ZIP code
23970
in South Hill, VirginiaPopulation 8,109
42.17/ 100
Ranked #25,062 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 22%)
Ranked #733 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (bottom 16%)
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.
Outpatient-care access
1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Mental-health provider access
0.25 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health 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 ›Physician access
3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of physicians’ offices 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 ›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 ›Grocery access
0.25 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
11.4%
in the bottom 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS4thDefinition & 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
5.6%
in the top 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 8.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS8thDefinition & 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 ›Mobility disability
22.1%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
73.9%
in the bottom 8.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST15thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›The read
South Hill, Virginia (ZIP 23970), overall, ranks in the bottom 22% nationally (25,062nd) and the bottom 16% of Virginia (733rd).
Taken together, the data gives a genuinely mixed reading: outpatient resides in the top 1.9% nationally, mental-health providers settles in the top 2.9% nationally, and physicians is in the top 3.5% nationally. Grocery sits in the top 5.0% nationally, modeled binge drinking lands in the bottom 4.3% nationally, and modeled industrial-pollution burden lies in the bottom 8.3% nationally. On the other side, modeled diabetes stands in the top 5.6% nationally, and stroke rests in the top 6.9% nationally. Modeled mobility disability registers in the top 9.3% nationally, and home broadband subscription resides in the bottom 8.9% nationally.
Defined simply, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. ZIP 23915, just across the boundary, comes out healthier overall.
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 61%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 57%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 45%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 9%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 34%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 32%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 38%
8%
Disability
healthier than 13%
7%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 28%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 32%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 17%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 36%
8%
Disability
healthier than 12%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 39%
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
2 of our published findings list 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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 74.4 ± 1.8 years. A median household income of $65,170 predicts 78.4 years — 4.0 years below.
Ranked #5,072 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 61.1; chronic-disease standing 9.1 (bottom 10%) — 52 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,337 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
23915
Virginiashares a border
Score 43.67
Closest healthier
23919
Virginiashares a border
Score 49.33
Similar health profile
23303
Virginia99% similar profile
Score 36.76
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 | 35.2% | 32.0–38.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.5% | 42.7–50.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.9% | 8.1–9.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.2% | 10.8–13.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.4% | 9.3–11.6 |
| Depression among adults | 23.3% | 20.2–26.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.0% | 16.9–21.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.8% | 37.9–45.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.0% | 36.5–50.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.8% | 16.6–23.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.7% | 9.2–12.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.5% | 79.3–83.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.1% | 79.3–84.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.3% | 85.7–88.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.2% | 60.4–69.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.5% | 55.0–62.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.6% | 67.4–80.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.4% | 9.4–13.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.5% | 15.4–20.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 33.2% | 29.0–37.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.2% | 35.1–47.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 26.8% | 24.0–30.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.0% | 16.2–20.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.5% | 15.7–19.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.7% | 15.9–19.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.3% | 35.2–43.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.7–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.9% | 10.7–13.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.1% | 19.8–24.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.2% | 5.7–6.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.9% | 7.2–8.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.6% | 21.3–28.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.7% | 18.9–24.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 21.6% | 18.9–24.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.5% | 14.4–18.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.3% | 30.6–40.1 |
| 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 | 16.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 73.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=862 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.9% (0.0–17.0%) n=874 |
| Single-parent households | 51.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 23.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 45.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $65,170 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | $205,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789 |
| Median gross rent | $1,098 | $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 | 74.4 yr ± 0.90 | 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 0.90 years of 74.4, 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