Wester Ogle · Photo: Pubdog at en.wikipedia · Public domainOn CDC estimates, Garrison is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Garrison beats Maryland on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Garrison. How CDC estimates town health
What’s behind Garrison’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Garrison is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns, #89 of 261 in Maryland. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is physical distress (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 95% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 54%.
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). Garrison’s median household income is $102,423; among the 8,215 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($77K–$128K), it’s healthier than 75%, about where its income would put it.
Most Maryland towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Garrison is healthier than 66% of graded towns, against 82% nationally.
Out of every 100 Garrison adults…
Garrison runs below MD on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Garrison
No hospital or community health center in Garrison 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 Garrison; ≈ 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.
0.1 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Keeping up with care
Share of Garrison adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Garrison adults are doing
About the same as Maryland on each measure.
1 in 3 Garrison 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
11.3% of Garrison adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Garrison and the towns around it
Garrison’s Health Grade ranks 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrison | A− | 33.6% | 11.8% | 8.5% | CDC place |
| Pikesville | A− | 31% | 12.6% | 8.5% | CDC place |
| Owings Mills | B+ | 36.1% | 12% | 10.1% | CDC place |
| Randallstown | C+ | 40.6% | 17.6% | 11.7% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Garrison adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Garrison
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Garrison is better than Maryland on 7 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Garrison’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Garrison | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.6%14.1–17.3 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.1%9.1–11.2 | 12% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.7–16.7 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.6%30.5–37.1 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.8%10.7–13.1 | 12.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 35.1%33–37.5 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.6%33.4–37.9 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 25.5%23.8–27.4 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11%10–12.1 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.7%7.1–8.3 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.4%4.9–5.9 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.3%4.7–5.9 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.1%2.8–3.3 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 8.3%7–10 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.5%7.4–9.9 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 22.5%20.2–25 | 23.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 13.1%11.5–14.8 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.3%33.3–39.6 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 6.2%5.2–7.3 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 81.1%79–83.1 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 64.7%62.2–67.1 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.5%88.1–90.8 | 89.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.6%74.6–78.7 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.7%69.7–75.7 | 68.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82.4%78.5–86.1 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.9%18.1–22 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.8%30.6–37 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23.6%21–26.3 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.9%11.9–16.1 | 15.4% | 15% | About the same |
| Worried about keeping housing | 12.9%11.1–14.7 | 13.5% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 8.6%7.4–9.8 | 8.4% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 7.8%6.7–8.8 | 7.8% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 11.3%9.5–13.2 | 11.8% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.4%21.3–25.7 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.8%9.7–12 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.9%9.7–12.3 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5%4.5–5.6 | 5.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.9%3.6–4.3 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.4%5.7–7.1 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 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 Garrison
Is Garrison a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Garrison is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #89 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 75%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Garrison?
CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 30.5% and 37.1%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Garrison?
Northwest Hospital Center in Randallstown, 3.3 miles in a straight line from Garrison’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Garrison have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 6.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.2–7.3%), 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 Garrison 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 Garrison.
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.