Counties with the highest diabetes rate in Maryland
Diabetes rates have been on the rise for the last two decades, and show no sign of abating. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 11.3% of the U.S. population suffers from diabetes—though many of those affected do not know they have the chronic illness.
Diabetes was the 8th leading cause of death in 2020, but the disease does not impact all Americans equally. Instead, variables like poverty level, geographic region, and race all influence diabetes rates, meaning some Americans are disproportionately impacted by the disease.
The Southeastern portion of the U.S. has a particularly high concentration of counties with elevated diabetes rates, with parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Texas, and nearly all of Louisiana, along with other states, facing some of the highest rates. Studies have shown that lack of access to healthy, affordable foods and health care services, exposure to environmental toxins, and other health hazards associated with poverty and systemic racism contribute to the increased likelihood of developing diabetes. These same conditions also mean that poor, non-white Americans are more likely to endure complications and have higher mortality rates from diabetes than wealthier white Americans with the disease.
The proportion of young people with diabetes is projected to increase over the next several decades, with racial, geographic, and socioeconomic disparities only growing larger if trends continue. Using 2022 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Stacker identified the counties in Maryland with the highest percentage of adults with diabetes. Ties were broken by the broader Quality of Life rank provided by the analysis, which includes other poor physical and mental health indicators. The age-adjusted diabetes rate was obtained through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
#24. Howard County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #2
--- Quality of life rank: #2
--- Length of life rank: #2
- Estimated county population: 328,200
#23. Carroll County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #4
--- Quality of life rank: #3
--- Length of life rank: #6
- Estimated county population: 169,092
#22. Queen Anne's County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #6
--- Quality of life rank: #6
--- Length of life rank: #4
- Estimated county population: 51,167
#21. Montgomery County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #1
--- Quality of life rank: #1
--- Length of life rank: #1
- Estimated county population: 1,051,816
#20. Calvert County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #5
--- Quality of life rank: #4
--- Length of life rank: #5
- Estimated county population: 93,072
#19. Frederick County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #3
--- Quality of life rank: #5
--- Length of life rank: #3
- Estimated county population: 265,161
#18. Talbot County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #11
--- Quality of life rank: #9
--- Length of life rank: #15
- Estimated county population: 36,972
#17. Harford County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #10
--- Quality of life rank: #10
--- Length of life rank: #10
- Estimated county population: 256,805
#16. Cecil County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #18
--- Quality of life rank: #13
--- Length of life rank: #23
- Estimated county population: 103,419
#15. Garrett County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #15
--- Quality of life rank: #16
--- Length of life rank: #12
- Estimated county population: 28,852
#14. Anne Arundel County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #7
--- Quality of life rank: #7
--- Length of life rank: #8
- Estimated county population: 582,777
#13. St. Mary's County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #8
--- Quality of life rank: #8
--- Length of life rank: #9
- Estimated county population: 114,687
#12. Worcester County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #9
--- Quality of life rank: #11
--- Length of life rank: #7
- Estimated county population: 52,403
#11. Baltimore County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #14
--- Quality of life rank: #12
--- Length of life rank: #16
- Estimated county population: 826,017
#10. Kent County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #16
--- Quality of life rank: #17
--- Length of life rank: #14
- Estimated county population: 19,192
#9. Caroline County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #17
--- Quality of life rank: #18
--- Length of life rank: #19
- Estimated county population: 33,492
#8. Washington County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #20
--- Quality of life rank: #19
--- Length of life rank: #20
- Estimated county population: 151,146
#7. Allegany County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #21
--- Quality of life rank: #20
--- Length of life rank: #21
- Estimated county population: 70,057
#6. Wicomico County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #19
--- Quality of life rank: #21
--- Length of life rank: #18
- Estimated county population: 103,990
#5. Charles County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #13
--- Quality of life rank: #15
--- Length of life rank: #13
- Estimated county population: 164,436
#4. Dorchester County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #23
--- Quality of life rank: #22
--- Length of life rank: #22
- Estimated county population: 31,853
#3. Prince George's County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #12
--- Quality of life rank: #14
--- Length of life rank: #11
- Estimated county population: 909,612
#2. Baltimore
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #24
--- Quality of life rank: #23
--- Length of life rank: #24
- Estimated county population: 586,131
#1. Somerset County
- Health outcomes statewide rank: #22
--- Quality of life rank: #24
--- Length of life rank: #17
- Estimated county population: 25,453