ZIP code
05251
in Dorset, VermontPopulation 1,674
58.03/ 100
Ranked #6,370 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 20%)
Ranked #92 of 249 Vermont ZIPs (top 37%)
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.
Median household income
$151,163
in the top 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Recreation access
1.9 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›Tree cover
85.9%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST84thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
20.4 mi
in the top 5.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
74.6%
in the top 3.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
10.3%
in the bottom 6.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
0.64 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST84thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›Uninsured (under 65)
4.6%
in the bottom 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
13.7%
in the bottom 21% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS21stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & 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
Dorset, Vermont (ZIP 05251), in overall standing, comes out in the top 20% healthiest ZIPs nationally (6,370th) and the top 37% of Vermont (92nd).
A balanced showing across the data, with a few readings each side: household income stands in the top 3.8% nationally, recreation resides in the top 1.8% nationally, and modeled tree cover sits in the top 2.7% nationally. Modeled colon screening stands in the top 3.7% nationally. Households without a vehicle resides at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled cognitive disability sits in the bottom 6.3% nationally, and civic stands in the top 8.8% nationally. Modeled extreme heat resides at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Park land sits in the top 10.2% nationally. On the other hand, distance to an emergency room stands in the top 5.2% nationally.
Set within its surrounding area, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, for reference, extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 05776, 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 84%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 94%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 95%
11%
Disability
healthier than 74%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 93%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 49%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 51%
8%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 30%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 25%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 61%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 95%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 66%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 61%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 61%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 50%
16%
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 28%
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
05250
Vermontshares a border
Score 56.93
Closest healthier
05776
Vermontshares a border
Score 58.23
Similar health profile
03307
New Hampshire98% similar profile
Score 55.25
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 | 34.8% | 31.3–38.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.5% | 34.6–42.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.1% | 11.9–14.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.1% | 9.8–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.9% | 6.9–9.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.2% | 5.8–8.6 |
| Depression among adults | 27.3% | 23.8–30.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.6% | 8.9–12.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.3% | 32.7–39.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 29.5% | 24.6–34.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.4–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 9.0% | 7.4–11.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 4.6% | 3.4–6.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.5% | 77.3–83.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.7% | 77.9–83.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.3% | 88.8–91.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 74.6% | 71.1–78.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 69.9% | 67.0–73.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.4% | 73.1–83.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.7% | 11.5–16.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.0% | 7.6–12.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 18.6% | 15.0–22.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.7% | 27.7–36.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 14.6% | 12.0–17.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.7% | 11.8–15.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.5% | 11.5–15.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 10.3% | 8.7–12.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.3% | 24.3–32.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.1–10.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.6% | 5.5–7.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.2% | 10.9–15.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.3% | 2.8–3.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.4–4.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 7.8% (2.6–16.6%) n=249 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 1.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.1% (0.5–11.7%) n=249 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 1.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 4.4% (1.1–10.6%) n=249 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 69.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.6% (23.1–61.5%) n=249 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.5% (0.0–6.9%) n=248 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.7% (0.0–9.1%) n=249 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 90.2% (79.4–96.9%) n=249 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.2% (16.0–37.4%) n=249 |
| Homeownership rate | 93.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 83.7% (67.1–94.3%) n=249 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.5% (0.0–4.2%) n=249 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.4% (0.0–7.3%) n=250 |
| Single-parent households | 50.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 60.6% (46.4–74.0%) n=248 |
| Population 65+ | 25.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 23.8% (15.2–32.4%) n=250 |
| Median age | 43.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 46.5 yr (38.1–56.3) n=249 |
| Median household income | $151,163 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $79,091 ($59,484–$109,843) n=238 |
| Median home value | $567,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $281,300 ($200,110–$447,750) n=242 |
| Median gross rent | $1,942 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,131 ($858–$1,557) n=190 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.8 yr ± 1.85 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 82.0 yr (78.6–85.9) n=250 |
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 1.85 years of 83.8, 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