Skip to content

Checked

Bowie, MD Health Statistics

38.0% of adults have obesity and 12.3% have diabetes, among about 58,329 residents.

Obesity
38.0%
#165 of 519 · +4.7 pts
Diabetes
12.3%
#252 of 519 · about the same
Smoking
8.1%
-4.7 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
7.4%
-3.7 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • Obesity38.0% vs 33.3%
  • Short sleep40.4% vs 36.1%
  • Asthma11.3% vs 10.2%

Lower than the U.S.

  • Tooth loss (65+)7.6% vs 12.6%
  • Smoking8.1% vs 12.8%
  • Hearing4.4% vs 6.8%

All health measures

Bowie, MD compared with Maryland and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Obesity38.0%+4.7 pts35.1%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes12.3%about the same12.4%12.1%
High blood pressure37.3%+2.9 pts36.8%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)36.8%about the same38.1%36.4%
Coronary heart disease4.8%-1.5 pts5.8%6.3%
Stroke3.1%about the same3.4%3.4%
Current asthma11.3%+1.1 pts10.5%10.2%
COPD4.6%-1.9 pts5.9%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)7.1%-0.6 pts7.6%7.7%
Arthritis25.2%about the same25.8%25.2%
Depression15.3%-6.3 pts19.4%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)7.6%-5.0 pts9.8%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Current smoking8.1%-4.7 pts10.9%12.8%
Binge drinking12.9%-3.0 pts14.1%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity20.8%-4.4 pts23.5%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)40.4%+4.3 pts37.7%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereMDU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)7.4%-3.7 pts8.7%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year79.4%+2.6 pts79.2%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year67.3%+5.6 pts64.4%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)76.8%+1.3 pts76.6%75.5%
Cholesterol screening91.7%+5.5 pts89.6%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)72.0%+8.3 pts68.2%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)82.5%+6.4 pts80.7%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Fair or poor general health15.4%-4.4 pts17.9%19.8%
Frequent mental distress12.9%-3.6 pts14.9%16.5%
Frequent physical distress10.8%-2.5 pts12.0%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Any disability22.9%-7.5 pts26.4%30.4%
Mobility disability11.5%-2.3 pts12.4%13.8%
Cognitive disability10.1%-4.2 pts12.2%14.3%
Hearing disability4.4%-2.4 pts5.6%6.8%
Vision disability3.9%-1.4 pts4.5%5.3%
Self-care disability3.1%-0.7 pts3.5%3.8%
Independent living disability5.9%-2.2 pts6.9%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Lack of social and emotional support23.6%-1.0 pts24.2%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year13.7%-2.2 pts15.3%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year8.9%-3.9 pts11.8%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year13.3%about the same13.5%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year8.0%about the same8.4%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation7.0%-1.5 pts7.8%8.5%

Share of adults (18 and older unless noted), crude prevalence. Differences are compared with the U.S.; green is better than the national rate, red is worse. These are model-based estimates, not counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the obesity rate in Bowie, MD?
About 38.0% of adults in Bowie, MD have obesity, compared with 35.1% in Maryland and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #165 of 519 cities and towns in Maryland.
How common is diabetes in Bowie, MD?
About 12.3% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Maryland 12.4%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in Bowie, MD?
About 8.1% of adults currently smoke cigarettes, compared with 12.8% nationwide.
How accurate are these numbers?
They are CDC model-based estimates built from national survey data and local population data, not counts from local health records. Small areas have wider margins of error.

Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health · Last updated 12/01/2025 · 2025 release. Share of adults, crude prevalence.