On CDC estimates, Bel Air is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns
Bel Air trails Maryland on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bel Air. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bel Air
COPD, heart disease and depression run high in Bel Air
1 in 9 adults have COPD (11.2%), about twice the Maryland rate. 1 in 12 adults have heart disease (8.6%), vs 5.8% across Maryland. Depression is also above the state: 27.2%, vs 19.4% across Maryland. In all, Bel Air runs above Maryland on six of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Smoking is more common in Bel Air
1 in 5 adults smoke cigarettes (20%), vs 10.9% across Maryland. Habits ↓
More Bel Air adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (34.5%), vs 23.6% across Maryland. Habits ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Maryland figure falls outside Bel Air’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
What’s behind Bel Air’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bel Air is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 44% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 9%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Bel Air’s median household income is $97,685; among the 8,921 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$122K), it’s healthier than 1%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Bel Air adults…
Bel Air runs above MD on 8 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Bel Air
No hospital or community health center in Bel Air itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bel Air; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Bel Air adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Bel Air adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Bel Air runs above Maryland.
1 in 3 Bel Air adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.1% of Bel Air adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Bel Air and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bel Air | D | 37% | 14.3% | 20% | CDC place |
| Cresaptown | D | 42.9% | 13.6% | 22.4% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bel Air adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bel Air
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bel Air is better than Maryland on 0 and worse on 17; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Bel Air’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bel Air | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.7%21.2–28.7 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 17%14.9–19.5 | 12% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.7%17.5–22.3 | 15% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 37%32.5–42.2 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 14.3%12.5–16.3 | 12.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 40.9%37.7–44.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.7%36.6–43.1 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 34.4%31.5–37.4 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.5–13.3 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.8%8.8–10.7 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8.6%7.4–9.8 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 11.2%9.4–13.3 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.6%4–5.3 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 14.8%12.4–17.5 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 20%16.7–23.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 34.5%30–39.7 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 14.1%11.9–16.5 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.3%36–44.7 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.7%7.4–12.3 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.9%77–82.5 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 59.1%55.8–62.1 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 86.7%84.6–88.5 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.8%75.1–80.2 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.2%60.1–68.4 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 74.5%68.5–80.1 | 80.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 27.2%24.2–30.7 | 19.4% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 35.2%30.7–39.9 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.9%21.3–28.8 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 19.4%15.6–23.6 | 15.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.8%11.3–16.5 | 13.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.1%7.6–10.8 | 8.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9%7.5–10.6 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.1%14.3–22.2 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 37.1%32.9–41.8 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 17.9%15.3–20.8 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 17.3%14.9–20 | 12.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 9.1%8–10.3 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 6.2%5.3–7.1 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.4%8.9–12.2 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4.2–5.8 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Maryland figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bel Air
Is Bel Air a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bel Air is healthier than 13% of U.S. towns: D for health. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 1%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bel Air?
CDC estimates 37% of adults have obesity, likely between 32.5% and 42.2%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bel Air?
Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland, 8.1 miles in a straight line from Bel Air’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bel Air have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.4–12.3%), against 8.7% across Maryland.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Bel Air more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D− to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bel Air.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maryland figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.