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ZipVitals

ZIP code

02056

in Norfolk, MassachusettsPopulation 11,673

66.80/ 100

Ranked #1,342 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 4.2%)

Ranked #83 of 527 Massachusetts ZIPs (top 16%)

Ranked #75 of 281 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH ZIPs (top 27%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

What defines this ZIP

Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.

Median household income

$200,720

in the top 1.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST95th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Mammography

85.2%

in the top 0.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST78th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.

Full methodology ›

Obesity

24.1%

in the bottom 4.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST23rd
US4th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.

Full methodology ›

Fatal road crashes

0.9 per 100,000 residents per year

in the bottom 4.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.

A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.

Full methodology ›

Food insecurity

7.3%

in the bottom 4.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST22nd
US5th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

99%

in the top 6.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST93rd
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Fair or poor health

11.9%

in the bottom 3.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST16th
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

8.6%

in the bottom 4.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST13th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

Independent-living disability

5.1%

in the bottom 3.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

2.2%

in the bottom 7.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US7th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

The read

Overall, Norfolk, Massachusetts (ZIP 02056) lands in the top 4.2% healthiest ZIPs nationally (1,342nd) and the top 16% of Massachusetts (83rd).

continue reading

The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: household income resides in the top 1.1% nationally, and modeled mammography registers in the top 0.5% nationally. Modeled obesity rests in the bottom 4.3% nationally, and fatal road crashes stands in the bottom 4.3% nationally. Modeled food insecurity lies in the bottom 4.7% nationally, home broadband subscription lands in the top 6.0% nationally, and modeled fair or poor health sits in the bottom 3.2% nationally. Modeled mobility disability is in the bottom 4.4% nationally, modeled independent living disability settles in the bottom 3.1% nationally, and poverty resides in the bottom 7.3% nationally.

Set beside the nearby areas, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 02052, just across the boundary, ranks better overall. The ZIP also sits on the healthier half of the national range on at least seven of the ten good-life measures tracked here, from quiet and green space to nearby care, a combination reached by about one in twenty-five US ZIP codes.

What’s driving this score

Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts. Compare it against the US, this state and the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 90%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 87%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 97%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 88%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 81%

8%

Disability

healthier than 96%

7%

About typical

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 46%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 32%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 38%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 81%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 72%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 61%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 66%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 84%

8%

Disability

healthier than 84%

7%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 49%

14%

Holding it back

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 28%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 8%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 75%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 61%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 67%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 79%

8%

Disability

healthier than 77%

7%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 54%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 57%

11%

Holding it back

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 27%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 9%

5%

“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›

Findings that name this ZIP

One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.

  • Heavy environment, light chronic burden

    Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions

    Environmental-hazard standing 32.0; chronic-disease standing 89.5 — 58 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #15,159 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured

Evidence

Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.

Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults24.8%22.4–27.4
High blood pressure among adults29.1%26.4–32.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.2%8.4–10.1
Current asthma among adults10.5%9.3–11.7
Coronary heart disease among adults4.9%4.3–5.5
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults4.5%3.7–5.3
Depression among adults21.8%19.2–24.6
Diagnosed diabetes among adults8.1%7.0–9.4
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened35.9%32.9–39.2
Obesity among adults24.1%20.4–28.3
Stroke among adults2.4%2.1–2.7
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years6.9%5.6–8.4
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years3.7%2.8–4.6
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure74.3%70.9–77.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults81.0%78.4–83.4
Cholesterol screening among adults92.0%90.7–93.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years71.2%67.7–74.5
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults78.5%76.1–80.6
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years85.2%80.8–89.0
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults19.3%16.7–22.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults9.1%7.3–11.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults14.5%12.0–17.5
Short sleep duration among adults31.0%27.3–34.7
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults11.9%10.1–14.1
Frequent mental distress among adults13.9%12.2–15.8
Frequent physical distress among adults10.3%9.0–11.9
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults11.1%9.5–12.9
Any disability among adults21.7%18.8–25.0
Hearing disability among adults5.1%4.5–5.8
Independent living disability among adults5.1%4.3–6.0
Mobility disability among adults8.6%7.2–10.2
Self-care disability among adults2.3%1.9–2.6
Vision disability among adults2.7%2.4–3.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.6%18.8–24.7
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.3%5.8–9.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults8.0%6.3–10.1
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.3%6.0–8.9
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.0%4.3–6.0
Loneliness among adults30.9%27.5–34.4
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults4.7%4.0–5.7
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate2.2%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3646.4% (2.6–16.9%) n=524
Uninsured 18–640.7%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2862.4% (0.0–6.3%) n=525
No HS diploma (25+)6.6%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5054.7% (1.1–15.2%) n=526
Bachelor's or higher (25+)61.6%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50545.7% (23.6–77.5%) n=526
Unemployment rate (16+)4.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.4% (1.6–7.9%) n=523
Households without a vehicle0.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.6% (0.4–20.2%) n=522
Broadband subscription99.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32294.1% (87.2–98.4%) n=522
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)23.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32230.5% (21.2–43.7%) n=522
Homeownership rate94.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32279.1% (39.6–93.5%) n=522
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.4%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.1% (0.0–3.8%) n=522
Foreign-born population6.3%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5538.7% (1.9–28.4%) n=527
Single-parent households49.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08752.5% (40.0–68.7%) n=520
Population 65+13.8%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.4% (12.1–33.8%) n=527
Median age41.6 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29243.5 yr (34.3–57.2) n=524
Median household income$200,720$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$110,450 ($68,196–$177,335) n=505
Median home value$725,200$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$519,200 ($297,220–$949,670) n=508
Median gross rent$2,019$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,659 ($1,104–$2,452) n=461
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth82.2 yr ± 1.2378.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30881.3 yr (78.1–84.4) n=514

About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 1.23 years of 82.2, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

More ZIPs to explore ▾

How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured