ZIP code
12981
in Saranac, New YorkPopulation 2,259
55.28/ 100
Ranked #9,118 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 28%)
Ranked #1,003 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 42%)
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.
Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & 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
77.9%
in the top 5.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
18 per million
in the bottom 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
2.1 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 7.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
10.3 mi
in the top 10.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS90thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
72.6%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST78thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Uninsured (under 65)
5.3%
in the bottom 8.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST36thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
17.7 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 32% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS68thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Saranac, New York (ZIP 12981) sits in the top 28% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,118th) and the bottom 42% of New York (1,003rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A balanced showing across the data, with a few readings each side: modeled industrial-pollution burden sits in the bottom 2.5% nationally, tree cover stands in the top 5.7% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk resides in the bottom 6.7% nationally. Unemployment sits at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled extreme heat stands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled colon screening resides in the top 8.5% nationally, and childcare sits in the top 13.1% nationally. Homeownership stands in the top 14.4% nationally. On the other hand, walkability resides in the bottom 7.7% nationally, and distance to a nursing home sits in the top 10.4% nationally.
Put plainly, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 12912, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 85%
13%
Disability
healthier than 69%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 95%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 49%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 44%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 58%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
8%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 15%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 99%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 96%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 48%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 39%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Disability
healthier than 39%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 15%
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
12912
New Yorkshares a border
Score 58.80
Closest healthier
12918
New Yorkshares a border
Score 56.14
Similar health profile
55749
Minnesota98% similar profile
Score 54.73
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 | 30.2% | 26.8–33.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.0% | 32.1–39.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.3–13.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.3% | 6.3–8.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.1% | 6.6–9.6 |
| Depression among adults | 22.4% | 19.2–25.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.2% | 9.5–12.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.0% | 34.1–41.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.7% | 28.0–39.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.6% | 3.2–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.7% | 12.1–18.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.3% | 3.9–6.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.6% | 75.6–81.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.1% | 78.0–83.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.9% | 88.2–91.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.6% | 68.6–76.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.7% | 58.4–65.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.4% | 69.7–82.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.2% | 13.5–19.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.8% | 11.8–17.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.0% | 21.5–30.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.1% | 29.2–39.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.7% | 14.6–21.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.5–18.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.4% | 12.4–16.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.8% | 10.8–14.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 27.9% | 23.8–32.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.7% | 5.9–7.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.9% | 6.6–9.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.1–15.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.2–4.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 3.8–5.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.1% | 18.5–25.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.8% | 9.1–14.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.9% | 8.2–13.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.3% | 8.3–12.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.7% | 5.6–7.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.4% | 26.7–36.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.5% | 5.3–7.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 1.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 23.6% | 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 | 2.4% | 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) | 32.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 56.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 15.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 39.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $76,450 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $182,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $901 | $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 | 80.7 yr ± 1.52 | 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 1.52 years of 80.7, 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