ZIP code
04854
in Owls Head, MainePopulation 1,482
55.20/ 100
Ranked #9,211 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 29%)
Ranked #92 of 408 Maine ZIPs (top 23%)
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.
Fatal road crashes
0 per 100,000 residents per year
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Slow internet speeds
3.5%
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
23.1 mi
in the top 3.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
28%
in the bottom 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
69.6%
in the top 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
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 ›Food insecurity
7.5%
in the bottom 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
41.5%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
12.3%
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
9.9 days/year
in the bottom 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST32ndUS7thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
19.9 per million
in the bottom 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST37thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Owls Head, Maine (ZIP 04854) ranks in the top 29% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,211th) and the top 23% of Maine (92nd).
The picture here is genuinely mixed, with readings on both sides: fatal road crashes lies at the national minimum, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lands in the top 3.6% nationally. Modeled short sleep sits in the bottom 3.1% nationally, and food insecurity is in the bottom 5.4% nationally. Modeled humid heat settles in the bottom 6.9% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk resides in the bottom 8.0% nationally. On the other side, slow internet speeds registers in the top 3.4% nationally, modeled pfas rests in the top 4.6% nationally, and floodplain exposure stands in the top 5.9% nationally. Modeled transportation noise lies in the top 6.1% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, slow internet speeds runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Close by, ZIP 04858, just across the boundary, ranks healthier overall.
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
Preventive Care
healthier than 96%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 95%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Disability
healthier than 63%
7%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 51%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 23%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 22%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 70%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 86%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 88%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 89%
8%
Disability
healthier than 65%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 50%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 5%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 4%
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.
Nearby
04841
Maineshares a border
Score 52.85
Closest healthier
04858
Maineshares a border
Score 56.75
Similar health profile
04079
Maine98% similar profile
Score 59.98
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 | 36.9% | 33.7–39.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.7% | 34.3–41.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.3% | 11.1–13.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.5–13.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.5% | 7.3–9.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.5% | 6.7–10.4 |
| Depression among adults | 24.4% | 21.6–27.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.4% | 9.7–13.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.7% | 38.5–45.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 27.8% | 23.6–32.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.4–4.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.7% | 8.7–12.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.7% | 5.0–8.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.2% | 77.3–82.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 84.0% | 81.6–86.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.9% | 89.3–92.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 73.2% | 69.6–76.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 71.4% | 68.4–74.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.0% | 74.6–84.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.9% | 10.9–15.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.4% | 9.6–15.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.0% | 17.1–25.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 28.0% | 24.2–31.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.5% | 13.5–19.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.2% | 12.2–16.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.6% | 11.6–15.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.4% | 10.5–14.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.8% | 25.8–34.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.2–10.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.0–8.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.6% | 11.9–17.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.4% | 2.8–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.5–5.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.7% | 18.5–25.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.5% | 5.6–9.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.7% | 7.2–12.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.3% | 5.8–9.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.8% | 4.8–7.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.6% | 25.0–32.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.5% | 4.4–6.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | ME median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.3% (3.2–19.5%) n=416 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 20.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.8% (3.0–20.9%) n=413 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.2% (0.8–11.7%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 39.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 29.4% (14.9–57.3%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.1% (0.0–8.3%) n=415 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.7% (0.0–11.5%) n=416 |
| Broadband subscription | 97.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.9% (79.7–97.2%) n=416 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 19.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.4% (13.9–35.0%) n=416 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 84.7% (68.7–95.5%) n=416 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.8% (0.0–3.4%) n=416 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.1% (0.1–5.9%) n=417 |
| Single-parent households | 70.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 61.5% (48.8–80.6%) n=414 |
| Population 65+ | 31.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 24.6% (16.3–42.1%) n=417 |
| Median age | 52.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 49.0 yr (39.3–60.7) n=413 |
| Median household income | $87,325 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $68,485 ($50,225–$100,018) n=396 |
| Median home value | $413,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $246,500 ($130,660–$484,830) n=402 |
| Median gross rent | $1,191 | $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 | 77.9 yr ± 1.36 | 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 1.36 years of 77.9, 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