ZIP code
13045
in Cortland, New YorkPopulation 28,361
53.54/ 100
Ranked #11,310 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 35%)
Ranked #1,177 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 32%)
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
9.1 µg/L
in the bottom 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a Superfund site
In this ZIP
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
15.9%
in the top 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
267 units
in the top 9.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS77thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›The read
In its overall standing, Cortland, New York (ZIP 13045) lands in the top 35% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,310th) and the bottom 32% of New York (1,177th).
Reading the numbers as a whole, the picture lands somewhere in between: lithium in drinking water settles in the bottom 1.3% nationally. Distance to an emergency room is at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Subsidized affordable housing sits in the top 9.3% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Distance to a community health center lies at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Physicians stands in the top 12.2% nationally, and grocery rests in the top 12.8% nationally. On the other side, distance to a Superfund site registers at the national minimum, households without a vehicle resides in the top 6.6% nationally, and lead in tap water settles in the top 11.4% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. On the overall standing, ZIP 13053, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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 71%
21%
Disability
healthier than 60%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 80%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 43%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 48%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 53%
13%
Holding it back
Risk Behavior
healthier than 38%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 36%
8%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 50%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 18%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 26%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 5%
8%
Disability
healthier than 29%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 79.1 ± 1.3 years. The 47 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 82.7 years — 3.5 years below them.
Ranked #2,751 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
13053
New Yorkshares a border
Score 56.68
Closest healthier
13068
New Yorkshares a border
Score 58.49
Similar health profile
14063
New York96% similar profile
Score 54.43
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 | 25.5% | 22.7–28.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 31.4% | 27.9–35.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.3% | 7.6–9.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.5% | 10.3–12.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.4% | 5.8–7.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.4% | 6.6–8.1 |
| Depression among adults | 23.1% | 19.8–26.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.7% | 8.5–11.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.9% | 31.2–38.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.1% | 24.6–38.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.3% | 3.1–3.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.9% | 11.5–16.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.3% | 5.4–7.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.3% | 72.8–77.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.9% | 75.5–82.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.5% | 83.7–87.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.6% | 62.0–71.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.3% | 58.9–65.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.8% | 68.7–81.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.0% | 15.0–21.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.7% | 11.9–15.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.2% | 21.5–29.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.0% | 32.0–44.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.9% | 15.8–20.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.4% | 16.5–20.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.7% | 12.2–15.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.9% | 13.3–16.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.2% | 25.5–33.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.6–7.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.0% | 8.1–9.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.6–5.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.9% | 20.6–27.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.5% | 13.5–17.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 12.8–16.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.4% | 10.8–14.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.1% | 8.0–10.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.2% | 28.4–38.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.9–8.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 15.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 88.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 31.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 48.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 14.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 32.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $69,961 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $167,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $981 | $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 | 79.1 yr ± 0.66 | 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 0.66 years of 79.1, 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