ZIP code
23937
in Drakes Branch, VirginiaPopulation 1,915
38.49/ 100
Ranked #27,726 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 13.6%)
Ranked #800 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (bottom 8.4%)
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
0.54 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.3% 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 ›Stroke
6.0%
in the top 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
19.5%
in the top 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
52.2 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
23.5%
in the top 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
19.8 mi
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
6.7%
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
11.7%
in the bottom 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
16.7 mi
in the top 6.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Independent-living disability
12.7%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Full methodology ›The read
Drakes Branch, Virginia (ZIP 23937), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 13.6% nationally (27,726th) and the bottom 8.4% of Virginia (800th).
The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: grocery settles in the top 1.3% nationally, modeled binge drinking stands in the bottom 5.3% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is in the top 6.8% nationally. Working the other way, modeled stroke rests in the top 4.1% nationally, modeled diabetes sits in the top 4.6% nationally, and fatal road crashes registers in the top 3.4% nationally. Modeled mobility disability lands in the top 5.8% nationally, and distance to an emergency room resides in the top 5.6% nationally. Modeled self-care disability lies in the top 7.4% nationally, and independent living disability settles in the top 7.9% nationally.
In everyday language, 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. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 23923, 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.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 59%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 5%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 21%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 28%
8%
Disability
healthier than 8%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 36%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 74%
14%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 7%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 7%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 33%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 10%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 21%
8%
Disability
healthier than 7%
7%
“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 82.8; chronic-disease standing 5.4 (bottom 10%) — 77 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #632 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
23923
Virginiashares a border
Score 41.85
Closest healthier
23924
Virginiashares a border
Score 42.22
Similar health profile
22436
Virginia99% similar profile
Score 35.57
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 | 36.2% | 33.0–39.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.6% | 42.8–50.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.1% | 8.4–9.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.3% | 11.0–13.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.3% | 9.3–11.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.9% | 10.6–13.1 |
| Depression among adults | 23.8% | 20.7–27.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.5% | 17.5–21.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.0% | 39.0–47.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.7% | 36.5–51.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 6.0% | 5.5–6.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.9% | 16.9–22.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.6% | 9.9–13.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.9% | 79.6–84.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.8% | 78.8–84.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.5% | 85.0–88.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.0% | 63.4–72.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.7% | 53.3–60.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.6% | 68.9–81.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.7% | 9.6–13.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.5% | 17.1–22.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.5% | 30.0–39.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.2% | 35.1–47.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 29.0% | 25.9–32.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.9% | 17.0–21.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.7% | 16.8–20.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.9% | 16.9–21.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 42.3% | 38.2–46.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.7–10.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.7% | 11.4–14.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 23.5% | 21.0–26.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.1–7.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.6–9.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.5% | 21.3–28.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 22.6% | 19.9–25.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 22.6% | 19.9–25.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.4% | 14.3–18.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.8% | 10.5–13.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.7% | 30.1–39.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 11.8% | 10.4–13.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 29.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 10.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 72.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=862 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.9% (0.0–17.0%) n=874 |
| Single-parent households | 45.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 17.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 45.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $42,818 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | $85,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789 |
| Median gross rent | $1,050 | $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 | 76.3 yr ± 0.82 | 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 0.82 years of 76.3, 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