ZIP code
23109
in Mathews, VirginiaPopulation 2,327
54.60/ 100
Ranked #9,956 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 31%)
Ranked #284 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (top 33%)
Ranked #53 of 123 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
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.
Grocery access
1.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Outpatient-care access
1.7 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics 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 ›Pharmacy access
1.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies 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 ›Elder-services access
0.55 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
9.0%
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Unemployment rate
13.3%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Recreation access
1.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a community health center
17.6 mi
in the top 9.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS90thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
13 mi
in the top 9.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS90thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
0.55 per 1,000 residents
in the top 11.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS89thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Mathews, Virginia (ZIP 23109) sits in the top 31% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,956th) and the top 33% of Virginia (284th).
An even profile, with readings pulling both ways: grocery stands in the top 0.3% nationally, outpatient resides in the top 0.6% nationally, and pharmacy sits in the top 0.8% nationally. Elder services stands in the top 2.1% nationally, recreation resides in the top 7.1% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility sits in the top 9.9% nationally. Civic stands in the top 11.0% nationally. Against that, outer-floodplain exposure resides in the top 4.2% nationally, and unemployment sits in the top 5.1% nationally. Distance to a community health center stands in the top 9.8% nationally.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, 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. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 23076, 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 85%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 96%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 94%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 64%
8%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 26%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 25%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 81%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 92%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 83%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 42%
21%
Disability
healthier than 55%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 10%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 11%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 85%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 76%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 87%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 84%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 78%
8%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 51%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 18%
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 95.7 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 25.8 — 70 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,078 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.
Nearby
23025
Virginiashares a border
Score 53.03
Closest healthier
23076
Virginiashares a border
Score 55.84
Similar health profile
27808
North Carolina96% similar profile
Score 52.67
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 | 34.9% | 31.2–38.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.8% | 37.4–46.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.8% | 10.7–12.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.4–12.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.3–9.6 |
| Depression among adults | 23.2% | 19.7–27.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.5% | 12.5–16.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.3% | 38.6–48.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.4% | 26.5–42.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.6% | 10.1–15.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.2% | 6.0–8.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.9% | 80.3–85.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.4% | 79.2–85.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.7% | 88.2–91.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.7% | 68.1–77.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 69.1% | 65.8–72.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.4% | 72.6–85.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.9% | 10.5–15.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.4% | 10.4–14.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.6% | 21.2–30.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.5% | 26.3–38.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.4% | 16.7–22.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.4–17.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.9% | 13.1–16.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.8% | 12.1–15.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.9% | 31.3–40.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.4% | 8.3–10.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.4–9.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.8% | 15.5–20.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.5–4.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.7% | 16.6–23.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 8.4–12.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 6.8–9.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.6–9.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 5.2–6.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.8% | 27.0–37.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.2% | 4.4–6.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 28.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 13.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 14.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=862 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.9% (0.0–17.0%) n=874 |
| Single-parent households | 60.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 25.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 44.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $79,196 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | $310,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789 |
| Median gross rent | $859 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,144 ($742–$2,191) n=615 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 yr ± 0.88 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 77.6 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 0.88 years of 81.2, 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