ZIP code
23954
in Meherrin, VirginiaPopulation 2,396
42.84/ 100
Ranked #24,517 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 24%)
Ranked #719 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (bottom 18%)
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.
Diabetes
19%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
20.9 mi
in the top 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
18.9 mi
in the top 5.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
27.3%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
12.2%
in the bottom 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST17thUS8thDefinition & 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 ›Stroke
5.4%
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Obesity
43.8%
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
46.2%
in the top 9.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 11.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS12thDefinition & 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 ›Utility shut-off threat
12.0%
in the top 14.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS86thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›The read
In its overall standing, Meherrin, Virginia (ZIP 23954) lands in the bottom 24% nationally (24,517th) and the bottom 18% of Virginia (719th).
This area's measures are easy to read as a mixed set: distance to a hazardous-chemical facility rests in the top 5.4% nationally, modeled binge drinking registers in the bottom 7.9% nationally, and modeled tree cover resides in the top 10.9% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the bottom 11.6% nationally. Set against that, modeled diabetes is in the top 5.6% nationally, and distance to an emergency room sits in the top 4.9% nationally. Poverty lands in the top 8.7% nationally, and modeled stroke lies in the top 8.9% nationally. Modeled obesity stands in the top 6.7% nationally, and high blood pressure rests in the top 9.4% nationally.
Put simply, 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. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. On the overall standing, ZIP 23901, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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 82%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 33%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 72%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 51%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 20%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 15%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 27%
8%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 37%
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 81.8; chronic-disease standing 11.3 — 71 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,044 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
23901
Virginiashares a border
Score 46.40
Closest healthier
23942
Virginiashares a border
Score 43.74
Similar health profile
23004
Virginia99% similar profile
Score 40.41
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 | 34.1% | 31.2–37.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.2% | 42.7–49.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.0% | 7.4–8.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.2% | 11.0–13.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.6% | 7.8–9.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.0% | 8.9–11.2 |
| Depression among adults | 23.3% | 20.5–26.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.0% | 17.0–21.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.7% | 38.1–45.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.8% | 37.6–50.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.4% | 4.9–5.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.9% | 16.3–21.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.3% | 8.7–12.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.6% | 79.5–83.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.4% | 78.7–84.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.0% | 85.4–88.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.8% | 66.0–73.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.5% | 57.5–63.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.5% | 71.0–81.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.2% | 10.3–14.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.9% | 15.5–20.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.3% | 28.0–36.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 40.6% | 35.3–46.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 26.4% | 23.5–29.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.7% | 16.9–20.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.4–18.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.8% | 16.0–19.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.2% | 35.1–43.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.7% | 6.9–8.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.3% | 10.1–12.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.1% | 18.8–23.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.4–6.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.7–8.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 25.7% | 22.6–28.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.7% | 19.0–24.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 21.1% | 18.4–23.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.9% | 14.9–18.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.4% | 10.2–12.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.5% | 31.3–39.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 10.6–13.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 27.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 86.8% | 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 | 62.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=862 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.9% (0.0–17.0%) n=874 |
| Single-parent households | 56.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 16.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 38.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $77,756 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | $170,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789 |
| Median gross rent | $742 | $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 | 75.3 yr ± 0.73 | 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 0.73 years of 75.3, 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