ZIP code
08501
in Allentown, New JerseyPopulation 6,364
69.25/ 100
Ranked #722 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 2.3%)
Ranked #140 of 583 New Jersey ZIPs (top 24%)
Ranked #231 of 853 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ZIPs (top 27%)
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
$146,182
in the top 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
26.9%
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
4.4%
in the bottom 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST20thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Food insecurity
7.1%
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST21stUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.76 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Housing insecurity
6.5%
in the bottom 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST19thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
4.1%
in the bottom 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST24thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
9.4%
in the bottom 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST28thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS94thDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
5.3%
in the bottom 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST30thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Full methodology ›The read
In overall standing, Allentown, New Jersey (ZIP 08501) comes out in the top 2.3% healthiest ZIPs nationally (722nd) and the top 24% of New Jersey (140th).
The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: household income sits in the top 4.3% nationally, modeled loneliness settles in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and modeled transportation registers in the bottom 3.2% nationally. Modeled food insecurity stands in the bottom 4.0% nationally, childcare lands in the top 4.3% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity is in the bottom 4.4% nationally. Modeled utility shutoff resides in the bottom 4.4% nationally, and cognitive disability rests in the bottom 3.0% nationally. Modeled independent living disability lies in the bottom 4.2% nationally. Set against that, modeled disaster risk sits in the top 6.0% nationally.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 08510, 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 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 83%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 96%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 93%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 93%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 98%
8%
Disability
healthier than 94%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 63%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 55%
14%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 75%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 75%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 89%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 80%
8%
Disability
healthier than 66%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 58%
5%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 80%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 78%
8%
Disability
healthier than 65%
7%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 5%
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
08510
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 70.57
Closest healthier
08515
New Jerseyshares a border
Score 71.36
Similar health profile
07746
New Jersey100% similar profile
Score 73.56
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 | 25.1% | 22.8–27.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 32.8% | 30.1–35.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.0% | 9.1–10.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 4.9% | 4.1–5.7 |
| Depression among adults | 14.5% | 12.6–16.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.3% | 8.1–10.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.7% | 37.9–43.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 28.2% | 24.6–32.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.6–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 6.8% | 5.7–8.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.9% | 4.9–7.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.7% | 77.2–82.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.2% | 77.8–82.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.4% | 90.2–92.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 71.8% | 68.5–75.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 74.0% | 71.6–76.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.0% | 73.9–83.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.1% | 14.1–18.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 8.8% | 7.2–10.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 17.9% | 15.2–20.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.2% | 27.7–34.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 12.7% | 11.0–14.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 12.9% | 11.4–14.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 10.6% | 9.3–12.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.1–10.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 21.3% | 18.6–24.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.2–6.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.5–6.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.0–10.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.5% | 2.2–2.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.2% | 2.8–3.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 18.0% | 15.6–20.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 5.9–8.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 4.1% | 3.2–5.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 6.5% | 5.5–7.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 4.4% | 3.8–5.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 26.9% | 24.0–30.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.1% | 3.5–4.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NJ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 5.8% (1.8–16.1%) n=588 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 2.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.6% (1.2–16.1%) n=585 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.3% (1.4–15.4%) n=589 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 57.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 44.2% (20.0–72.5%) n=589 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 5.3% (2.5–9.7%) n=583 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.8–17.6%) n=585 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 94.4% (88.0–98.5%) n=585 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 31.7% (22.1–46.5%) n=585 |
| Homeownership rate | 90.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.5% (39.3–94.9%) n=585 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–7.4%) n=585 |
| Foreign-born population | 8.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 13.7% (3.3–39.5%) n=590 |
| Single-parent households | 56.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 49.6% (35.2–64.9%) n=581 |
| Population 65+ | 28.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.8% (11.7–27.5%) n=590 |
| Median age | 52.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.0 yr (35.6–51.8) n=582 |
| Median household income | $146,182 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $111,711 ($68,311–$188,075) n=565 |
| Median home value | $588,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $449,450 ($250,890–$845,440) n=564 |
| Median gross rent | $1,497 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,781 ($1,267–$2,530) n=516 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NJ median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 yr ± 0.88 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.4 yr (76.6–83.7) n=571 |
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 0.88 years of 80.0, 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