Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop · Photo: FlugKerl2 · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Columbia as a whole is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns
Columbia beats Maryland on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Columbia. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Columbia
Columbia is an active town
Only 16.9% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.6% across Maryland. The town has 31 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Columbia
Columbia runs below Maryland on four chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4.3% vs 5.9%), stroke (2.7% vs 3.4%) and heart disease (4.8% vs 5.8%). Conditions ↓
Fewer Columbia 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 Columbia’s likely range.
What’s behind Columbia’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Columbia is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #41 of 261 in Maryland. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than 96% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 73%.
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). Columbia’s median household income is $131,490; among the 4,390 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($99K–$164K), it’s healthier than 80%, about where its income would put it.
At 104,338 residents, Columbia is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
31 miles of trails across 23 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Columbia adults…
Columbia runs below MD on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.9% of Columbia adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Care in and near Columbia
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Columbia, 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 Columbia; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Columbia adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Columbia adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Columbia does better than Maryland.
1 in 3 Columbia 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.
Columbia and the towns around it
Columbia’s Health Grade ranks 4th of 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | A | 32.2% | 10.6% | 7.9% | CDC place |
| Scaggsville | A+ | 28.2% | 9.6% | 6.6% | CDC place |
| Ellicott City | A+ | 26.9% | 10.5% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Ilchester | A+ | 29.7% | 8.9% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| North Laurel | A | 33% | 10% | 8.7% | CDC place |
| Savage | A | 34.6% | 10.9% | 9.6% | CDC place |
| Jessup | B | 39.8% | 10% | 14.3% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Columbia adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Columbia
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Columbia is better than Maryland on 17 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Columbia’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Columbia | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.3%11.8–14.9 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10%8.9–11.1 | 12% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.3%11.9–14.8 | 15% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32.2%28.2–36.3 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.6%9.4–11.9 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 35%32.3–37.8 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.5%35.6–41.6 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 24.8%22.7–27.1 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 9.8%8.7–10.9 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.5%6.8–8.1 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.8%4.4–5.3 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.3%3.9–4.8 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.7%2.5–2.9 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6%4.8–7.4 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 7.9%6.8–9 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16.9%14.6–19.3 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 13.7%11.7–15.9 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38%33.9–42.2 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.6%78–83 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.1%67.4–72.8 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91%89.8–92.1 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.3%72.7–77.7 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.8%66–73.5 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.2%78.3–87.4 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 18.8%16.5–21.2 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 31.2%27.4–35 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.6%18.8–24.4 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.9%9.4–12.4 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%8.8–11.6 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.5%5.6–7.4 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.2%5.5–7 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.9%6.8–9 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.2%19.7–24.7 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.6%8.5–10.7 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10%8.9–11.1 | 12.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.5%3.2–3.8 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 5.4%4.9–6 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
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 Columbia
Is Columbia a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Columbia is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #41 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 80%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Columbia?
CDC estimates 32.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 28.2% and 36.3%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Columbia?
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center in Columbia, 1.8 miles in a straight line from Columbia’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Columbia have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.5–7.2%), 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 Columbia more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Columbia.
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.