ZIP code
05478
in St. Albans, VermontPopulation 15,580
53.34/ 100
Ranked #11,579 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 36%)
Ranked #182 of 249 Vermont ZIPs (bottom 27%)
Ranked #27 of 36 Burlington-South Burlington, VT ZIPs (bottom 25%)
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.
Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 6.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST34thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Outpatient-care access
0.51 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics located 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
315 units
in the top 7.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Mental-health provider access
0.13 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics located 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 ›High cholesterol
32.8%
in the bottom 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST24thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
9.5%
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS84thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
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 ›Radon
1.3 pCi/L
in the bottom 37% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS37thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 35% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS65thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›The read
St. Albans, Vermont (ZIP 05478), by its composite score, sits in the top 36% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,579th) and the bottom 27% of Vermont (182nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The clearest bright points in the data come first here: distance to an emergency room sits at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled industrial-pollution burden lies in the bottom 6.4% nationally, and outpatient rests in the top 7.6% nationally. Subsidized affordable housing resides in the top 7.8% nationally, and mental-health providers is in the top 8.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Transit stands in the top 10.2% nationally. Distance to a community health center registers at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Elder services settles in the top 12.0% nationally, and modeled high cholesterol sits in the bottom 8.7% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 05454, 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 Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 61%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 67%
11%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 97%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 44%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 46%
13%
Disability
healthier than 59%
7%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 27%
8%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 79%
16%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 93%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 5%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.3%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
in the bottom 0.00%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 17%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 21%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 24%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.00%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 24%
8%
Disability
in the bottom 0.00%
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 77.7 ± 1.3 years. The 48 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.7 years — 3.0 years below them.
Ranked #2,363 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
05454
Vermontshares a border
Score 62.77
Closest healthier
05455
Vermontshares a border
Score 57.90
Similar health profile
05819
Vermont97% similar profile
Score 52.27
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 | 29.0% | 26.3–31.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.0% | 30.9–37.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.4% | 8.5–10.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.5–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.8% | 6.1–7.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.6–8.5 |
| Depression among adults | 25.9% | 22.8–28.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.8% | 8.5–11.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 32.8% | 29.6–35.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.4% | 32.4–42.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.2–3.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.0% | 10.7–15.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.2% | 6.0–8.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.1% | 72.1–77.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 75.8% | 72.5–78.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.4% | 82.5–86.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.7% | 67.1–74.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.3% | 61.3–67.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.2% | 68.1–79.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.0% | 14.4–19.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.6% | 11.7–15.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.1% | 19.1–25.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.9% | 29.9–38.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.8% | 14.8–19.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.6% | 15.6–19.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.9% | 12.4–15.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.5% | 12.9–16.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.8% | 25.5–32.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.3–9.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.8% | 11.1–14.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.3–5.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 7.8% (2.6–16.6%) n=249 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.1% (0.5–11.7%) n=249 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 4.4% (1.1–10.6%) n=249 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 37.6% (23.1–61.5%) n=249 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.5% (0.0–6.9%) n=248 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.7% (0.0–9.1%) n=249 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 90.2% (79.4–96.9%) n=249 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 34.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 28.2% (16.0–37.4%) n=249 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 83.7% (67.1–94.3%) n=249 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.5% (0.0–4.2%) n=249 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.4% (0.0–7.3%) n=250 |
| Single-parent households | 55.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 60.6% (46.4–74.0%) n=248 |
| Population 65+ | 18.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 23.8% (15.2–32.4%) n=250 |
| Median age | 40.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 46.5 yr (38.1–56.3) n=249 |
| Median household income | $71,203 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $79,091 ($59,484–$109,843) n=238 |
| Median home value | $316,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $281,300 ($200,110–$447,750) n=242 |
| Median gross rent | $1,227 | $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 | 77.7 yr ± 0.67 | 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 0.67 years of 77.7, 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