ZIP code
12304
in Schenectady, New YorkPopulation 22,403
51.08/ 100
Ranked #14,718 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 46%)
Ranked #1,376 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 20%)
Ranked #106 of 114 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ZIPs (bottom 7.1%)
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.
Transit access
5.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & 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
15.8%
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
41.9%
in the top 9.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
10.9%
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS82ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, ZIP 12304, one of several in Schenectady, New York sits in the top 46% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,718th) and the bottom 20% of New York (1,376th).
The measures that most flatter this area set the tone for the rest: transit is in the top 4.9% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lies at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Distance to a community health center registers at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Grocery is in the top 13.0% nationally, and walkability lies in the top 13.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home registers at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Against that, households without a vehicle is in the top 6.7% nationally, and modeled short sleep lies in the top 9.5% nationally. Unemployment registers in the top 13.1% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity is in the top 14.4% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 12205, 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
Mental Health
healthier than 66%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 82%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 57%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 55%
13%
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 32%
11%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 49%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 19%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 23%
8%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 97%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 45%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 51%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 25%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 34%
8%
Disability
healthier than 9%
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 78.2 ± 1.1 years. The 48 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 80.1 years — 1.9 years below them.
Ranked #1,544 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
12205
New Yorkshares a border
Score 62.11
Closest healthier
12303
New Yorkshares a border
Score 54.44
Similar health profile
12428
New York96% similar profile
Score 50.88
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 | 27.0% | 24.4–29.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.6% | 32.4–39.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.0% | 7.3–8.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.9% | 10.7–13.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.8% | 6.2–7.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.7% | 7.0–8.5 |
| Depression among adults | 19.8% | 17.3–22.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.1% | 10.7–13.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.4% | 33.0–39.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.6% | 31.3–42.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.6–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.5% | 13.0–18.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.1% | 7.1–9.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.4% | 74.8–79.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.7% | 76.9–82.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.7% | 86.2–88.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.7% | 61.7–69.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.2% | 55.2–61.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.0% | 70.2–81.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.9% | 12.7–17.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.9% | 13.2–16.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.4% | 23.9–31.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.9% | 37.0–47.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.4% | 18.3–22.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.4% | 15.7–19.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.6% | 13.2–16.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.6% | 13.2–16.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.4% | 28.0–35.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.8–7.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.8–10.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.5% | 13.9–17.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.4–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.8–6.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 27.3% | 24.2–30.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 20.6% | 18.4–22.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 19.2% | 17.3–21.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.0% | 15.2–18.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 10.0–12.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.5% | 31.4–39.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.9% | 9.8–12.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 22.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 25.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 15.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 86.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 33.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 16.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 42.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 19.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 41.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $69,235 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $179,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $1,100 | $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 | 78.2 yr ± 0.56 | 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 0.56 years of 78.2, 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