ZIP code
11779
in Ronkonkoma, New YorkPopulation 38,206
61.46/ 100
Ranked #3,836 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 12.0%)
Ranked #493 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (top 28%)
Ranked #579 of 853 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ZIPs (bottom 32%)
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.
PFOA in drinking water
96.2%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOA, one of the man-made “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 ›PFOS in drinking water
96.2%
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
42.3%
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
1.3 mi
in the bottom 8.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST11thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.45%
in the bottom 9.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST16thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Hearing disability
5.3%
in the bottom 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST21stUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›The read
In its overall standing, Ronkonkoma, New York (ZIP 11779) lands in the top 12.0% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,836th) and the top 28% of New York (493rd).
This area's most favorable readings come through plainly in the numbers: floodplain exposure is in the bottom 9.5% nationally. Modeled extreme heat sits at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled hearing disability lands in the bottom 9.0% nationally. Distance to a community health center lies at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Walkability stands in the top 12.0% nationally. On the other side, PFOA in drinking water rests in the top 5.9% nationally, and PFOS in drinking water registers in the top 6.1% nationally. Housing-cost burden resides in the top 7.7% nationally, distance to a Superfund site settles in the bottom 8.4% nationally, and modeled transportation noise is in the top 12.2% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, PFOA in drinking water is one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. 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. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. On the overall standing, ZIP 11716, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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 81%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 89%
8%
Disability
healthier than 86%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 92%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 72%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 60%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 48%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 53%
11%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 66%
21%
Disability
healthier than 66%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 85%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 63%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 54%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 41%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 60%
8%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 39%
13%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 66%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 96%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 48%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 28%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 30%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 25%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Disability
healthier than 39%
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
2 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 78.7 ± 1.2 years. A median household income of $112,180 predicts 80.5 years — 1.9 years below.
Ranked #2,427 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 78.7 ± 1.2 years. The 50 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.7 years — 2.0 years below them.
Ranked #1,593 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
11716
New Yorkshares a border
Score 64.17
Closest healthier
11720
New Yorkshares a border
Score 64.49
Similar health profile
11949
New York99% similar profile
Score 60.66
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 | 23.8% | 21.8–26.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 30.9% | 28.4–33.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.4% | 7.7–9.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.5–11.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.5% | 5.0–6.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.2 |
| Depression among adults | 17.2% | 15.2–19.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.5% | 8.4–10.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.9% | 36.2–41.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 29.7% | 26.2–33.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 9.8% | 8.2–11.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.3% | 5.5–7.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.2% | 73.4–78.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.9% | 78.4–83.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.0% | 88.8–91.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.8% | 63.5–70.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.5% | 63.0–68.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.8% | 74.3–83.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.2% | 15.0–19.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.7% | 9.4–12.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.0% | 21.4–26.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.3% | 36.1–42.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.4% | 13.7–17.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.4% | 13.9–17.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.1% | 10.9–13.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.5–13.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.0% | 23.5–28.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.8–6.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.6% | 6.0–7.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.0% | 2.8–3.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.6–4.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.9% | 21.2–27.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.2% | 10.6–14.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.1–10.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 9.6–12.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.5% | 5.7–7.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.9% | 26.6–33.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 5.3–7.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 30.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 42.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 13.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 49.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 16.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 39.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $112,180 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $487,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $2,227 | $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 | 78.7 yr ± 0.59 | 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 0.59 years of 78.7, 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