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ZipVitals

ZIP code

04008

in Bowdoinham, MainePopulation 3,142

52.64/ 100

Ranked #12,570 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 39%)

Ranked #134 of 408 Maine ZIPs (top 33%)

Ranked #56 of 82 Portland-South Portland, ME ZIPs (bottom 32%)

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.

Arsenic in groundwater

27.4%

in the top 3.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST84th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.

A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.

Full methodology ›

Unemployment rate

13.0%

in the top 5.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.

Full methodology ›

Child-care access

0.66 per 1,000 residents

in the top 6.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST86th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The number of child day-care services inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.

Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

98.1%

in the top 7.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST92nd
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Short sleep

29.4%

in the bottom 7.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST19th
US7th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

Mammography

80.3%

in the top 9.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST69th
US90th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$108,479

in the top 14.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST94th
US86th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

The read

Bowdoinham, Maine (ZIP 04008), by its overall standing, sits in the top 39% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,570th) and the top 33% of Maine (134th).

continue reading

The data is generous to this ZIP in several places worth naming: childcare lands in the top 6.0% nationally, home broadband subscription is in the top 7.2% nationally, and modeled short sleep resides in the bottom 7.1% nationally. Households without a vehicle rests at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled extreme heat lies at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Homeownership sits in the top 10.4% nationally, and fatal road crashes settles in the bottom 11.4% nationally. Modeled mammography registers in the top 9.6% nationally. Working the other way, modeled arsenic stands in the top 3.8% nationally, and unemployment lands in the top 5.3% nationally.

Defined in plain terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 04086, 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 Portland-South Portland, ME metro area.

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

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 65%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 83%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 77%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 62%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 49%

21%

Disability

healthier than 58%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 45%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 37%

16%

Mental Health

healthier than 20%

8%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 72%

21%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 86%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 57%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 47%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 55%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 55%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 45%

8%

Disability

healthier than 58%

7%

Holding it back

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 20%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 78%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 78%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 46%

21%

Preventive Care

healthier than 40%

13%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 25%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 34%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 30%

8%

Disability

healthier than 29%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 24%

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 ›

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 adults32.7%29.9–35.5
High blood pressure among adults34.7%31.6–37.8
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.7%8.7–10.6
Current asthma among adults12.7%11.3–14.1
Coronary heart disease among adults7.4%6.5–8.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.5%7.0–10.1
Depression among adults27.9%24.9–31.1
Diagnosed diabetes among adults11.0%9.5–12.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened38.2%35.0–41.4
Obesity among adults31.0%26.7–35.5
Stroke among adults3.6%3.1–4.0
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years10.1%8.2–12.3
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.8%6.0–9.9
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure75.7%72.6–78.4
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults81.6%78.8–84.1
Cholesterol screening among adults87.6%85.6–89.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years71.7%67.9–75.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults65.2%62.2–68.3
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.3%74.9–85.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.9%13.5–18.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.9%12.9–19.1
No leisure-time physical activity among adults22.9%19.1–27.0
Short sleep duration among adults29.4%25.4–34.0
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults18.0%15.1–21.1
Frequent mental distress among adults17.2%15.2–19.3
Frequent physical distress among adults14.4%12.5–16.4
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.1%13.0–17.4
Any disability among adults30.5%26.7–34.6
Hearing disability among adults8.0%7.1–9.0
Independent living disability among adults8.0%6.8–9.3
Mobility disability among adults13.9%11.7–16.3
Self-care disability among adults3.6%3.0–4.2
Vision disability among adults4.4%3.8–5.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.5%18.4–24.8
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.6%8.5–13.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults14.1%11.3–17.4
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.4%7.7–11.3
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults7.4%6.3–8.7
Loneliness among adults30.4%26.7–34.2
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults7.8%6.5–9.2
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)ME median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate13.5%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.3% (3.2–19.5%) n=416
Uninsured 18–643.0%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2869.8% (3.0–20.9%) n=413
No HS diploma (25+)3.5%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.2% (0.8–11.7%) n=417
Bachelor's or higher (25+)43.8%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50529.4% (14.9–57.3%) n=417
Unemployment rate (16+)13.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.1% (0.0–8.3%) n=415
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.7% (0.0–11.5%) n=416
Broadband subscription98.1%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32289.9% (79.7–97.2%) n=416
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)32.4%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32223.4% (13.9–35.0%) n=416
Homeownership rate93.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32284.7% (68.7–95.5%) n=416
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.5%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.8% (0.0–3.4%) n=416
Foreign-born population2.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5532.1% (0.1–5.9%) n=417
Single-parent households62.2%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08761.5% (48.8–80.6%) n=414
Population 65+21.4%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55324.6% (16.3–42.1%) n=417
Median age51.9 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29249.0 yr (39.3–60.7) n=413
Median household income$108,479$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$68,485 ($50,225–$100,018) n=396
Median home value$405,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$246,500 ($130,660–$484,830) n=402
Median gross rent$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,014 ($618–$1,501) n=320
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)ME median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth78.9 yr ± 1.5378.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.0 yr (76.1–82.5) n=363

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 1.53 years of 78.9, 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