Photo: Yaoiloverr · CC BY-SA 4.0Within Maryland, Bel Air is healthier than 44% of graded towns
Bel Air differs from Maryland on 9 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 4 worse.
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
Maryland sets a high bar
Bel Air is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns, but only 44% of the 261 Maryland towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Cancer and COPD run high in Bel Air
1 in 11 adults have had cancer (9.4%), vs 7.6% across Maryland. 1 in 14 adults have COPD (7.1%), vs 5.9% across Maryland. In all, Bel Air runs above Maryland on three of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Bel Air is short on dental care and mental health care
Bel Air’s county is a federal shortage area for dental care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Fewer Bel Air adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Maryland. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
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 C+ to A.
What’s behind Bel Air’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bel Air is healthier than 69% of U.S. towns, #147 of 261 in Maryland. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than 77% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 54%.
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 $74,605; among the 10,865 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($56K–$93K), it’s healthier than 82%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Bel Air adults…
Bel Air runs above MD on 4 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Bel Air
1 hospital in Bel Air, plus the nearest just outside it.
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).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.6% of Bel Air adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves
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 1 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.
Bel Air and the towns around it
Bel Air’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 3 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bel Air | B+ | 35.7% | 11.8% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| Bel Air North | A | 33.1% | 9.8% | 9.7% | CDC place |
| Bel Air South | A− | 34% | 10.4% | 10.2% | 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%). Thinking or memory 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 5 and worse on 4; 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 | 17.4%15.4–19.7 | 17.9% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13%11.5–14.6 | 12% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.2%14.4–17.9 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.7%31–40.3 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.8%10.4–13.4 | 12.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36%32.9–39 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 40.3%36.9–43.6 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 28.8%26.2–31.3 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 10.3%9.2–11.5 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.4%8.6–10.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.5%5.8–7.2 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.1%6.2–8.1 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 3.4%3.1–3.7 | 3.4% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.1%8.3–12.3 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.7%10–13.6 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.2%19.2–25.4 | 23.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.5%12.2–16.9 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.6%32.4–41 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.8%6.5–9.2 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79%75.9–81.7 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 63.2%60.3–66.2 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.6%87.1–90 | 89.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.2%73.5–78.5 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 70.3%66.6–73.9 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.7%73.1–83.7 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23%20.1–25.8 | 19.4% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 32%27.8–36.4 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.5%17.6–23.6 | 24.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.7%9.8–13.8 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.1%8.5–11.7 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.6%5.6–7.5 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.6%5.7–7.5 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.6%7.9–11.3 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.9%23.8–30 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.4%10.9–14.2 | 12.4% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.8%11.3–14.4 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.1%6.3–7.9 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.3%3.9–4.8 | 4.5% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.4%6.5–8.3 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.4%3–3.8 | 3.5% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 69% of U.S. towns: ≈ B+ for health, #147 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 82%. 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 35.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 31% and 40.3%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bel Air?
Umd Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, 1.1 miles in a straight line from Bel Air’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bel Air have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.5–9.2%), 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 C+ to A.
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.