Photo: thisisbossi from Washington, DC, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Pasadena is healthier than 38%
Pasadena differs from Maryland on 15 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 12 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Pasadena. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Pasadena
Against towns with similar incomes, Pasadena’s lead shrinks
Pasadena is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, but 38% of the 4,570 towns with similar household incomes ($97K–$162K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Pasadena doesn’t win on
18.1% of adults binge drink, vs 14.1% across Maryland, even though more of them exercise. Habits ↓
Diabetes and stroke are less common in Pasadena
Pasadena runs below Maryland on diabetes (9.2% vs 12.5%), stroke (2.6% vs 3.4%) and heart disease (4.6% vs 5.8%). A young population is part of it: only 12% 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 Pasadena’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Pasadena’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Pasadena is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns, #117 of 261 in Maryland. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 89% of towns); the weakest is mental distress, still better than 56%.
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). Pasadena’s median household income is $129,727; among the 4,570 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($97K–$162K), it’s healthier than 38%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Most Maryland towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Pasadena is healthier than 55% of graded towns, against 77% nationally.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
3 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Pasadena adults…
Pasadena runs below MD on 6 of 12 conditions and above it on 1. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 12% of Pasadena residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Maryland. Heart disease, arthritis and stroke run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Pasadena
No hospital or community health center in Pasadena 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 Pasadena; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Pasadena adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Pasadena adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Pasadena runs above Maryland.
1 in 3 Pasadena 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.
9.4% of Pasadena adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Pasadena and the towns around it
Pasadena’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | A− | 35.3% | 9.2% | 12.5% | CDC place |
| Severna Park | A | 31.3% | 9.5% | 9% | CDC place |
| Riviera Beach | A− | 34.7% | 9.6% | 12.8% | CDC place |
| Glen Burnie | B− | 37.7% | 11.5% | 13.7% | CDC place |
| Lake Shore | A− | 33.8% | 10.1% | 11.8% | CDC place |
| Baltimore | C | 38.1% | 14.4% | 16.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Pasadena adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Pasadena
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Pasadena is better than Maryland on 12 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Pasadena’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Pasadena | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.4%14.7–18.2 | 17.9% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12%10.8–13.3 | 12% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%15–18.5 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.3%31.5–39.3 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.2%8.2–10.4 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 31.4%28.9–33.9 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.1%30.5–35.7 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 23%21.1–25.1 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.5%9.5–11.7 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 7.1%6.5–7.8 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.6%4.2–5.1 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.3%4.7–5.9 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.8 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.4%8.6–12.4 | 9.9% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.5%10.9–14.3 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.6%18.2–23.2 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 18.1%15.8–20.6 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.1%36.5–43.8 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.2%6.2–8.4 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.2%74.5–79.9 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 65.2%62.4–67.9 | 64.4% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.3%86.8–89.7 | 89.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.9%68–73.6 | 76.6% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.1%64.8–71.4 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 83.7%79.6–87.4 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 22.2%19.9–24.8 | 19.4% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 34.8%31.4–38.5 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 23%20.3–25.8 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.5%10.9–14.5 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 11.4%9.9–13.1 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.2%6.2–8.2 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.7%5.9–7.6 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.4%8–10.9 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26%23.5–28.7 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.3%9.1–11.6 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 13.2%11.8–14.7 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.9%4.4–5.5 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.5%3.2–3.9 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.9–7.4 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.8%2.6–3.1 | 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 Pasadena
Is Pasadena a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Pasadena is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #117 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 Pasadena?
CDC estimates 35.3% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.5% and 39.3%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Pasadena?
University of MD Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, 3.4 miles in a straight line from Pasadena’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 5 of 5 stars.
How many people in Pasadena have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.2–8.4%), 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 Pasadena 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 Pasadena.
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.