Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, St. James is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns
St. James beats Maryland on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for St. James. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in St. James
Fewer St. James adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below Maryland. 1 in 9 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Stroke and diabetes are less common in St. James
St. James runs below Maryland on stroke (2.8% vs 3.4%) and diabetes (10.6% vs 12.5%). 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 St. James’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind St. James’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. James is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns, #101 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 87% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 61%.
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). St. James’ median household income is $97,361; among the 8,948 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($73K–$122K), 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 St. James is healthier than 62% of graded towns, against 79% nationally.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
7.8% of St. James adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Out of every 100 St. James adults…
St. James runs below MD on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near St. James
No hospital or community health center in St. James 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 St. James; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Keeping up with care
Share of St. James adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How St. James adults are doing
About the same as Maryland on each measure.
1 in 3 St. James 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.
St. James and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James | A− | 34.7% | 10.6% | 11% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of St. James adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for St. James
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, St. James is better than Maryland on 11 and worse on 0; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside St. James’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | St. James | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.1%13.2–17.1 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.4%10.1–12.8 | 12% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 15.1%13.4–16.7 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 34.7%31–38.5 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 10.6%9.4–11.8 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 33.8%31.3–36.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 33.4%30.9–35.9 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 26.3%24.2–28.4 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10%9–11.1 | 10.6% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.3%7.6–9 | 7.6% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.3%4.7–5.9 | 5.8% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.7–6.3 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.8%2.5–3.1 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.3%6.1–8.7 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11%9.2–13 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 24%21.1–27 | 23.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 14.4%12.4–16.6 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 39%35.7–42.4 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.4%6.1–8.8 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.5%76.9–81.8 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 67.5%65.1–69.9 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 89.4%87.9–90.8 | 89.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 75.3%72.6–77.8 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 65.9%62.6–69 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 80.3%76–84.1 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.9%18.6–23.2 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.6%31.3–38.3 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 24.8%21.9–27.9 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 11.1%9.3–13.2 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.8%9.3–12.7 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.5%5.6–7.6 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.2%5.4–7.1 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 7.8%6.4–9.5 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.9%23.1–28.7 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.5%9.1–12 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.1%10.6–13.7 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.6%5–6.3 | 5.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 3.5%3.1–3.9 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.3–7 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.7%2.4–3.1 | 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 St. James
Is St. James a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, St. James is healthier than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #101 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 St. James?
CDC estimates 34.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 31% and 38.5%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to St. James?
Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, 4.9 miles in a straight line from St. James’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in St. James have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.4% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–8.8%), 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 St. James 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 St. James.
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.