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ZipVitals

ZIP code

19939

in Dagsboro, DelawarePopulation 7,490

55.10/ 100

Ranked #9,345 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 29%)

Ranked #28 of 64 Delaware ZIPs (top 44%)

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

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

High cholesterol

49.1%

in the top 0.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST87th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.

Full methodology ›

Nitrate in drinking water

3.7%

in the top 4.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST51st
US95th
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 ›

Distance to a Superfund site

0.4 mi

in the bottom 5.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST20th
US5th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

28.3%

in the bottom 9.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST22nd
US9th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Mammography

81.1%

in the top 6.4% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST90th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.

Full methodology ›

Colon-cancer screening

73.1%

in the top 7.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST85th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

92.1%

in the top 13.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST90th
US87th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

10.9 mi

in the top 18% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US82nd
Definition & 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 ›

Coronary heart disease

9.3%

in the top 17% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US83rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.

Full methodology ›

Dry extreme heat

0.1 days/year

in the bottom 23% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST9th
US23rd
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.

Full methodology ›

The read

Overall, Dagsboro, Delaware (ZIP 19939) places in the top 29% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,345th) and the top 44% of Delaware (28th).

continue reading

The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: modeled loneliness stands in the bottom 9.0% nationally, and mammography registers in the top 6.4% nationally. Modeled colon screening settles in the top 7.0% nationally, and homeownership sits in the top 13.5% nationally. Modeled short sleep lies in the bottom 14.0% nationally, and binge drinking rests in the bottom 13.0% nationally. On the other side, modeled high cholesterol resides in the top 0.5% nationally, modeled nitrate is in the top 4.7% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site lands in the bottom 5.3% nationally. Floodplain exposure stands in the top 10.7% nationally.

Beside the areas that surround it, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 19930, 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.

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

Compare within

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 79%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 75%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 95%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 83%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 86%

8%

About typical

Disability

healthier than 53%

7%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 21%

21%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 24%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 21%

5%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 62%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 85%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 80%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 69%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 75%

8%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 18%

21%

Disability

healthier than 38%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 20%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 10%

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

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.

  • Clean environment, heavy chronic burden

    Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions

    Environmental-hazard standing 75.1; chronic-disease standing 21.3 — 54 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #2,191 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, 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 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults35.0%31.6–38.4
High blood pressure among adults43.5%39.6–47.3
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults12.5%11.4–13.7
Current asthma among adults10.5%9.2–11.7
Coronary heart disease among adults9.3%8.2–10.5
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults9.1%7.7–10.5
Depression among adults20.7%17.7–23.8
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.8%12.0–15.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened49.1%45.1–53.0
Obesity among adults33.2%27.6–38.9
Stroke among adults4.4%3.9–4.9
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years9.2%7.6–11.1
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years8.5%7.0–9.9
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure83.8%81.3–86.0
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults83.9%81.0–86.3
Cholesterol screening among adults90.3%88.9–91.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years73.1%69.4–76.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults65.6%62.3–69.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years81.1%76.3–85.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults12.9%10.9–15.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults13.9%11.7–16.4
No leisure-time physical activity among adults27.0%22.8–31.3
Short sleep duration among adults30.9%26.7–36.0
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults19.2%16.6–21.9
Frequent mental distress among adults13.6%12.0–15.3
Frequent physical distress among adults14.7%13.0–16.6
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults11.9%10.2–13.5
Any disability among adults31.6%27.7–35.6
Hearing disability among adults9.3%8.1–10.4
Independent living disability among adults8.0%6.9–9.0
Mobility disability among adults16.3%14.0–18.6
Self-care disability among adults4.0%3.5–4.5
Vision disability among adults4.9%4.3–5.6
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults18.5%15.9–21.2
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults11.0%9.4–12.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.1%7.5–10.9
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.2%7.0–9.4
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.9%5.2–6.8
Loneliness among adults28.3%24.9–31.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.5%4.7–6.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)DE median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate5.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.2% (2.4–16.7%) n=62
Uninsured 18–6412.2%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.8% (3.2–18.9%) n=63
No HS diploma (25+)7.6%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5058.1% (3.2–15.9%) n=63
Bachelor's or higher (25+)36.3%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50531.1% (13.0–59.9%) n=63
Unemployment rate (16+)2.7%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.6% (1.9–8.9%) n=63
Households without a vehicle0.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.6% (0.0–9.1%) n=62
Broadband subscription92.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32292.8% (85.5–97.0%) n=62
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)24.3%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32225.1% (17.0–38.0%) n=62
Homeownership rate92.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32281.6% (59.5–92.0%) n=62
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.8%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.1% (0.0–4.8%) n=62
Foreign-born population2.3%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5537.1% (1.1–16.0%) n=64
Single-parent households72.9%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08752.4% (43.2–77.6%) n=62
Population 65+36.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.2% (13.0–42.2%) n=64
Median age57.9 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.5 yr (34.9–62.0) n=64
Median household income$89,806$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$82,604 ($60,703–$125,491) n=61
Median home value$420,700$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$322,500 ($243,800–$534,600) n=61
Median gross rent$1,317$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,370 ($1,106–$1,655) n=55
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)DE median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth78.8 yr ± 0.8078.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30877.6 yr (75.5–81.2) n=61

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 0.80 years of 78.8, 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