ZIP code

19938

in Clayton, DelawarePopulation 9,561

ZipVitals Score

How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

50.71/ 100

Ranked #15,252 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 48%)

Ranked #39 of 64 Delaware ZIPs (bottom 39%)

Ranked #4 of 16 Dover, DE ZIPs (top 25%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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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.

Nitrate in drinking water

6.1%

in the top 3.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST58th

US96th

Definition & source ›

The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams per liter.

A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.

Full methodology ›

The read

On the composite measure, Clayton, Delaware (ZIP 19938) stands in the top 48% healthiest ZIPs nationally (15,252nd) and the bottom 39% of Delaware (39th).

Several of the strongest readings define how this area looks: homeownership registers in the top 13.9% nationally, and lead in tap water lies in the bottom 14.6% nationally. Modeled hearing disability is in the bottom 22% nationally. On the other hand, modeled nitrate registers in the top 3.9% nationally, and obesity lies in the top 11.7% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Recreation registers at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs. Physicians lies at the national minimum, shared with about 38% of ZIPs. Childcare is at the national minimum, shared with about 42% of ZIPs. Modeled short sleep registers in the top 21% nationally.

For clarity, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. ZIP 19734, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.

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 Dover, DE metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare withinUnited StatesDelawareMetro area

DomainHow this ZIP comparesShare

Lifting this score

healthier than most of the United States

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 61%

14%

Disability

healthier than 61%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 68%

About typical

close to the middle of the United States

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 48%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 48%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 49%

13%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 55%

Holding it back

less healthy than most of the United States

Risk Behavior

healthier than 38%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 33%

DomainHow this ZIP comparesShare

Lifting this score

healthier than most of Delaware

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 62%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 70%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 82%

About typical

close to the middle of Delaware

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 41%

16%

Disability

healthier than 51%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 51%

Holding it back

less healthy than most of Delaware

Preventive Care

healthier than 25%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 25%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 15%

DomainHow this ZIP comparesShare

Lifting this score

healthier than most of this metro area

Chronic Disease Burden

in the top 0.00%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 79%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 86%

14%

Disability

healthier than 79%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 71%

About typical

close to the middle of this metro area

Risk Behavior

healthier than 50%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 50%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 57%

Holding it back

less healthy than most of this metro area

Preventive Care

healthier than 29%

13%

“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.

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	28.2%	25.5–31.2
High blood pressure among adults	36.9%	33.5–40.5
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults	8.3%	7.6–9.1
Current asthma among adults	12.3%	11.0–13.8
Coronary heart disease among adults	6.1%	5.5–6.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults	7.5%	6.5–8.5
Depression among adults	24.1%	21.0–27.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults	12.6%	11.2–14.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened	38.9%	35.2–42.8
Obesity among adults	42.3%	36.2–48.7
Stroke among adults	3.4%	3.1–3.7
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years	11.8%	9.9–14.1

PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS

Measure	Crude prevalence	95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years	8.6%	7.2–10.2
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure	76.0%	73.1–78.7
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults	80.6%	77.5–83.6
Cholesterol screening among adults	86.4%	84.5–88.1
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years	65.0%	60.7–69.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults	62.7%	59.1–66.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years	73.5%	67.0–79.2

Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS

Measure	Crude prevalence	95% CI
Binge drinking among adults	14.7%	12.4–17.3
Current cigarette smoking among adults	14.7%	12.4–16.9
No leisure-time physical activity among adults	29.4%	25.3–33.7
Short sleep duration among adults	39.4%	34.3–44.5

Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS

Measure	Crude prevalence	95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults	19.6%	17.2–22.0
Frequent mental distress among adults	18.1%	16.1–20.3
Frequent physical distress among adults	14.4%	12.8–16.0

DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS

Measure	Crude prevalence	95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults	14.7%	12.9–16.6
Any disability among adults	32.9%	29.2–36.8
Hearing disability among adults	6.4%	5.7–7.1
Independent living disability among adults	8.3%	7.3–9.3
Mobility disability among adults	15.0%	13.1–16.8
Self-care disability among adults	3.7%	3.3–4.1
Vision disability among adults	4.7%	4.2–5.2

Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS

Measure	Crude prevalence	95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults	22.1%	19.3–25.4
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults	13.4%	11.6–15.5
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults	11.8%	9.9–14.1
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults	12.1%	10.5–13.9
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults	7.5%	6.6–8.6
Loneliness among adults	34.1%	30.4–38.2
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults	7.4%	6.4–8.6

Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed

Measure	Value	US median (p10–p90)	DE median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate	6.0%	10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364	8.2% (2.4–16.7%) n=62
Uninsured 18–64	6.9%	9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286	7.8% (3.2–18.9%) n=63
No HS diploma (25+)	9.4%	7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505	8.1% (3.2–15.9%) n=63
Bachelor's or higher (25+)	24.4%	23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505	31.1% (13.0–59.9%) n=63
Unemployment rate (16+)	2.1%	3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274	4.6% (1.9–8.9%) n=63
Households without a vehicle	1.9%	3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322	3.6% (0.0–9.1%) n=62
Broadband subscription	90.5%	89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322	92.8% (85.5–97.0%) n=62
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)	21.4%	23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322	25.1% (17.0–38.0%) n=62
Homeownership rate	91.8%	78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322	81.6% (59.5–92.0%) n=62
Crowded housing (>1 per room)	2.0%	1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322	1.1% (0.0–4.8%) n=62
Foreign-born population	5.4%	2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553	7.1% (1.1–16.0%) n=64
Single-parent households	49.4%	53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087	52.4% (43.2–77.6%) n=62
Population 65+	13.5%	19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553	19.2% (13.0–42.2%) n=64
Median age	39.4 yr	42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292	41.5 yr (34.9–62.0) n=64
Median household income	$99,596	$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318	$82,604 ($60,703–$125,491) n=61
Median home value	$381,000	$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049	$322,500 ($243,800–$534,600) n=61
Median gross rent	$1,582	$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670	$1,370 ($1,106–$1,655) n=55

Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based

Measure	Value	US median (p10–p90)	DE median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled.

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Statistically similar ZIPs nationally

Similar means a ZIP whose health profile is shaped like this one’s — the same pattern of strengths and weaknesses across the nine health domains behind the Score, not similar demographics or income. The percentage is how closely the two patterns line up. A very similar ZIP can still have a different overall Score.

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44666Ohio95% similar
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as of 2026

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