ZIP code
11238
in Brooklyn, New YorkPopulation 58,345
70.33/ 100
Ranked #526 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 1.7%)
Ranked #90 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (top 5.3%)
Ranked #184 of 853 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ZIPs (top 22%)
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.
Subsidized affordable housing
1,662 units
in the top 0.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
64.3%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
2.9%
in the bottom 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Obesity
21.8%
in the bottom 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
22.2%
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
3.2%
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Mammography
84.5%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
21.4%
in the top 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Park land
48.6%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
27.7%
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, ZIP 11238, one of several in Brooklyn, New York sits in the top 1.7% healthiest ZIPs nationally (526th) and the top 5.3% of New York (90th).
A balanced showing across the data, with a few readings each side: subsidized affordable housing settles in the top 0.5% nationally, modeled hearing disability lands in the bottom 0.8% nationally, and modeled obesity rests in the bottom 1.9% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure settles in the bottom 1.7% nationally, coronary heart disease lands in the bottom 1.7% nationally, and mammography rests in the top 0.9% nationally. Park land settles in the top 2.6% nationally. On the other hand, households without a vehicle lands in the top 0.7% nationally, and modeled binge drinking rests in the top 2.5% nationally. Homeownership settles in the bottom 2.8% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 11215, 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 98%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 91%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 65%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 94%
8%
Disability
healthier than 98%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 88%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 92%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 31%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 97%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 89%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 75%
8%
Disability
healthier than 93%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 71%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 93%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 56%
11%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 21%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 40%
13%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 96%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 66%
16%
Disability
healthier than 82%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 82%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 90%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 43%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 49%
13%
Holding it back
Risk Behavior
healthier than 37%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 38%
8%
“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
3 of our published findings list 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 what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 79.9 ± 1.2 years. A median household income of $134,523 predicts 81.3 years — 1.3 years below.
Ranked #1,655 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 31.5; chronic-disease standing 98.0 (top 10%) — 67 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #16,080 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 40.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 79.9 ± 1.2 years.
Ranked #504 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
11205
New Yorkshares a border
Score 56.49
Closest healthier
11215
New Yorkshares a border
Score 73.95
Similar health profile
10019
New York99% similar profile
Score 72.10
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 | 14.8% | 13.6–16.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 22.2% | 20.5–23.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.6% | 4.2–5.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 9.2–11.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 3.2% | 2.9–3.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 3.1% | 2.8–3.4 |
| Depression among adults | 17.0% | 15.3–18.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 7.1% | 6.3–7.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 30.6% | 28.5–32.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 21.8% | 19.5–24.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.2% | 2.0–2.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 9.5% | 7.9–11.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.2% | 4.5–5.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.3% | 65.9–70.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.3% | 76.2–80.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.8% | 88.7–90.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.3% | 65.0–71.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.9% | 65.4–70.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 84.5% | 80.5–87.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 21.4% | 19.4–23.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 7.5% | 6.7–8.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 16.3% | 14.7–17.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.5% | 34.4–40.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 11.7% | 10.7–12.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.8–15.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 8.7% | 7.9–9.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 9.9% | 9.0–10.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 18.6% | 16.9–20.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 2.9% | 2.6–3.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 7.8% | 7.1–8.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.5% | 2.3–2.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.4% | 3.2–3.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.1% | 23.7–28.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.4% | 11.9–14.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.2% | 9.0–11.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.7% | 11.4–14.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.2% | 6.4–8.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.6% | 31.6–37.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.3% | 6.5–8.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 73.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 64.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 93.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 33.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 27.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 4.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 19.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 45.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 11.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 35.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $134,523 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $1,099,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $2,616 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,162 ($782–$2,359) n=1,367 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.9 yr ± 0.60 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.9 yr (78.0–84.5) n=1,692 |
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 0.60 years of 79.9, 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