ZIP code
11550
in Hempstead, New YorkPopulation 60,960
51.89/ 100
Ranked #13,595 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 42%)
Ranked #1,308 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 24%)
Ranked #772 of 853 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ZIPs (bottom 9.5%)
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.
Short sleep
49.7%
in the top 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
1,643 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 ›PFOS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOS, one of the most common “forever chemicals,” was detected in EPA testing.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
13.8%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Walkability
190 intersections/sq mi
in the top 2.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Housing insecurity
26.3%
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
22.8%
in the top 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
47%
in the top 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite measure, ZIP 11550, one of several in Hempstead, New York sits in the top 42% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,595th) and the bottom 24% of New York (1,308th).
The readings split fairly evenly between strengths and concerns: subsidized affordable housing settles in the top 0.5% nationally, walkability stands in the top 2.8% nationally, and floodplain exposure is at the national minimum. Working the other way, modeled short sleep rests in the top 0.4% nationally, PFOS in drinking water sits at the national maximum, and crowded housing registers in the top 2.6% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity lands in the top 3.3% nationally, and households without a vehicle resides in the top 3.7% nationally. Housing-cost burden lies in the top 4.3% nationally, and modeled tree cover settles at the national minimum.
Compared with the ZIPs that surround it, subsidized affordable housing runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain language, PFOS in drinking water is a common one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". ZIP 11510, 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. 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 68%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 92%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 86%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 60%
14%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 27%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 8%
11%
Disability
healthier than 39%
7%
Lifting this score
Mental Health
healthier than 73%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 86%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 83%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 46%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 54%
14%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 8%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 5%
11%
Disability
healthier than 11%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 80%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 97%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 78%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 11%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 13%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 4%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 36%
8%
Disability
healthier than 10%
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 80.3 ± 1.4 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 82.7 years — 2.4 years below them.
Ranked #1,845 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
11510
New Yorkshares a border
Score 63.95
Closest healthier
11530
New Yorkshares a border
Score 71.97
Similar health profile
11798
New York97% similar profile
Score 50.09
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 | 21.6% | 19.6–23.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.2% | 32.6–37.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.8% | 4.4–5.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.1% | 9.9–12.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.7% | 5.2–6.3 |
| Depression among adults | 13.2% | 11.4–14.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.9% | 12.4–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.1% | 33.4–38.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.5% | 34.4–42.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.5% | 15.5–21.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 15.6% | 13.6–17.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.6% | 75.3–79.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.1% | 77.7–82.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.3% | 85.8–88.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.5% | 57.7–65.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 52.7% | 49.6–55.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.1% | 68.5–79.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.9% | 12.0–15.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.0% | 11.4–14.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.5% | 32.0–38.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 49.7% | 45.9–53.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.2% | 22.8–27.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.9% | 15.2–18.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.8% | 13.3–16.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.9% | 13.5–16.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.3% | 29.2–35.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.4–5.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.8–10.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.0% | 14.3–17.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.4% | 5.0–5.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.9% | 7.3–8.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 33.4% | 29.9–36.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 30.0% | 26.9–33.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 24.8% | 22.2–27.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 26.3% | 23.5–28.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 14.3% | 12.8–15.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.4% | 33.5–41.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 14.5% | 12.8–16.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 15.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 23.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 9.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 22.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 47.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 13.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 38.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 30.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 13.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 38.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $92,677 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $465,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $1,626 | $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 | 80.3 yr ± 0.69 | 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 0.69 years of 80.3, 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