Montgomery County Awards Total of $900,000 to 136 Nonprofit Organizations to Deter Hate Crime and Support Security Needs

For Immediate Release: Friday, April 11, 2025

Health officials from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) today released the updated health status report, “Health in Montgomery County 2013-2022.” This surveillance report offers a comprehensive look at the County’s population health through data and statistics on key topics, including demographics, social determinants of health, vital statistics, maternal and infant health, chronic diseases, infectious diseases, behavioral health, injuries and environmental health.

“This report helps us understand what’s working and what isn’t,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “The good news is that Montgomery County continues to perform better than the state and national averages in many areas. But the data also makes it clear that we have persistent health disparities, especially when it comes to outcomes for Black and Hispanic residents. We can’t ignore that. Our job is to use this information to guide better decisions that lead to better outcomes for everyone. That means making services easier to access, expanding community-based programs and continuing to focus on equity as we invest in public health.”

The report compares Montgomery County’s health outcomes to those of the State and the nation. New in this update, the report includes data from “Healthy Montgomery 2030,” which tracks the County’s progress on health goals and highlights areas that still need improvement. It also incorporates “Healthy People 2030” from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the report draws on findings from the “Health Equity Report 2013-2021” to show trends in health disparities across different racial, ethnic and geographic groups. The report also includes more detailed data on health risk and disease rates at a local level, such as by zip code or census tract, using information from surveys like the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the U.S. Census American Community Survey.

“Montgomery County performs better than State and national averages in many areas, such as life expectancy,” said Dr. Kisha Davis, Montgomery County health officer. “However, the data also indicates troubling trends in access to and utilization of care services, as well as disparities in areas like infant mortality and chronic disease management. Our goal is to use this data to strengthen our current health programs and develop new, innovative and accessible programs that directly address the public health needs of our residents."  

The report fulfills a core function of public health by collecting, analyzing and interpreting data for disease prevention and control. While various data sets are available, this report serves as a centralized resource for County health statistics across a broad spectrum of health conditions. It aims to provide the community with valuable insights, identify both successes and challenges and encourage further analysis by stakeholders to inform the development of targeted health interventions.

Key findings of the report include:

• The County's population is becoming more diverse, with increases in percentages in the non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations, while the percentage of the non-Hispanic White population has declined.
  
  
• Montgomery County continues to have lower rates of low birth weight (7.3% in 2022) and infant mortality (3.6 per 1,000 live births in 2022) than Maryland overall. However, non-Hispanic Black infants bear the highest burden of these outcomes.  
  
  
• The leading causes of death in the County from 2020-2022 were heart disease (24.9%), cancer (19.5%), COVID-19 (9.4%), cerebrovascular disease (5.4%) and accidents (4.4%). COVID-19, however, disproportionally affected the Hispanic population, becoming the leading cause of mortality and hospitalization. 
  
  
• Heart disease in Montgomery County has decreased over time despite a spike in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency room (ER) visit rates for heart disease also have dropped, with the County consistently reporting lower rates than the State. Non-Hispanic Blacks had the highest heart disease mortality and ER visit rates.
  
  
• Rates of sexually transmitted infections, including Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis, while still lower than in Maryland and the U.S., have increased over time. Non-Hispanic Blacks and those aged 20-24 had the highest rates of Chlamydia and Syphilis, while non-Hispanic Blacks and those aged 25-44 had the highest rates of Gonorrhea.
  
  
• Substance use disorder-related ER visit rates decreased in Montgomery County from 2013-2022, remaining consistently lower than those in Maryland. However, drug-induced mortality rates increased over time, with non-Hispanic Whites and individuals aged 18-34 experiencing the highest drug-induced death rates.
  
  
• Motor vehicle-related mortality and hospitalization rates decreased in Montgomery County, with rates consistently lower than those in Maryland. Hispanics and those aged 18-34 had the highest motor vehicle mortality rates, while non-Hispanic Blacks and individuals aged 18-34 had the highest ER visit rates for motor vehicle accidents.

To view the full report and other DHHS publications, visit the Publications and Reports section of the DHHS website. For more information on Healthy Montgomery, visit the Healthy Montgomery website.

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Release ID: 25-157
Media Contact: Jennifer Garfinkel 240-962-1506
Categories: Consumer, Education, Environment, Health, Housing, Senior