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ZipVitals

ZIP code

18704

in Swoyersville, PennsylvaniaPopulation 31,149

49.07/ 100

Ranked #17,560 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 45%)

Ranked #996 of 1,748 Pennsylvania ZIPs (bottom 43%)

Ranked #46 of 73 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA ZIPs (bottom 37%)

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.

Physician access

2.8 per 1,000 residents

in the top 3.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US96th
Definition & 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 ›

Dental provider access

1.1 per 1,000 residents

in the top 5.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST95th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The number of dental 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 ›

Transit access

4.3 per 1,000 residents

in the top 6.4% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST88th
US94th
Definition & 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 ›

Recreation access

1 per 1,000 residents

in the top 9.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST90th
US91st
Definition & 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 ›

Elder-services access

0.16 per 1,000 residents

in the top 9.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST91st
US91st
Definition & source ›

The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›

Walkability

100 intersections/sq mi

in the top 10.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST86th
US90th
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Subsidized affordable housing

210 units

in the top 11.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US89th
Definition & source ›

The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.

Full methodology ›

Distance to an emergency room

0.3 mi

in the bottom 13.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US13th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the top 17% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US83rd
Definition & 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 ›

Floodplain exposure

15.7%

in the top 24% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST90th
US76th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.

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 ›

The read

With only part of the picture in hand, Swoyersville, Pennsylvania (ZIP 18704) lands in the bottom 45% nationally (17,560th) and the bottom 43% of Pennsylvania (996th), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

With coverage still limited, the data points to what it can here: physicians lands in the top 3.9% nationally, dental providers resides in the top 5.2% nationally, and transit lies in the top 6.4% nationally. Recreation settles in the top 9.0% nationally, and elder services stands in the top 9.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat is at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Walkability rests in the top 10.0% nationally. Distance to a community health center sits at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Subsidized affordable housing registers in the top 11.5% nationally, and childcare lands in the top 11.5% nationally.

Compared with the ZIPs that surround it, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain language, extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. ZIP 18644, just across the boundary, ranks healthier 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

Preventive CarePartial

healthier than 62%

15%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 93%

6%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 47%

19%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 49%

6%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 33%

16%

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 ›

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 what income predicts

    The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes

    Estimated life expectancy is 76.4 ± 1.1 years. A median household income of $64,444 predicts 78.3 years — 2.0 years below.

    Ranked #2,601 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.8%12.0–17.9
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.2%62.3–71.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults62.6%58.9–66.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.4%68.8–82.9
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Short sleep duration among adults38.8%32.8–45.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)PA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate15.8%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3649.3% (2.1–21.6%) n=1,759
Uninsured 18–647.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2866.3% (0.0–16.6%) n=1,753
No HS diploma (25+)7.2%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5057.0% (1.5–16.1%) n=1,762
Bachelor's or higher (25+)27.2%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50521.9% (8.9–50.4%) n=1,762
Unemployment rate (16+)7.3%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.9% (0.0–9.6%) n=1,755
Households without a vehicle8.6%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.8% (0.0–15.6%) n=1,758
Broadband subscription91.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.2% (75.7–97.3%) n=1,758
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)27.1%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.9% (9.9–35.3%) n=1,758
Homeownership rate60.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32280.1% (57.1–94.5%) n=1,758
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.6% (0.0–3.3%) n=1,758
Foreign-born population4.8%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.4% (0.0–10.2%) n=1,763
Single-parent households49.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.3% (38.5–72.8%) n=1,744
Population 65+19.8%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55321.1% (12.3–31.4%) n=1,763
Median age41.3 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29244.2 yr (33.9–55.5) n=1,752
Median household income$64,444$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$71,250 ($50,880–$112,747) n=1,642
Median home value$162,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$197,200 ($99,000–$382,120) n=1,649
Median gross rent$1,006$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$983 ($701–$1,527) n=1,367
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)PA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth76.4 yr ± 0.5778.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30879.2 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 0.57 years of 76.4, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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