ZIP code
19138
in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPopulation 30,821
31.28/ 100
Ranked #30,482 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 5.0%)
Ranked #1,708 of 1,748 Pennsylvania ZIPs (bottom 2.3%)
Ranked #342 of 361 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ZIPs (bottom 5.3%)
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.
Short sleep
48.6%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Walkability
240 intersections/sq mi
in the top 1.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
25.1%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Tooth loss
25.2%
in the top 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›PFOA in drinking water
95.2%
in the top 6.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOA, one of the man-made “forever chemicals,” was detected in EPA testing.
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 ›PFOS in drinking water
95.2%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOS, one of the most common “forever chemicals,” was detected in EPA testing.
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 ›Transit access
4.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST87thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
42.2%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Unemployment rate
11.0%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›The read
Given the gaps in coverage here, ZIP 19138, one of several in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lands in the bottom 5.0% nationally (30,482nd) and the bottom 2.3% of Pennsylvania (1,708th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
On what has been documented so far, the readings are limited but real: walkability is in the top 1.6% nationally, floodplain exposure resides at the national minimum, and transit rests in the top 7.0% nationally. Working the other way, modeled short sleep lies in the top 0.7% nationally, households without a vehicle sits in the top 3.2% nationally, and modeled tooth loss settles in the top 7.0% nationally. PFOA in drinking water registers in the top 6.3% nationally, and PFOS in drinking water stands in the top 6.5% nationally. Housing-cost burden lands in the top 7.9% nationally, and unemployment is in the top 7.9% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, PFOA in drinking water is one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. PFOS in drinking water is a common one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 19095, 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area.
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 91%
6%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 83%
6%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 41%
16%
Preventive CarePartial
healthier than 55%
15%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 18%
19%
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.
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.00%
6%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 88%
6%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 54%
16%
Preventive CarePartial
healthier than 43%
15%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 7%
19%
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
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 74.9 ± 1.5 years. A median household income of $57,744 predicts 77.9 years — 3.0 years below.
Ranked #4,143 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 74.9 ± 1.5 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.8 years — 2.9 years below them.
Ranked #2,250 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
19095
Pennsylvaniashares a border
Score 56.68
Closest healthier
19119
Pennsylvaniashares a border
Score 57.08
Similar health profile
19139
Pennsylvania99% similar profile
Score 27.72
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 | 25.2% | 21.6–29.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.6% | 63.6–71.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 51.0% | 47.7–54.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.2% | 74.9–84.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Short sleep duration among adults | 48.6% | 44.6–52.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | PA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 21.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.3% (2.1–21.6%) n=1,759 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.3% (0.0–16.6%) n=1,753 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.1%) n=1,762 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (8.9–50.4%) n=1,762 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 11.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–9.6%) n=1,755 |
| Households without a vehicle | 25.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–15.6%) n=1,758 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.2% (75.7–97.3%) n=1,758 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 42.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.9% (9.9–35.3%) n=1,758 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.1% (57.1–94.5%) n=1,758 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.6% (0.0–3.3%) n=1,758 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.4% (0.0–10.2%) n=1,763 |
| Single-parent households | 25.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.3% (38.5–72.8%) n=1,744 |
| Population 65+ | 16.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 21.1% (12.3–31.4%) n=1,763 |
| Median age | 39.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 44.2 yr (33.9–55.5) n=1,752 |
| Median household income | $57,744 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $71,250 ($50,880–$112,747) n=1,642 |
| Median home value | $177,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $197,200 ($99,000–$382,120) n=1,649 |
| Median gross rent | $1,169 | $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 | 74.9 yr ± 0.75 | 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 0.75 years of 74.9, 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