ZIP code
12856
in North River, New YorkPopulation 260
60.64/ 100
Ranked #4,372 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 13.7%)
Ranked #565 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (top 33%)
Ranked #11 of 41 Glens Falls, NY ZIPs (top 27%)
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
92.2%
in the top 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
29.5 mi
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
10 per million
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
25.6 mi
in the top 2.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Mammography
83.4%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
75.7%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.4 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 4.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST3rdUS4thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
9.3%
in the bottom 7.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS7thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Overall, North River, New York (ZIP 12856) lands in the top 13.7% healthiest ZIPs nationally (4,372nd) and the top 33% of New York (565th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: modeled tree cover stands in the top 0.8% nationally, and housing-cost burden lies at the national minimum. Poverty lands at the national minimum, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk sits in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is in the top 2.9% nationally, modeled mammography settles in the top 1.9% nationally, and modeled colon screening resides in the top 2.2% nationally. Modeled pfas registers in the bottom 7.3% nationally. Set against that, distance to an emergency room rests in the top 2.0% nationally, and walkability stands in the bottom 4.5% nationally.
A note on the terms: air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. 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. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 12843, about 3.7 miles away, ranks better 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 68%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.6%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 97%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 82%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 87%
8%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.4%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 35%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 63%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.00%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 91%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 81%
11%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 54%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Disability
healthier than 38%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 29%
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
12811
New Yorkshares a border
Score 60.44
Closest healthier
12843
New Yorkabout 3.7 mi away
Score 60.97
Similar health profile
56653
Minnesota99% similar profile
Score 55.86
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 | 33.2% | 29.7–36.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.2% | 35.2–43.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.2% | 11.0–13.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.7% | 9.4–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.0–9.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.2% | 6.3–10.2 |
| Depression among adults | 19.8% | 16.9–22.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.6% | 10.5–14.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.0% | 37.0–45.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 30.7% | 25.2–36.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.1% | 3.4–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.2% | 12.5–18.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.3% | 3.6–7.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.5% | 79.9–84.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.3% | 80.6–85.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.2% | 89.5–92.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 75.7% | 71.2–79.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.0% | 60.5–67.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 83.4% | 77.8–88.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.2% | 11.8–16.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.8% | 8.7–15.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.0% | 18.9–29.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.7% | 28.5–39.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.8% | 14.1–21.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.1% | 12.0–16.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.1% | 11.7–16.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.0–13.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.0% | 24.0–34.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.9% | 6.7–9.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.4% | 5.9–8.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.1% | 12.0–18.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.7% | 2.9–4.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 3.7–5.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.1% | 17.3–25.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 7.6–13.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 6.6–12.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 6.6–10.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 4.9–7.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.7% | 24.0–33.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.3% | 4.2–6.5 |
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+) | 69.9% | 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 | 82.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 0.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 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 | 2.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 21.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 18.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 36.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $59,200 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $243,400 | $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 | 80.0 yr ± 2.16 | 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 2.16 years of 80.0, 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