Photo: Eric Fischer · CC BY 2.0On CDC estimates, Salisbury is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns
Salisbury differs from Maryland on 17 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 1 better, 16 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Salisbury. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Salisbury
Dental care lags in Salisbury
51.7% of adults saw a dentist this year, vs 64.4% across Maryland. Among those 65 and older, 16.4% have lost all their teeth (Maryland 9.9%). Checkups ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Salisbury
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (24%), vs 15.4% across Maryland. No reliable transportation (12.8% vs 7.8%) and utility shut-off threats (13.6% vs 8.4%) are higher too. 22.9% of adults receive SNAP, vs 11.8% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Salisbury adults get no exercise
1 in 3 adults get no exercise outside work (31.7%), vs 23.6% across Maryland. Habits ↓
Salisbury has a top-rated hospital
Tidalhealth Peninsula Regional is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
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 Salisbury’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
What’s behind Salisbury’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Salisbury is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns, #243 of 261 in Maryland. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 53% 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). Salisbury’s median household income is $58,576; among the 8,527 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($44K–$73K), it’s healthier than 36%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Most Maryland towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Salisbury is healthier than 7% of graded towns, against 22% nationally.
Where Salisbury compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.6% (U.S. 7.9%).
Keeping up with care
Share of Salisbury 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.
22.9% of Salisbury adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
5.1 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
Care in and near Salisbury
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Salisbury, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Salisbury; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Salisbury adults…
Salisbury runs below MD on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 4. Tap one to see it as people.
How Salisbury adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Salisbury runs above Maryland.
4 in 10 Salisbury 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.
Salisbury and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Salisbury adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Salisbury
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Salisbury is better than Maryland on 1 and worse on 16; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Salisbury’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Salisbury | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.2%21.9–26.5 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14%12.6–15.5 | 12% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 19.2%17.3–21.2 | 15% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 42.8%38.6–47.2 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 13.6%12.2–15 | 12.5% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 37.7%35.1–40.4 | 36.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.2%34.5–40 | 38.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 27%25–29.2 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 11.8%10.6–13.1 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.6%6.1–7.2 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.4%5.8–7 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 7.8%7.1–8.6 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.1%3.8–4.4 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 16.4%13.9–19.3 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.1%13.4–17 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 31.7%28.6–34.9 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 13.5%11.6–15.7 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 38.6%34.7–42.6 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 11.4%9.9–13 | 8.7% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 80.8%78.3–83.2 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 51.7%48.6–54.7 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.6%84–87.1 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.9%74.8–79 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 67.5%63.8–71.1 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.4%73.2–83.1 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.8%19.4–24.5 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 37.2%33.2–40.8 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.8%23.8–29.9 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 24%21.6–26.6 | 15.4% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 18.8%16.7–21 | 13.5% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 13.6%12.1–15.3 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 12.8%11.4–14.2 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 22.9%20.6–25.3 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 31.6%28.7–34.7 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.4%13.9–17 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.9%15.2–18.6 | 12.2% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.9%5.3–6.5 | 5.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 6.7%6.2–7.3 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.5%9.5–11.5 | 7% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 4.9%4.6–5.4 | 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 Salisbury
Is Salisbury a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Salisbury is healthier than 22% of U.S. towns: ≈ C− for health, #243 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 36%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Salisbury?
CDC estimates 42.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.6% and 47.2%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Salisbury?
Tidalhealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury, 1.0 miles in a straight line from Salisbury’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Salisbury have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 11.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 9.9–13%), 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 Salisbury more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Salisbury.
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.