1
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults66.2%63.3–69.0
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.3%71.1–82.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults20.0%17.0–23.2
Current cigarette smoking among adults13.2%9.7–17.5
No leisure-time physical activity among adults24.1%19.2–29.7
Short sleep duration among adults29.5%25.5–33.5
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults17.5%13.8–22.4
Frequent mental distress among adults16.2%13.6–18.9
Frequent physical distress among adults13.3%11.0–16.1
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.9%10.3–16.2
Any disability among adults27.2%22.7–32.8
Hearing disability among adults6.5%5.5–7.6
Independent living disability among adults7.3%5.8–9.2
Mobility disability among adults13.1%10.3–16.6
Self-care disability among adults3.6%2.8–4.7
Vision disability among adults4.3%3.4–5.4
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.9%18.1–26.3
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.1%8.6–16.3
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.4%6.5–13.0
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults11.2%8.5–14.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.7%5.2–8.5
Loneliness among adults32.1%27.5–37.2
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.9%5.4–8.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate0.0%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459
Uninsured 18–640.0%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2864.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459
No HS diploma (25+)0.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463
Bachelor's or higher (25+)0.0%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 vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457
Broadband subscription100.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32293.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)0.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457
Homeownership rate0.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%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 households—53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450
Population 65+0.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55318.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464
Median age—42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.8 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—$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MD median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth80.3 yr ± 1.9278.9 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 1.92 years of 80.3, 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