Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Friendly is healthier than 10%
Friendly differs from Maryland on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 12 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Friendly. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Friendly
Against towns with similar incomes, Friendly’s lead shrinks
Friendly is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns, but 11% of the 4,782 towns with similar household incomes ($96K–$160K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Maryland sets a high bar
Friendly is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns, but only 26% of the 261 Maryland towns we grade. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Friendly
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.2%), vs 15.4% across Maryland. Housing insecurity (18.3% vs 13.5%) and utility shut-off threats (10.8% vs 8.4%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Diabetes, stroke and obesity run high in Friendly
1 in 6 adults have diabetes (16.2%), vs 12.5% across Maryland. 1 in 24 adults have had a stroke (4.1%), vs 3.4% across Maryland. Obesity is also above the state: 42.1%, vs 35.1% across Maryland. In all, Friendly runs above Maryland on four of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Depression and cancer are less common in Friendly
Friendly runs below Maryland on depression (13.8% vs 19.4%) and cancer (6% vs 7.6%). 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 Friendly’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C+ to B+.
What’s behind Friendly’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Friendly is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns, #193 of 261 in Maryland. Mental distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent mental distress than 92% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 9%).
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). Friendly’s median household income is $127,670; among the 4,782 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($96K–$160K), it’s healthier than 10%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Most Maryland towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Friendly is healthier than 26% of graded towns, against 53% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
13.7% of Friendly adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Out of every 100 Friendly adults…
Friendly runs below MD on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Friendly
No hospital or community health center in Friendly 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 Friendly; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
0.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Friendly adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Friendly adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Friendly runs above Maryland.
4 in 10 Friendly 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.
Friendly and the towns around it
Friendly’s Health Grade ranks 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendly | B− | 42.1% | 16.2% | 9.8% | CDC place |
| Clinton | B− | 43.5% | 16.4% | 10.3% | CDC place |
| Oxon Hill | B− | 41.8% | 15% | 10.6% | CDC place |
| Camp Springs | B− | 42.9% | 14.9% | 10% | CDC place |
| Fort Washington | B+ | 39.1% | 15.7% | 8.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Friendly adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Friendly
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Friendly is better than Maryland on 4 and worse on 12; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Friendly’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Friendly | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 20.1%17.8–22.4 | 17.9% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11–13.8 | 12% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.6%12.1–15 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.1%38.1–46 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 16.2%14.5–17.8 | 12.5% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 42.5%39.8–44.9 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.8%35.1–40.4 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.8%24.7–28.8 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.6%10.4–12.8 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6%5.4–6.5 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5.1–6.3 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.8–6.3 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.7–4.5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 9.5%7.8–11.3 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 9.8%8.3–11.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 26.6%23.6–29.5 | 23.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 11.5%9.9–13.2 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 44.5%41.1–47.8 | 37.7% | 36% | Worse |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.1%9.5–13 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.9%77.6–82.1 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 58.9%56.3–61.4 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 91%89.8–92.1 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 78.8%76.6–80.8 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 69.4%66.5–72.3 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.8%79–86.4 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 13.8%12.1–15.6 | 19.4% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 36.1%32.7–39.7 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 27.9%24.9–31 | 24.2% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.2%17.2–23.2 | 15.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 18.3%15.8–20.8 | 13.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 10.8%9.3–12.3 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.4%8.1–10.7 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 13.7%11.3–16.1 | 11.8% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 27.1%24.4–29.9 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 14.9%13.2–16.8 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.6%10.2–13 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.5%4–5 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 5.4%4.8–6 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 7.2%6.4–8.1 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.3%3.8–4.8 | 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 Friendly
Is Friendly a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Friendly is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns: B− for health, #193 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 Friendly?
CDC estimates 42.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.1% and 46%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Friendly?
Adventist Healthcare Fort Washington Medical Ctr in Fort Washington, 2.5 miles in a straight line from Friendly’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Friendly have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.5–13%), 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 Friendly 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 Friendly.
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.