ZIP code
21872
in Whaleyville, MarylandPopulation 661
58.16/ 100
Ranked #6,259 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 20%)
Ranked #232 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 49%)
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.
Homeownership rate
97.8%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
97.8%
in the top 8.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST81stUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
2.9%
in the bottom 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST20thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
30.4%
in the bottom 11.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.7%
in the bottom 19% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS19thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms 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 ›Binge drinking
18.1%
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS82ndDefinition & 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 ›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
Whaleyville, Maryland (ZIP 21872) ranks in the top 20% healthiest ZIPs nationally (6,259th) and the bottom 49% of Maryland (232nd).
The strongest marks in the data are worth naming first: homeownership registers in the top 5.9% nationally. Unemployment lies at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle is at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Home broadband subscription registers in the top 8.0% nationally, poverty lies in the bottom 9.3% nationally, and modeled short sleep is in the bottom 11.5% nationally. Household income registers in the top 10.4% nationally, and park land lies in the top 12.2% nationally. On the other side, outer-floodplain exposure is in the top 13.1% nationally, and modeled pfas registers in the top 13.7% nationally.
Against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, 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". The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 19945, 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.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 80%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 88%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 70%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Disability
healthier than 74%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 54%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 57%
5%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 40%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 91%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 46%
11%
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 56%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 37%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 37%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 33%
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
19945
Delawareshares a border
Score 59.05
Closest healthier
21811
Marylandshares a border
Score 60.49
Similar health profile
21667
Maryland98% similar profile
Score 55.56
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 | 31.4% | 28.6–34.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.6% | 35.2–41.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.2–11.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.5–12.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.8% | 6.0–7.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.3% | 6.2–8.4 |
| Depression among adults | 22.1% | 19.3–25.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.4% | 10.8–14.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.2% | 36.7–43.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.4% | 28.7–38.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.6% | 3.3–4.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 7.8% | 6.3–9.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.7% | 5.2–8.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.0% | 76.2–81.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.5% | 78.6–84.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.6% | 89.1–92.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.7% | 65.5–73.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.6% | 63.5–69.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.2% | 73.6–84.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.1% | 15.4–21.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.1% | 10.8–15.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.0% | 20.5–27.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.4% | 26.4–34.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.4% | 14.9–20.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.8% | 14.0–17.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.7% | 11.9–15.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.5% | 10.9–14.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 27.4% | 23.9–31.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.8% | 6.0–7.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.2–8.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.5% | 11.6–15.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–4.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.6–4.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.6% | 17.6–24.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 8.8–13.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 6.8–10.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.1–11.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.2% | 5.2–7.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.2% | 27.1–35.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.2% | 5.2–7.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 2.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 47.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 97.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 97.8% | 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 | 8.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 26.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 12.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 31.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $117,888 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $433,300 | $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
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.8 yr ± 2.17 | 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 2.17 years of 75.8, 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