ZIP code
23959
in Phenix, VirginiaPopulation 1,154
43.74/ 100
Ranked #23,663 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 26%)
Ranked #696 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (bottom 20%)
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.
Recreation access
1.8 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Fiber broadband
99.5%
in the top 3.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
22.8 mi
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.3%
in the bottom 7.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms 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 ›Energy-cost burden
4.5%
in the top 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›The read
By its overall health score, Phenix, Virginia (ZIP 23959) lands in the bottom 26% nationally (23,663rd) and the bottom 20% of Virginia (696th).
Strengths and concerns sit side by side across the measures here: recreation settles in the top 2.2% nationally, and fiber broadband lies in the top 3.5% nationally. Modeled arsenic resides in the bottom 7.3% nationally, and pfas lands in the bottom 12.3% nationally. Modeled binge drinking registers in the bottom 13.8% nationally, and expected annual loss sits in the bottom 17% nationally. On the other hand, distance to an emergency room rests in the top 4.0% nationally, home broadband subscription is in the bottom 16% nationally, and modeled stroke stands in the top 14.5% nationally. Modeled diabetes settles in the top 14.9% nationally.
To translate a couple of terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 24522, about 1.9 miles away.
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 84%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 63%
13%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 19%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 27%
8%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 27%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 76%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 39%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 21%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 20%
8%
Disability
healthier than 19%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 34%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 29%
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 83.8; chronic-disease standing 16.9 — 67 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,269 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
24522
Virginiaabout 1.9 mi away
Score 48.63
Similar health profile
29638
South Carolina98% similar profile
Score 45.72
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 | 33.7% | 30.1–37.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.1% | 37.8–46.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.4–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.1% | 8.1–10.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.4% | 8.9–12.0 |
| Depression among adults | 24.4% | 20.9–28.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.4% | 14.3–18.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.6% | 37.1–46.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.3% | 32.2–49.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.4% | 12.6–18.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.1% | 8.1–12.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.1% | 77.3–82.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.5% | 77.0–83.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.0% | 83.8–88.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.1% | 63.3–72.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.1% | 57.5–64.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.1% | 69.9–83.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.0% | 10.5–15.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.7% | 14.9–20.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.5% | 25.5–35.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.0% | 32.2–45.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.4% | 21.9–29.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.6% | 16.4–20.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.1–19.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.9% | 15.6–20.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.3% | 34.4–44.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.1–10.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.3% | 9.8–12.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.1% | 17.4–23.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.8–6.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.9% | 6.1–7.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.8% | 19.3–26.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.2% | 15.1–21.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.3% | 14.3–20.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.4% | 11.3–15.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 8.5–11.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.9% | 28.7–39.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.0–10.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 16.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 12.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 79.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 20.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862 |
| Homeownership rate | 89.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.6% | 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 | 46.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 29.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 39.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $78,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | $150,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789 |
| Median gross rent | $748 | $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 | 78.1 yr ± 1.60 | 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 1.60 years of 78.1, 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