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ZIP code

12206

in Albany, New YorkPopulation 14,572

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

44.95/ 100

Ranked #22,453 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 30%)

Ranked #1,648 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 4.8%)

Ranked #112 of 114 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ZIPs (bottom 1.8%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Lead in tap water

13 ppb

in the top 1.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

US99th
Definition & source ›

The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.

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 ›

Transit access

9 per 1,000 residents

in the top 1.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The number of public-transit stops 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 ›

Households without a vehicle

39.1%

in the top 1.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST92nd
US98th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with no vehicle available.

Full methodology ›

Short sleep

45.6%

in the top 2.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

41.1%

in the top 2.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

26.6%

in the bottom 2.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST6th
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

48.3%

in the top 3.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US96th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Grocery access

0.29 per 1,000 residents

in the top 3.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST95th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”

Full methodology ›

Housing insecurity

24.4%

in the top 4.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

34.6%

in the top 4.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

The read

ZIP 12206, one of several in Albany, New York ranks in the bottom 30% nationally (22,453rd) and the bottom 4.8% of New York (1,648th).

continue reading

Several readings make the pressure on this area plain: lead in tap water lies in the top 1.2% nationally, and households without a vehicle is in the top 1.6% nationally. Modeled short sleep registers in the top 2.4% nationally, and loneliness lies in the top 2.7% nationally. Homeownership is in the bottom 2.7% nationally, housing-cost burden registers in the top 3.8% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity lies in the top 4.5% nationally. Poverty is in the top 4.6% nationally. On the encouraging side, transit registers in the top 1.6% nationally, and grocery lies in the top 3.8% nationally.

Against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 12203, 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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 90%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 93%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 53%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 42%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 48%

8%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 3%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 28%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 9%

11%

Disability

healthier than 28%

7%

Lifting this score

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 80%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 95%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 28%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 2%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 32%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 8%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 6%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 11%

8%

Disability

healthier than 7%

7%

Lifting this score

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 78%

5%

Healthcare Access

in the top 0.00%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 27%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 1%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 25%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 3%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 4%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 12%

8%

Disability

healthier than 4%

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 74.8 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $41,548 predicts 76.6 years — 1.8 years below.

    Ranked #2,238 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 74.8 ± 1.3 years. The 48 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.2 years — 5.4 years below them.

    Ranked #3,452 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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults23.2%21.0–25.6
High blood pressure among adults37.0%34.0–40.1
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults5.0%4.5–5.5
Current asthma among adults12.4%11.1–13.8
Coronary heart disease among adults6.0%5.4–6.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.6%6.8–8.4
Depression among adults20.5%18.0–23.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.5%12.0–15.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened33.1%30.1–36.2
Obesity among adults38.7%34.1–43.6
Stroke among adults4.1%3.8–4.4
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years25.0%21.3–29.0
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.8%8.5–11.2
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure75.1%72.6–77.4
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults79.1%76.2–81.7
Cholesterol screening among adults84.4%82.6–86.0
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years61.9%57.5–66.3
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults50.1%47.0–53.5
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.5%70.3–82.2
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.5%13.2–18.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults16.6%14.7–18.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults31.6%27.9–35.4
Short sleep duration among adults45.6%41.0–50.6
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults24.0%21.5–26.6
Frequent mental distress among adults18.9%17.0–20.9
Frequent physical distress among adults14.8%13.3–16.5
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults17.0%15.3–18.8
Any disability among adults33.3%29.9–36.9
Hearing disability among adults4.9%4.4–5.5
Independent living disability among adults11.4%10.3–12.6
Mobility disability among adults16.1%14.4–17.9
Self-care disability among adults5.9%5.4–6.5
Vision disability among adults8.0%7.4–8.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults31.6%28.0–35.4
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults30.4%27.1–33.7
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults30.7%27.7–33.6
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults24.4%21.6–27.1
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults16.0%14.3–17.7
Loneliness among adults41.1%36.8–45.7
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults16.9%15.0–18.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NY median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate34.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3649.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734
Uninsured 18–647.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734
No HS diploma (25+)11.2%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5057.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743
Bachelor's or higher (25+)30.7%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743
Unemployment rate (16+)11.5%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730
Households without a vehicle39.1%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3225.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730
Broadband subscription85.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32291.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)48.3%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32227.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730
Homeownership rate26.6%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32280.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.9%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730
Foreign-born population23.2%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5534.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746
Single-parent households34.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08754.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716
Population 65+11.1%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746
Median age32.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29243.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733
Median household income$41,548$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626
Median home value$162,300$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629
Median gross rent$1,210$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,162 ($782–$2,359) n=1,367
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NY median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth74.8 yr ± 0.6578.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30880.9 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 0.65 years of 74.8, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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