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ZIP code

22546

in Ruther Glen, VirginiaPopulation 18,392

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

50.84/ 100

Ranked #15,087 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 47%)

Ranked #430 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (top 49%)

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.

Industrial-pollution burden

in the top 11.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US88th
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.

Full methodology ›

The read

On the composite measure, Ruther Glen, Virginia (ZIP 22546) stands in the top 47% healthiest ZIPs nationally (15,087th) and the top 49% of Virginia (430th).

continue reading

Several of the strongest readings define how this area looks: modeled tree cover lands in the top 16% nationally, and arsenic settles in the bottom 18% nationally. Modeled hearing disability rests in the bottom 19% nationally. On the other hand, modeled industrial-pollution burden lands in the top 11.8% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility settles at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Modeled obesity rests in the top 13.9% nationally, modeled loneliness lands in the top 20% nationally, and distance to an emergency room settles in the top 21% nationally. Park land rests at the national minimum, shared with about 48% of ZIPs. Modeled short sleep lands in the top 24% nationally.

For clarity, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. 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. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. ZIP 23009, 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.

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

Compare within

Nothing measured is lifting this score.

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 50%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 51%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 52%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 60%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 43%

11%

Disability

healthier than 50%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 42%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 52%

5%

Holding it back

Mental Health

healthier than 39%

8%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 66%

21%

Disability

healthier than 61%

7%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 44%

16%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 59%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 30%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 35%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 27%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 38%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 32%

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.

  • Above its nearby ZIPs

    The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors

    Estimated life expectancy is 80.0 ± 1.7 years. The 48 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.5 years — 2.6 years above them.

    Ranked #1,096 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.

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 adults27.8%24.6–31.1
High blood pressure among adults38.1%33.9–42.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.1%6.5–7.9
Current asthma among adults11.4%10.1–12.9
Coronary heart disease among adults6.3%5.7–7.0
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.3%6.5–8.1
Depression among adults23.4%19.9–27.1
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.5%11.8–15.3
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened37.9%33.5–42.3
Obesity among adults41.8%33.5–50.3
Stroke among adults3.8%3.5–4.1
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.7%12.3–17.9
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.3%8.0–10.8
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure76.9%73.9–79.5
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.8%75.2–82.1
Cholesterol screening among adults86.7%85.0–88.3
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.8%63.4–72.7
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults64.7%61.6–68.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.1%70.6–83.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.9%12.1–17.9
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.3%13.1–17.5
No leisure-time physical activity among adults27.1%22.9–31.6
Short sleep duration among adults39.0%33.1–46.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults20.7%18.2–23.3
Frequent mental distress among adults17.8%15.8–20.0
Frequent physical distress among adults14.2%12.5–15.9
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults16.0%14.2–17.9
Any disability among adults32.4%28.2–36.6
Hearing disability among adults6.2%5.5–7.0
Independent living disability among adults9.0%8.0–10.0
Mobility disability among adults15.3%13.5–17.3
Self-care disability among adults4.2%3.8–4.6
Vision disability among adults5.4%4.9–5.9
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.7%20.3–27.2
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults16.1%14.0–18.4
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults14.3%12.4–16.3
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.4%11.7–15.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults8.8%7.8–9.9
Loneliness among adults35.5%30.2–40.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults8.9%7.8–10.2
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)VA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate12.1%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3649.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863
Uninsured 18–647.1%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2868.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861
No HS diploma (25+)9.5%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872
Bachelor's or higher (25+)21.6%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50526.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872
Unemployment rate (16+)5.3%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860
Households without a vehicle3.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862
Broadband subscription88.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)27.3%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32223.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862
Homeownership rate85.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32278.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.2%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=862
Foreign-born population6.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5532.9% (0.0–17.0%) n=874
Single-parent households46.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08754.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855
Population 65+14.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874
Median age37.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29243.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864
Median household income$89,247$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804
Median home value$301,100$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789
Median gross rent$1,676$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,144 ($742–$2,191) n=615
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)VA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth80.0 yr ± 0.8578.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30877.6 yr (74.5–81.4) n=826

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 0.85 years of 80.0, 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