ZIP code
16834
in Drifting, PennsylvaniaPopulation 733
41.58/ 100
Ranked #25,586 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 20%)
Ranked #1,541 of 1,748 Pennsylvania ZIPs (bottom 11.9%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
Some domains have limited local data — read this Score as directional
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.
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 ›Energy-cost burden
5.9%
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
23.7 mi
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
0 ppb
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
US1stDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
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 community health center
27.5 mi
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
79.5%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
7.6%
in the bottom 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.09%
in the bottom 8.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
95.2%
in the top 8.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
97.6%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›The read
Given how limited the coverage is here, Drifting, Pennsylvania (ZIP 16834) lands in the bottom 20% nationally (25,586th) and the bottom 11.9% of Pennsylvania (1,541st), based on limited data; treat as directional.
A number of the available measures point to this much: poverty registers at the national minimum, and lead in tap water rests at the national minimum. Modeled tree cover stands in the top 5.1% nationally, and housing-cost burden lies in the bottom 6.9% nationally. Unemployment lands at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise sits in the bottom 8.2% nationally, and homeownership is in the top 8.4% nationally. On the other hand, modeled energy burden settles in the top 3.1% nationally, distance to an emergency room resides in the top 3.6% nationally, and distance to a community health center registers in the top 4.8% nationally.
A note on the terms: lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 16836, just across the boundary, 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
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 84%
6%
About typical
Preventive CarePartial
healthier than 53%
15%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 11%
19%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 25%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 3%
6%
Not placed: Chronic Disease Burden and Risk Behavior — too little of each is measured here to compare reliably. They still count toward the score (together 38% of it); we just will not publish a standing we cannot stand behind.
No data: Mental Health and Disability — not measured in this ZIP, so it is left out of the score entirely rather than estimated.
“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
16836
Pennsylvaniashares a border
Score 41.68
Closest healthier
16839
Pennsylvaniashares a border
Score 50.09
Similar health profile
52211
Iowa98% similar profile
Score 45.77
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 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.0% | 15.4–23.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.2% | 59.1–69.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.0% | 59.3–66.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.0% | 69.2–83.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.4% | 31.7–45.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | PA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 0.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.3% (2.1–21.6%) n=1,759 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.3% (0.0–16.6%) n=1,753 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.1%) n=1,762 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 37.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (8.9–50.4%) n=1,762 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–9.6%) n=1,755 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–15.6%) n=1,758 |
| Broadband subscription | 97.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.2% (75.7–97.3%) n=1,758 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 7.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.9% (9.9–35.3%) n=1,758 |
| Homeownership rate | 95.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.1% (57.1–94.5%) n=1,758 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.6% (0.0–3.3%) n=1,758 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.4% (0.0–10.2%) n=1,763 |
| Single-parent households | 56.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.3% (38.5–72.8%) n=1,744 |
| Population 65+ | 6.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 21.1% (12.3–31.4%) n=1,763 |
| Median age | 37.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 44.2 yr (33.9–55.5) n=1,752 |
| Median household income | $118,204 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $71,250 ($50,880–$112,747) n=1,642 |
| Median home value | $238,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $197,200 ($99,000–$382,120) n=1,649 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $983 ($701–$1,527) n=1,367 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | PA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.4 yr ± 1.86 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.2 yr (76.0–82.0) n=1,730 |
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 1.86 years of 81.4, 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