St. Andrew's Church · Photo: Pubdog · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Wildewood is healthier than 50%
Wildewood differs from Maryland on 16 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 13 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Wildewood. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Wildewood
Binge drinking is the habit Wildewood doesn’t win on
18.1% of adults binge drink, vs 14.1% across Maryland. Smoking and exercise are about at the state’s level. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Wildewood’s lead shrinks
Wildewood is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns, but 50% of the 4,869 towns with similar household incomes ($95K–$159K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Wildewood is short on primary care and mental health care
Wildewood’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Stroke and diabetes are less common in Wildewood
Wildewood runs below Maryland on five chronic conditions, most of all stroke (2.4% vs 3.4%), diabetes (9.4% vs 12.5%) and heart disease (4.5% vs 5.8%). Conditions ↓
Fewer Wildewood 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 ↓
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 Wildewood’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Wildewood’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wildewood is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns, #94 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 91% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 53%.
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). Wildewood’s median household income is $126,890; among the 4,869 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($95K–$159K), it’s healthier than 50%, about where its income would put it.
Most Maryland towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Wildewood is healthier than 64% of graded towns, against 81% nationally.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
0.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Care in and near Wildewood
No hospital or community health center in Wildewood 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 Wildewood; ≈ 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 Wildewood adults…
Wildewood runs below MD on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Wildewood residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across Maryland. Heart disease, COPD and stroke run low partly because the town is young.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
8.7% of Wildewood adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Keeping up with care
Share of Wildewood adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Wildewood adults are doing
About the same as Maryland on each measure.
1 in 3 Wildewood 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.
Wildewood and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildewood | A− | 35.8% | 9.4% | 11.7% | CDC place |
| California | B+ | 37.4% | 10.7% | 12.1% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Wildewood adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Wildewood
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Wildewood is better than Maryland on 13 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Wildewood’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Wildewood | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.1%13.1–17.4 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.8%9.5–12.3 | 12% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.5–18.3 | 15% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 35.8%31.5–40.2 | 35.1% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 9.4%8.3–10.7 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 30.3%27.7–33.1 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 34.7%31.7–37.7 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 24%21.9–26.4 | 25.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| 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 | 4.5%4–5 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 4.9%4.2–5.7 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.4%2.1–2.6 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7.4%6–9 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 11.7%9.6–13.9 | 10.9% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.5%17.6–23.8 | 23.6% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 18.1%15.5–21 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 36.9%33–41.1 | 37.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.1%5.8–8.8 | 8.7% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 76%72.7–79 | 79.2% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.3%65.5–71 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.3%86.4–90 | 89.6% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 72.5%69.5–75.2 | 76.6% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 68.1%64.4–71.9 | 68.2% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.9%71.2–82.1 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 21.9%19.4–24.7 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 35.3%31.1–39.7 | 34.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 22.5%19.3–25.9 | 24.2% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.9%8.9–13.2 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.5%8.8–12.5 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 6.5%5.5–7.6 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.3%5.4–7.3 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.7%6.9–10.6 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 23.3%20.5–26.6 | 26.4% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.4%8–10.7 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 12.3%10.7–14.2 | 12.2% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.9%4.4–5.5 | 5.6% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 3.4%3–3.8 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6%5.2–7 | 7% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.6%2.3–2.9 | 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 Wildewood
Is Wildewood a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Wildewood is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #94 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 Wildewood?
CDC estimates 35.8% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.5% and 40.2%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Wildewood?
Medstar Saint Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown, 4.9 miles in a straight line from Wildewood’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Wildewood have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.1% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 5.8–8.8%), 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 Wildewood 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 Wildewood.
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.