ZIP code
12720
in Bethel, New YorkPopulation 447
61.28/ 100
Ranked #3,952 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 12.4%)
Ranked #512 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (top 30%)
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.
Poverty rate
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
13.8%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
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 ›Slow internet speeds
2.7%
in the top 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
9.5%
in the bottom 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS8thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
42%
in the top 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
16.2 mi
in the top 9.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
73.3%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST84thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
69.2%
in the top 9.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST85thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the bottom 9.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST21stUS10thDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Bethel, New York (ZIP 12720) ranks in the top 12.4% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,952nd) and the top 30% of New York (512th).
The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: poverty stands at the national minimum, and home broadband subscription lies at the national maximum. Unemployment lands at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled pfas sits in the bottom 7.9% nationally. Households without a vehicle is at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled colon screening settles in the top 6.5% nationally. Set against that, crowded housing resides in the top 2.6% nationally, slow internet speeds registers in the top 4.3% nationally, and housing-cost burden rests in the top 8.0% nationally. Distance to an emergency room stands in the top 9.4% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, slow internet speeds runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Close by, ZIP 18443, about 5.1 miles away, ranks healthier overall.
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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 77%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 89%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 64%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
Disability
healthier than 88%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 44%
16%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 20%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
Disability
healthier than 70%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 59%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 58%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 55%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 52%
8%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 39%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 39%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 18%
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
12726
New Yorkshares a border
Score 59.71
Closest healthier
18443
Pennsylvaniaabout 5.1 mi away
Score 62.83
Similar health profile
12785
New York99% similar profile
Score 59.99
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 | 27.2% | 24.1–30.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 31.5% | 27.7–35.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.6% | 8.6–10.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.3–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.6% | 4.7–6.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.0% | 4.7–7.8 |
| Depression among adults | 19.8% | 16.8–23.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.5% | 8.0–11.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.1% | 33.0–41.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 28.3% | 22.3–35.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.4–3.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.9% | 9.8–14.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.5% | 3.9–7.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.9% | 74.0–79.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.1% | 76.8–83.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.7% | 87.6–91.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 73.3% | 69.1–77.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.8% | 67.9–73.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.9% | 71.3–83.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.7% | 14.7–20.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 10.7% | 8.0–14.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.9% | 17.3–27.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.8% | 30.8–43.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 14.7% | 11.8–18.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.4% | 12.3–16.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.3% | 10.2–14.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 10.9% | 8.9–13.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 24.4% | 20.1–29.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.6–6.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.2–7.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.5% | 9.2–14.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.0% | 2.4–3.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.1–4.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.9% | 17.4–24.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.2% | 7.6–13.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.4% | 6.0–11.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.1–11.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 4.8–7.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.5% | 24.6–34.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.3% | 4.3–6.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 0.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 42.9% | 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) | 42.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 13.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 8.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 0.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 40.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $66,597 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $424,100 | $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 | 79.9 yr ± 1.87 | 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 1.87 years of 79.9, 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