ZIP code
12427
in Elka Park, New YorkPopulation 935
50.61/ 100
Ranked #15,413 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 48%)
Ranked #1,401 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 19%)
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.
Tree cover
94.9%
in the top 0.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
42%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.06%
in the bottom 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
13 days/year
in the bottom 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
13.5%
in the bottom 15% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS15thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
0.70%
in the top 15% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS85thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
0.55%
in the top 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
Full methodology ›Uninsured (under 65)
5.5%
in the bottom 10.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST42ndUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›The read
Elka Park, New York (ZIP 12427), by its composite score, sits in the top 48% healthiest ZIPs nationally (15,413th) and the bottom 19% of New York (1,401st).
The measures land in both directions, and neither dominates: modeled tree cover is in the top 0.2% nationally, and home broadband subscription lands at the national maximum. Unemployment stands at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise registers in the bottom 7.5% nationally. Households without a vehicle settles at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled extreme heat sits at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled humid heat lies in the bottom 9.9% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise rests at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Pulling the other way, poverty resides in the top 2.6% nationally. Fiber broadband is at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs.
For anyone unfamiliar, transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 12409, 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 97%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 47%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 60%
13%
Disability
healthier than 52%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 28%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 28%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 37%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 23%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 91%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 98%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 22%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 24%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 21%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 18%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 5%
8%
Disability
healthier than 21%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 21%
5%
“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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
12409
New Yorkshares a border
Score 66.03
Closest healthier
12436
New Yorkshares a border
Score 58.26
Similar health profile
16729
Pennsylvania98% similar profile
Score 49.56
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 | 29.4% | 26.1–32.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.1% | 31.1–38.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.3% | 8.4–10.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.6% | 10.3–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.4% | 6.5–8.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.1–9.7 |
| Depression among adults | 23.5% | 20.1–27.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.6% | 9.9–13.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.8% | 33.5–41.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.6% | 29.2–43.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.3–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.7% | 12.0–17.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.5% | 4.2–6.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.5% | 74.6–80.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.5% | 77.0–83.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.1% | 86.2–89.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.2% | 60.5–70.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.7% | 54.1–61.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.7% | 67.0–81.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.6% | 14.5–20.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.3% | 12.4–18.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.3% | 21.5–31.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.9% | 32.4–45.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.8% | 15.8–21.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.0% | 15.6–20.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.1% | 13.1–17.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.0–16.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.1% | 25.6–34.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.1–7.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.1% | 7.8–10.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.6% | 12.3–16.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.7–4.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.2% | 4.5–5.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.1% | 18.6–26.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.8% | 11.9–18.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.2% | 12.0–18.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.5% | 10.3–14.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.4% | 7.2–9.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.4% | 27.3–38.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.5% | 7.1–10.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 42.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 1.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 44.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 13.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 79.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 11.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 35.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $375,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 79.3 yr ± 1.78 | 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 1.78 years of 79.3, 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