ZIP code
04438
in Frankfort, MainePopulation 1,098
46.44/ 100
Ranked #20,829 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 35%)
Ranked #241 of 408 Maine ZIPs (bottom 41%)
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.
Child-care access
1.6 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Arsenic in groundwater
23%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST79thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Tree cover
71.5%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST83rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
36.4 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, Frankfort, Maine (ZIP 04438) ranks in the bottom 35% nationally (20,829th) and the bottom 41% of Maine (241st).
The measures that press hardest set the tone here: modeled arsenic resides in the top 5.1% nationally, and fatal road crashes lands in the top 8.7% nationally. Distance to a nursing home registers in the top 13.6% nationally, and modeled energy burden sits in the top 10.9% nationally. Distance to an emergency room rests in the top 14.7% nationally. On the stronger side, childcare is in the top 0.6% nationally, and modeled tree cover stands in the top 8.5% nationally. Modeled extreme heat settles at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled humid heat lies in the bottom 10.6% nationally, and industrial-pollution burden resides in the bottom 14.9% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, childcare runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 04416, 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 79%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 61%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 74%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 59%
11%
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 20%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 7%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 30%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 67%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 63%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 35%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 17%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 11%
8%
Disability
healthier than 36%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
04416
Maineshares a border
Score 50.27
Closest healthier
04496
Maineshares a border
Score 53.80
Similar health profile
04091
Maine98% similar profile
Score 47.83
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 | 33.4% | 30.4–36.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.3% | 32.0–38.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.6% | 8.7–10.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 13.7% | 12.2–15.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.9% | 7.0–9.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.0% | 7.5–10.8 |
| Depression among adults | 29.5% | 26.2–32.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.5% | 9.9–13.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.4% | 35.2–41.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.9% | 31.1–40.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.3–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.7% | 17.5–24.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.4% | 6.4–10.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.9% | 73.7–79.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.2% | 78.3–83.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.9% | 84.8–88.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.0% | 64.2–71.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.0% | 56.8–63.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.9% | 69.8–81.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.0% | 12.7–17.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.2% | 13.7–20.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.2% | 20.2–28.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.8% | 30.6–39.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.8% | 17.6–24.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.5% | 17.0–21.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.8% | 13.7–18.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.7% | 14.3–19.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.2% | 30.0–38.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.2% | 7.8–10.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.1% | 12.8–17.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.3–4.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.1–5.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.4% | 20.2–27.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.2% | 9.6–15.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.6% | 13.9–21.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 9.4–13.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.2–10.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.1% | 28.5–36.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.2–10.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | ME median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.3% (3.2–19.5%) n=416 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.8% (3.0–20.9%) n=413 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.2% (0.8–11.7%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 29.4% (14.9–57.3%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.1% (0.0–8.3%) n=415 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–11.5%) n=416 |
| Broadband subscription | 81.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.9% (79.7–97.2%) n=416 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 16.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.4% (13.9–35.0%) n=416 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 84.7% (68.7–95.5%) n=416 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.8% (0.0–3.4%) n=416 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.1% (0.1–5.9%) n=417 |
| Single-parent households | 54.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 61.5% (48.8–80.6%) n=414 |
| Population 65+ | 21.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 24.6% (16.3–42.1%) n=417 |
| Median age | 50.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 49.0 yr (39.3–60.7) n=413 |
| Median household income | $80,000 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $68,485 ($50,225–$100,018) n=396 |
| Median home value | $211,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $246,500 ($130,660–$484,830) n=402 |
| Median gross rent | $850 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,014 ($618–$1,501) n=320 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | ME median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.5 yr ± 2.16 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.0 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 2.16 years of 79.5, 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