ZIP code
12946
in Lake Placid, New YorkPopulation 4,872
59.25/ 100
Ranked #5,408 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 17%)
Ranked #671 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (top 39%)
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.
Recreation access
1.7 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.38 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
83.7%
in the top 3.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
6.7 days/year
in the bottom 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS4thDefinition & 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 ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.2%
in the bottom 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS5thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
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 ›Physician access
2.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of physicians’ offices located 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.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
0.77 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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.
Full methodology ›Park land
16.8%
in the top 8.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›The read
Lake Placid, New York (ZIP 12946), by its overall standing, sits in the top 17% healthiest ZIPs nationally (5,408th) and the top 39% of New York (671st), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The profile opens balanced, with readings on either hand: recreation sits in the top 2.4% nationally, grocery settles in the top 2.5% nationally, and modeled air-toxics cancer risk registers in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden stands in the bottom 3.3% nationally, tree cover lands in the top 3.5% nationally, and humid heat is in the bottom 4.3% nationally. Modeled arsenic resides in the bottom 5.1% nationally, and physicians rests in the top 5.6% nationally. Civic lies in the top 6.7% nationally, and park land sits in the top 8.1% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 12942, 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 80%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 86%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 63%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
Disability
healthier than 64%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 82%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 54%
21%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 76%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.08%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 77%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 49%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 53%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 30%
8%
Disability
healthier than 34%
7%
“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
12852
New Yorkshares a border
Score 58.72
Closest healthier
12942
New Yorkshares a border
Score 63.48
Similar health profile
54665
Wisconsin96% similar profile
Score 55.23
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 | 29.7% | 26.5–32.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.2% | 31.4–39.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.2% | 9.3–11.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.8–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.4% | 6.6–8.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.8% | 6.8–9.0 |
| Depression among adults | 21.2% | 18.1–24.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.8% | 9.3–12.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.6% | 33.5–41.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.9% | 27.7–40.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.4–4.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.7% | 10.5–15.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.6% | 4.6–6.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.9% | 75.0–80.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.4% | 77.2–83.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.2% | 87.8–90.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 71.2% | 66.8–75.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.3% | 59.8–66.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.8% | 73.2–85.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.1% | 14.2–20.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.0% | 11.0–15.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.6% | 20.8–28.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.0% | 28.5–39.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.6% | 15.3–20.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.7% | 14.0–17.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.9% | 12.3–15.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.6% | 11.1–14.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.3% | 25.7–33.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.3–8.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.2–9.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.5% | 12.6–16.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.8% | 18.8–25.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 10.1–14.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 9.3–13.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.0% | 8.5–11.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.9% | 6.0–8.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.1% | 26.9–36.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.3% | 5.4–7.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 47.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 11.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 33.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 54.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 22.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 45.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $77,548 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $467,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $1,131 | $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 | 80.6 yr ± 0.87 | 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 0.87 years of 80.6, 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