Oxon Cove Park · Photo: Pubdog · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Forest Heights is healthier than 15%
Forest Heights differs from Maryland on 18 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 3 better, 15 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Forest Heights. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Forest Heights
Making ends meet is harder in Forest Heights
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (25.1%), vs 15.4% across Maryland. Housing insecurity (21.9% vs 13.5%) and utility shut-off threats (12% vs 8.4%) are higher too. 16.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
1 in 6 working-age adults in Forest Heights has no health insurance
16.8% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 8.7% across Maryland. Checkups ↓
More Forest Heights adults lack emotional support
3 in 10 adults lack social or emotional support (30.1%), vs 24.2% across Maryland. Loneliness is above the state too: 38.3%, vs 34.3% across Maryland. Mind & connection ↓
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 Forest Heights’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
What’s behind Forest Heights’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Heights is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns, #218 of 261 in Maryland. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 84% of U.S. towns); obesity pulls it down (better than 8%).
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). Forest Heights’ median household income is $98,734; among the 8,766 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($74K–$123K), it’s healthier than 15%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Most Maryland towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Forest Heights is healthier than 17% of graded towns, against 38% nationally.
Where Forest Heights compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 5.5% (U.S. 7.9%); binge drinking, 12% (U.S. 15.4%); ever told they have depression, 14.5% (U.S. 20.6%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
16.9% of Forest Heights adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Keeping up with care
Share of Forest Heights adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Forest Heights adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Forest Heights runs above Maryland.
2 in 5 Forest Heights 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.
Out of every 100 Forest Heights adults…
Forest Heights runs below MD on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Forest Heights
No hospital or community health center in Forest Heights 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 Forest Heights; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
3.5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Forest Heights and the towns around it
Forest Heights’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Heights | C+ | 42.9% | 16.2% | 11.5% | CDC place |
| Glassmanor | C− | 48% | 16.3% | 14.5% | CDC place |
| Oxon Hill | B− | 41.8% | 15% | 10.6% | CDC place |
| National Harbor | B+ | 39.4% | 13.1% | 9% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Forest Heights adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Forest Heights
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Forest Heights is better than Maryland on 3 and worse on 15; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Forest Heights’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Forest Heights | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 23.5%20.4–26.7 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.7%12–15.5 | 12% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.7%13.1–16.4 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.9%38.8–46.8 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 16.2%14.4–17.9 | 12.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 40.8%38.3–43.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.3%34.6–39.9 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 25.9%23.7–28 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.6–13 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 5.5%4.9–6 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 6%5.1–7.1 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.7–4.8 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.2%8.6–11.9 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.5%9.6–13.5 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 30.1%26.3–33.9 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 12%10.3–13.7 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 44.6%41.2–48 | 37.7% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 16.8%13.8–20 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.4%74.8–79.6 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.8%53.1–58.4 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.2%87.5–90.7 | 89.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.8%74.6–78.8 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.1%65–70.9 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.9%79–86.3 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 14.5%12.7–16.5 | 19.4% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 38.3%34.5–42.2 | 34.3% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 30.1%26.7–33.6 | 24.2% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 25.1%20.8–29.2 | 15.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 21.9%18.8–25.4 | 13.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12%10.3–14 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.1%9.4–12.8 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 16.9%13.5–20.3 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 30%26.6–33.5 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 16.2%14.1–18.5 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.7%11.9–15.6 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.7%4.2–5.3 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 6.3%5.5–7.2 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.3%7.1–9.5 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.8%4.1–5.5 | 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 Forest Heights
Is Forest Heights a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forest Heights is healthier than 38% of U.S. towns: C+ for health, #218 of 261 in Maryland. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Forest Heights?
CDC estimates 42.9% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.8% and 46.8%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Forest Heights?
United Medical Center in Washington, 2.5 miles in a straight line from Forest Heights’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Forest Heights have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 16.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 13.8–20%), 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 Forest Heights more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Forest Heights.
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.