ZIP code
12210
in Albany, New YorkPopulation 10,297
53.34/ 100
Ranked #11,583 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 36%)
Ranked #1,207 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 30%)
Ranked #95 of 114 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ZIPs (bottom 17%)
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.
Lead in tap water
13 ppb
in the top 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
US99thDefinition & 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 ›Households without a vehicle
33.2%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
806 units
in the top 2.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
24.7%
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST5thUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
1.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›Transit access
6.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Grocery access
0.28 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Hearing disability
4.3%
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.76 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.4% 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 ›Mental-health provider access
0.19 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics located 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 ›The read
ZIP 12210, one of several in Albany, New York, by its composite score, sits in the top 36% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,583rd) and the bottom 30% of New York (1,207th).
The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: subsidized affordable housing lands in the top 2.1% nationally, and civic stands in the top 2.8% nationally. Transit registers in the top 3.4% nationally, and grocery settles in the top 4.0% nationally. Modeled hearing disability sits in the bottom 2.8% nationally, childcare lies in the top 4.4% nationally, and mental-health providers rests in the top 4.6% nationally. Pulling the other way, lead in tap water resides in the top 1.2% nationally, households without a vehicle is in the top 2.1% nationally, and homeownership lands in the bottom 2.5% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. For a healthier comparison close by, see 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.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 77%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 84%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 59%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 44%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 44%
8%
Disability
healthier than 53%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 36%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 18%
11%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 92%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 53%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 59%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 27%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 13%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 9%
8%
Disability
healthier than 21%
7%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 72%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 99%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 58%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 58%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 22%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 12%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 9%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 10%
8%
Disability
healthier than 16%
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 its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 77.0 ± 2.8 years. The 48 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.3 years — 3.4 years below them.
Ranked #2,636 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 15.3; chronic-disease standing 76.5 — 61 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #15,536 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
12202
New Yorkshares a border
Score 43.44
Closest healthier
12203
New Yorkshares a border
Score 62.48
Similar health profile
53144
Wisconsin97% similar profile
Score 52.25
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 | 20.6% | 18.5–22.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 32.6% | 29.8–35.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.2% | 10.9–13.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–7.0 |
| Depression among adults | 21.9% | 19.1–24.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.8% | 9.6–12.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 30.4% | 27.5–33.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.0% | 32.3–41.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.4% | 3.1–3.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.7% | 15.7–22.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.1% | 6.8–9.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 72.4% | 69.9–74.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.9% | 75.0–80.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.2% | 83.3–86.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.6% | 62.2–70.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.0% | 54.8–61.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.8% | 72.8–84.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.5% | 16.0–21.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.1% | 12.2–16.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.2% | 22.9–29.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 42.2% | 37.6–47.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.9% | 17.7–22.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.3% | 16.4–20.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.8% | 11.4–14.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.3% | 13.6–17.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.2% | 26.0–32.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.8–10.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.3–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.9–7.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 27.8% | 24.4–31.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 24.6% | 21.8–27.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 25.5% | 22.7–28.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 20.7% | 18.3–23.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 13.6% | 12.1–15.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 39.2% | 34.7–43.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 12.9–16.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 22.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 39.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 33.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 88.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 39.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 24.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 8.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 40.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 11.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 37.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $55,843 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $228,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $1,135 | $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 | 76.9 yr ± 1.42 | 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 1.42 years of 76.9, 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