Photo: Scott Saghirian · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Ellicott City is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns
Ellicott City differs from Maryland on 24 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 22 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Ellicott City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Ellicott City
Ellicott City adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (29.5% vs 34.3%), frequent mental distress (11.3% vs 15%), lack of emotional support (20.9% vs 24.2%) and depression (17% vs 19.4%) all run below Maryland. Mind & connection ↓
Ellicott City is an active town
Only 16% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.6% across Maryland. The town has 63 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
COPD and stroke are less common in Ellicott City
Ellicott City runs below Maryland on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (4% vs 5.9%), stroke (2.6% vs 3.4%) and obesity (26.9% vs 35.1%). Conditions ↓
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 Ellicott City’s likely range.
What’s behind Ellicott City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ellicott City is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns, #21 of 261 in Maryland. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is mental distress (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 74%.
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). Ellicott City’s median household income is $156,964; among the 2,345 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($118K–$196K), it’s healthier than 83%, about where its income would put it.
How Ellicott City adults are doing
On 4 of 4 measures, Ellicott City does better than Maryland.
3 in 10 Ellicott City 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.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
63 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Ellicott City adults…
Ellicott City runs below MD on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Ellicott City
No hospital or community health center in Ellicott City 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 Ellicott City; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Ellicott City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
5.1% of Ellicott City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Ellicott City and the towns around it
Ellicott City’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellicott City | A+ | 26.9% | 10.5% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Catonsville | A− | 29.8% | 10.7% | 9.3% | CDC place |
| Ilchester | A+ | 29.7% | 8.9% | 7.7% | CDC place |
| Woodlawn | C+ | 37.2% | 15.7% | 12.3% | CDC place |
| Columbia | A | 32.2% | 10.6% | 7.9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Ellicott City adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Ellicott City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Ellicott City is better than Maryland on 22 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Ellicott City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Ellicott City | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 11.7%10.3–13.1 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.3%8.3–10.4 | 12% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.3%10.1–12.7 | 15% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 26.9%23.3–30.8 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 10.5%9.3–11.8 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 34.4%31.6–37.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.6%38.6–44.8 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 25.2%23–27.5 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.6%7.7–9.6 | 10.6% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.5%7.8–9.3 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 5%4.5–5.5 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4%3.6–4.5 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.8 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.2%4.2–6.4 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 6.9%5.9–8 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 16%13.9–18.5 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 12.4%10.5–14.4 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 35.4%31.5–39.6 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.8%4.1–5.6 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.5%78.9–83.9 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.1%70.5–75.7 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.3%91.2–93.2 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.1%74.5–79.7 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.2%64.4–71.9 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83%78–87.3 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17%14.9–19.2 | 19.4% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 29.5%25.8–33.2 | 34.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 20.9%18.1–23.7 | 24.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 8.1%7–9.4 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 7%6–8 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.2%3.6–4.8 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 4.5%4–5.1 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 5.1%4.4–5.9 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 20%17.7–22.5 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 8.8%7.7–9.9 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 8.2%7.3–9.3 | 12.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.2%4.7–5.9 | 5.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 2.9%2.7–3.2 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 4.5%4–5 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.2%2–2.4 | 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 Ellicott City
Is Ellicott City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Ellicott City is healthier than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for health, #21 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 83%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Ellicott City?
CDC estimates 26.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 23.3% and 30.8%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Ellicott City?
Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center in Columbia, 5.1 miles in a straight line from Ellicott City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Ellicott City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.1–5.6%), 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 Ellicott City 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 Ellicott City.
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.