On CDC estimates, Fort Meade is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns
Fort Meade differs from Maryland on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 9 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Fort Meade. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Fort Meade
Binge drinking is the habit Fort Meade doesn’t win on
21.8% of adults binge drink, vs 14.1% across Maryland, even though more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Mental distress runs high in Fort Meade
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (18.2%), vs 15% across Maryland. Depression is above the state too: 22.3%, vs 19.4% across Maryland. Mind & connection ↓
Heart disease and cancer are less common in Fort Meade
Fort Meade runs below Maryland on eight chronic conditions, most of all heart disease (2.1% vs 5.8%), cancer (3.1% vs 7.6%) and stroke (1.4% vs 3.4%). A young population is part of it: only 2% of residents are 65 or older (Maryland 17%). 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 Fort Meade’s likely range.
What’s behind Fort Meade’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Meade is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns, #74 of 261 in Maryland. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than almost every U.S. town); mental distress pulls it down (better than 30%).
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). Fort Meade’s median household income is $103,261; among the 8,090 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$129K), it’s healthier than 81%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
0.8 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Fort Meade adults…
Fort Meade runs below MD on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 2% of Fort Meade residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Maryland. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
How Fort Meade adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Fort Meade runs above Maryland.
2 in 5 Fort Meade 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.
Care in and near Fort Meade
No hospital or community health center in Fort Meade 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 Fort Meade; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Fort Meade 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.
9.9% of Fort Meade adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Fort Meade and the towns around it
Fort Meade’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Meade | A | 33.8% | 5.4% | 10.1% | CDC place |
| Severn | A− | 35.2% | 10.3% | 10.4% | CDC place |
| Odenton | A | 34.1% | 9.1% | 9.4% | CDC place |
| Maryland City | B+ | 39.5% | 11.3% | 11.6% | 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 Fort Meade adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Fort Meade
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Fort Meade is better than Maryland on 12 and worse on 9; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Fort Meade’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Fort Meade | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 13.8%12.1–15.6 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 9.2%8.2–10.3 | 12% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 18.2%16.3–20.2 | 15% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.8%30–37.9 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 5.4%4.8–6.1 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 21.5%19.5–23.7 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 23.2%21.1–25.6 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 12.5%11.2–13.9 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.2%9.1–11.4 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 2.1%1.9–2.4 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 2.8%2.5–3.2 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 1.4%1.3–1.5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.2%5.9–8.7 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.1%8.5–11.7 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 17.4%15.1–19.8 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 21.8%19–24.7 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.2%38.5–46 | 37.7% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 8.6%7.3–10.3 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.3%69.2–75.4 | 79.2% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.5%59.6–65.3 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83.2%81.1–85.3 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 54.2%51.2–57.4 | 76.6% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 57.9%54.3–61.7 | 68.2% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.9%79.9–87.6 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.3%19.9–25 | 19.4% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 38.3%34.7–42.2 | 34.3% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.6%21.7–27.7 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.2%12.2–16.6 | 15.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 13.5%11.7–15.6 | 13.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.2%7.2–9.4 | 8.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.2%7.2–9.4 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.9%8.3–11.6 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 22.9%20.2–25.5 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 5.8%5.1–6.6 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.3%12.5–16.1 | 12.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 2.8%2.5–3.2 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.3–6.8 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2%1.8–2.2 | 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 Fort Meade
Is Fort Meade a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Fort Meade is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns: A for health, #74 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 81%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Fort Meade?
CDC estimates 33.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 30% and 37.9%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Fort Meade?
University of MD Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, 6.9 miles in a straight line from Fort Meade’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Fort Meade have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 8.6% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 7.3–10.3%), 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 Fort Meade more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Fort Meade.
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.