ZIP code
12821
in Comstock, New YorkPopulation 2,124
49.18/ 100
Ranked #17,414 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 46%)
Ranked #1,492 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 13.8%)
Ranked #37 of 41 Glens Falls, NY ZIPs (bottom 9.8%)
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.
Housing-cost burden
56.9%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
52.9%
in the bottom 3.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
26.5%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
44%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
4.2%
in the bottom 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
30.2%
in the bottom 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
20.4%
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
15.5%
in the top 5.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
15.9%
in the top 5.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
42.2%
in the bottom 5.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST10thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
By its overall health score, Comstock, New York (ZIP 12821) lands in the bottom 46% nationally (17,414th) and the bottom 13.8% of New York (1,492nd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The burdens that read clearest in the data come first: housing-cost burden stands in the top 1.6% nationally, and modeled colon screening settles in the bottom 3.4% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity lies in the top 3.2% nationally, and short sleep resides in the top 4.5% nationally. Modeled binge drinking lands in the top 4.8% nationally, transportation registers in the top 5.7% nationally, and utility shutoff sits in the top 5.7% nationally. Homeownership rests in the bottom 5.9% nationally. Better still, modeled hearing disability is in the bottom 2.6% nationally, and high cholesterol stands in the bottom 3.6% nationally.
Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 12827, just across the boundary. Modeled short sleep stands in the top 4.5% nationally.
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 92%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 82%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 79%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 58%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 2%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 31%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 90%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 52%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 2%
16%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.3%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.8%
11%
Disability
healthier than 27%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 26%
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
12827
New Yorkshares a border
Score 52.24
Closest healthier
12832
New Yorkshares a border
Score 51.11
Similar health profile
21890
Maryland99% similar profile
Score 49.85
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 | 15.8% | 14.0–17.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 32.8% | 29.4–36.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 3.2% | 2.9–3.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.4% | 8.4–10.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.6% | 4.0–5.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.3% | 4.5–6.2 |
| Depression among adults | 14.5% | 12.4–16.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.2% | 8.9–11.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 30.2% | 27.1–33.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.1% | 32.4–44.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.8% | 2.5–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.0% | 10.6–15.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 15.8% | 12.4–19.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 62.1% | 58.4–65.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.9% | 70.1–77.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 79.2% | 75.7–82.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 52.9% | 47.8–57.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 45.7% | 42.3–49.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.1% | 69.0–82.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 20.4% | 17.3–23.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.5% | 16.1–23.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.2% | 26.3–36.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 44.0% | 38.1–49.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.0% | 20.1–28.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.1% | 15.9–20.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.1% | 11.4–15.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.1% | 14.3–20.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.4% | 26.8–36.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.7–4.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.3–10.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.4–13.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.5% | 3.8–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.5–7.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 37.8% | 32.7–43.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 29.8% | 23.9–35.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 25.8% | 20.6–30.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 26.5% | 22.1–31.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 15.5% | 12.8–18.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 38.5% | 32.8–44.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 15.9% | 13.4–18.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.5% | 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+) | 43.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 3.2% | 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 | 87.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 56.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 42.2% | 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 | 10.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 87.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 5.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 39.7 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 | $212,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $856 | $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 | 83.8 yr ± 2.42 | 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 2.42 years of 83.8, 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