ZIP code
14220
in Buffalo, New YorkPopulation 24,428
56.31/ 100
Ranked #7,956 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 25%)
Ranked #923 of 1,730 New York ZIPs (bottom 47%)
Ranked #51 of 86 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ZIPs (bottom 41%)
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
0.00%
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Transit access
4.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of public-transit stops 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 ›Radon
0.6 pCi/L
in the bottom 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
2.5 per 100,000 residents per year
in the bottom 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST23rdUS8thDefinition & 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
4.1%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
19.3%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 15.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS85thDefinition & 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
On balance, and by the composite measure, ZIP 14220, one of several in Buffalo, New York ranks in the top 25% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,956th) and the bottom 47% of New York (923rd).
The profile opens on a set of genuinely favorable readings: distance to an emergency room is at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Transit stands in the top 6.4% nationally, and modeled radon settles in the bottom 0.4% nationally. Fatal road crashes lies in the bottom 8.5% nationally. Modeled extreme heat resides at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Walkability lands in the top 11.2% nationally, and elder services registers in the top 12.2% nationally. On the other side, modeled tree cover sits at the national minimum, outer-floodplain exposure rests in the top 8.7% nationally, and modeled binge drinking is in the top 9.3% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 14224, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area.
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 72%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Disability
healthier than 73%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 78%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 69%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Holding it back
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 93%
14%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 51%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 41%
16%
Disability
healthier than 45%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 47%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 36%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 20%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 11%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 69%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 28%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 28%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 21%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 23%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 35%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
2 of our published findings list 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 what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 74.8 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $70,963 predicts 78.7 years — 3.9 years below.
Ranked #5,025 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 74.8 ± 1.3 years. The 46 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 78.4 years — 3.6 years below them.
Ranked #2,795 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
14203
New Yorkshares a border
Score 50.83
Closest healthier
14224
New Yorkshares a border
Score 61.06
Similar health profile
18612
Pennsylvania98% similar profile
Score 58.46
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 | 26.2% | 23.9–28.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 30.4% | 27.6–33.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.0% | 7.2–8.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.5–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.8 |
| Depression among adults | 22.4% | 19.6–25.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.8% | 8.6–11.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.4% | 32.4–38.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.7% | 29.5–38.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.1% | 2.9–3.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.8% | 9.7–13.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.8% | 5.8–7.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.0% | 73.1–78.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.1% | 78.1–83.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.6% | 85.9–89.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.8% | 65.2–72.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.1% | 61.2–66.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.0% | 75.0–84.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.3% | 16.5–22.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.0% | 12.1–16.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.0% | 21.9–28.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.8% | 34.1–41.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.5% | 15.5–19.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.5% | 15.6–19.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.5% | 12.0–15.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 25.0% | 22.2–27.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.4–9.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.2% | 10.7–13.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.7% | 3.4–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.3–5.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.2% | 20.2–26.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.7% | 12.8–16.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.2% | 12.5–16.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.1% | 11.5–15.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.3% | 7.4–9.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.1% | 27.3–35.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.5% | 7.4–9.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.5% (2.5–22.6%) n=1,734 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.0% (0.0–13.1%) n=1,734 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.1% (1.2–17.5%) n=1,743 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 29.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 31.8% (13.9–62.1%) n=1,743 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (0.0–9.7%) n=1,730 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.7% (0.0–28.9%) n=1,730 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.5% (81.1–98.3%) n=1,730 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 22.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 27.2% (14.2–45.5%) n=1,730 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.2% (40.9–94.8%) n=1,730 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.0% (0.0–6.6%) n=1,730 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.8% (0.0–28.7%) n=1,746 |
| Single-parent households | 44.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.0% (36.7–74.5%) n=1,716 |
| Population 65+ | 16.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.0% (12.0–33.2%) n=1,746 |
| Median age | 40.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.5 yr (34.6–56.1) n=1,733 |
| Median household income | $70,963 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $81,837 ($55,470–$145,610) n=1,626 |
| Median home value | $186,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $247,700 ($121,180–$801,380) n=1,629 |
| Median gross rent | $1,060 | $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 | 74.8 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 74.8, 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