ZIP code
21874
in Willards, MarylandPopulation 1,693
49.99/ 100
Ranked #16,265 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 49%)
Ranked #392 of 458 Maryland ZIPs (bottom 14.5%)
Ranked #17 of 24 Salisbury, MD ZIPs (bottom 29%)
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.
Fatal road crashes
41.3 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 6.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
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
Willards, Maryland (ZIP 21874), by its composite score, sits in the bottom 49% nationally (16,265th) and the bottom 14.5% of Maryland (392nd).
The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: outer-floodplain exposure rests at the national minimum, shared with about 36% of ZIPs. Modeled radon resides in the bottom 28% nationally. Pulling the other way, fatal road crashes is in the top 6.4% nationally, modeled pfas lands in the top 12.4% nationally, and unemployment stands in the top 14.1% nationally. Modeled high cholesterol registers in the top 14.7% nationally, and lead in tap water settles in the top 19% nationally. Physicians sits at the national minimum, shared with about 38% of ZIPs. Childcare lies at the national minimum, shared with about 42% of ZIPs. Crowded housing rests in the top 21% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, 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. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 19966, 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. 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 93%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 55%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 41%
8%
Disability
healthier than 52%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 27%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 36%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 93%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 21%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 21%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 35%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 28%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 65%
21%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 43%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 57%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 48%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 26%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 17%
8%
Disability
healthier than 39%
7%
“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 92.9 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 39.8 — 53 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,262 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
19966
Delawareshares a border
Score 53.59
Closest healthier
21811
Marylandshares a border
Score 60.49
Similar health profile
21542
Maryland89% similar profile
Score 50.21
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 | 31.1% | 28.7–33.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.3% | 34.5–40.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.0% | 8.2–9.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 9.8–12.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.2% | 6.5–8.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.7–9.9 |
| Depression among adults | 23.2% | 20.7–26.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.5% | 11.1–13.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.2% | 39.3–45.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.5% | 35.3–43.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.5–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.7% | 11.4–16.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.4% | 7.9–11.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.8% | 76.4–81.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.9% | 77.2–82.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.0% | 86.4–89.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.9% | 63.1–70.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.0% | 51.9–58.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.1% | 70.4–81.2 |
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 | 16.6% | 14.3–19.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.0% | 25.5–32.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.4% | 30.6–38.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 21.7% | 19.0–24.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.7% | 15.8–19.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.8% | 13.1–16.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.1% | 13.3–17.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.9% | 26.6–33.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.4–8.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.7–9.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.9% | 13.1–16.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.7–4.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.5–5.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.5% | 20.5–26.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 12.4–16.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 12.8% | 10.7–14.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 9.8–13.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.8–8.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.5% | 29.7–37.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.6–8.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.7% (1.1–19.3%) n=459 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 4.8% (0.0–13.1%) n=459 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.3% (0.5–16.6%) n=463 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.3% (15.0–64.4%) n=463 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–8.6%) n=457 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.2% (0.0–12.4%) n=457 |
| Broadband subscription | 88.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 93.3% (81.2–100.0%) n=457 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.0% (12.0–41.8%) n=457 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (49.9–98.5%) n=457 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=457 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 6.2% (0.0–26.4%) n=464 |
| Single-parent households | 47.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (34.0–73.3%) n=450 |
| Population 65+ | 13.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.0% (10.9–33.1%) n=464 |
| Median age | 43.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (34.2–57.2) n=460 |
| Median household income | $78,393 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $106,181 ($62,879–$172,423) n=419 |
| Median home value | $236,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $423,400 ($215,180–$683,660) n=427 |
| Median gross rent | $1,460 | $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 | 74.6 yr ± 0.95 | 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 0.95 years of 74.6, 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