ZIP code
12779
in South Fallsburg, New YorkPopulation 2,205
49.66/ 100
Ranked #16,699 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 48%)
Ranked #1,461 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 16%)
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.
Lithium in drinking water
120 µg/L
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
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 ›Grocery access
0.38 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Short sleep
44.7%
in the top 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
34.1%
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
23.4%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
8.2%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
46.2%
in the bottom 7.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST12thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
14.9%
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST82ndUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Food insecurity
28.3%
in the top 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
14.2%
in the top 7.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Cross-source signals
Health need and barriers to care documented here
On our reading, this ZIP code carries the overlap at its acute level: acute means at least three of the six health-need readings and at least three of the six access barriers apply to the same place.
These are two separate readings of public data that both apply to this place — never a claim that one causes the other, never a severity score, and never a statement about any person who lives here.
Health need documented here
- People without health insurance
- People living in poverty
- Food insecurity
- Housing insecurity
Barriers to reaching care
- Thin local supply of pharmacies
- Households with no vehicle
- Limited home internet for telehealth
A reading appears below only where this ZIP code is among the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on it — one national bar, the same for every ZIP in the country.
See the full care-deserts analysis →The read
South Fallsburg, New York (ZIP 12779), overall, ranks in the bottom 48% nationally (16,699th) and the bottom 16% of New York (1,461st).
The profile reads plainly, and several measures carry it: lithium in drinking water settles in the top 1.9% nationally, modeled short sleep is in the top 3.5% nationally, and poverty sits in the top 4.8% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity lands in the top 5.3% nationally, crowded housing lies in the top 6.5% nationally, and homeownership stands in the bottom 7.3% nationally. Households without a vehicle rests in the top 7.4% nationally, and modeled food insecurity registers in the top 7.5% nationally. Modeled transportation resides in the top 7.6% nationally. On the better side, grocery settles in the top 2.7% nationally.
Defined simply, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. ZIP 12738, just across the boundary, comes out healthier overall. This area also shows documented health need overlapping with barriers to reaching care, sitting in the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on several need measures and several access barriers.
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 74%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 84%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 74%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 70%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 17%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 10%
11%
Disability
healthier than 36%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 90%
14%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 54%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 9%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 7%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 33%
8%
Disability
healthier than 10%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 35%
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
12701
New Yorkshares a border
Score 48.72
Closest healthier
12738
New Yorkshares a border
Score 58.34
Similar health profile
11208
New York95% similar profile
Score 50.70
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 | 22.2% | 19.7–24.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 32.6% | 29.0–36.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.3–11.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.5% | 5.8–7.3 |
| Depression among adults | 18.7% | 15.9–21.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.0% | 11.3–14.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 33.5% | 29.6–37.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.1% | 29.2–43.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.4% | 3.2–3.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.2% | 15.2–21.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 15.6% | 12.8–18.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 72.5% | 69.6–75.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.5% | 73.7–81.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.0% | 82.9–87.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 60.4% | 55.6–65.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.7% | 50.2–57.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.9% | 67.8–81.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.6% | 12.8–18.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.4% | 12.3–16.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.4% | 29.6–39.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 44.7% | 38.3–51.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.7% | 21.7–27.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.2–19.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.1% | 13.4–17.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.9% | 14.0–17.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.0% | 27.8–36.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.2–6.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–11.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.1% | 13.3–17.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.2% | 4.7–5.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.9% | 7.1–8.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.7% | 23.1–30.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 28.3% | 24.3–32.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 25.3% | 21.5–28.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 23.4% | 20.2–26.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 14.2% | 12.3–16.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.7% | 28.7–39.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 14.2% | 12.2–16.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 34.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 16.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 31.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 14.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 93.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 38.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 8.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 24.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 27.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 18.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 39.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $47,688 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $287,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $1,001 | $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 | 79.0 yr ± 1.68 | 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 1.68 years of 79.0, 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