ZIP code
02119
in Roxbury, MassachusettsPopulation 27,377
43.36/ 100
Ranked #24,052 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 25%)
Ranked #507 of 527 Massachusetts ZIPs (bottom 3.8%)
Ranked #276 of 281 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH ZIPs (bottom 1.8%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
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.
Subsidized affordable housing
2,100 units
in the top 0.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Walkability
350 intersections/sq mi
in the top 0.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
23 ppb
in the top 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
US99thDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
41.9%
in the top 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
41.9%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
53.5%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
19.4%
in the top 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
27.8%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
19.8%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
26.5%
in the bottom 2.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST5thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
In overall standing, Roxbury, Massachusetts (ZIP 02119) comes out in the bottom 25% nationally (24,052nd) and the bottom 3.8% of Massachusetts (507th).
The data points to real strain across a number of measures here: lead in tap water resides in the top 0.6% nationally, households without a vehicle rests in the top 1.4% nationally, and modeled loneliness lies in the top 2.0% nationally. Housing-cost burden sits in the top 2.1% nationally, modeled transportation settles in the top 2.5% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity registers in the top 2.6% nationally. Modeled utility shutoff stands in the top 2.7% nationally, and homeownership lands in the bottom 2.7% nationally. On the brighter side, subsidized affordable housing is in the top 0.3% nationally, and walkability resides in the top 0.5% nationally.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, subsidized affordable housing runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 02118, just across the boundary.
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.
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 92%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 89%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 41%
13%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 27%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 12%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 21%
8%
Disability
healthier than 12%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 87%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 8%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 37%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 5%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Disability
healthier than 3%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 88%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 3%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 5%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 39%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 2%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 7%
8%
Disability
healthier than 1%
7%
“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.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 77.0 ± 1.5 years. The 44 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 81.4 years — 4.3 years below them.
Ranked #3,159 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
02118
Massachusettsshares a border
Score 59.07
Closest healthier
02120
Massachusettsshares a border
Score 52.20
Similar health profile
15537
Pennsylvania99% similar profile
Score 46.88
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
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 23.8% | 21.7–26.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.0% | 33.4–38.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 13.5% | 12.2–14.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.9% | 6.3–7.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.2% | 7.4–9.0 |
| Depression among adults | 23.2% | 20.8–25.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.0% | 13.5–16.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.4% | 31.8–37.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.0% | 28.0–36.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.7% | 4.4–5.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 25.8% | 22.6–29.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.9% | 9.6–12.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.9% | 73.8–78.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.9% | 77.5–82.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.0% | 83.4–86.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.7% | 58.0–65.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 51.1% | 48.3–54.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 82.4% | 77.9–86.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.3% | 14.3–18.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.6% | 14.8–18.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.1% | 31.9–38.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.9% | 36.3–43.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 28.4% | 26.1–30.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.4% | 18.6–22.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.1% | 14.6–17.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 20.2% | 18.5–22.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.3% | 33.3–39.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.9–14.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.7% | 17.0–20.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.9% | 6.4–7.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.9–10.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 30.4% | 27.2–33.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 34.0% | 31.0–37.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 40.9% | 37.7–44.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 27.8% | 25.0–30.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 19.4% | 17.4–21.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 41.9% | 38.2–45.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 19.8% | 17.7–22.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 25.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 6.4% (2.6–16.9%) n=524 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 2.4% (0.0–6.3%) n=525 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 19.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 4.7% (1.1–15.2%) n=526 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 30.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 45.7% (23.6–77.5%) n=526 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (1.6–7.9%) n=523 |
| Households without a vehicle | 41.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.6% (0.4–20.2%) n=522 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 94.1% (87.2–98.4%) n=522 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 53.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 30.5% (21.2–43.7%) n=522 |
| Homeownership rate | 26.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 79.1% (39.6–93.5%) n=522 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.8%) n=522 |
| Foreign-born population | 27.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 8.7% (1.9–28.4%) n=527 |
| Single-parent households | 29.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.5% (40.0–68.7%) n=520 |
| Population 65+ | 15.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.4% (12.1–33.8%) n=527 |
| Median age | 36.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.3–57.2) n=524 |
| Median household income | $48,488 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $110,450 ($68,196–$177,335) n=505 |
| Median home value | $688,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $519,200 ($297,220–$949,670) n=508 |
| Median gross rent | $1,329 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,659 ($1,104–$2,452) n=461 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.0 yr ± 0.74 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 81.3 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 0.74 years of 77.0, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾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