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ZIP code

24219

in Big Stone Gap, VirginiaPopulation 10,450

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

45.49/ 100

Ranked #21,873 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 32%)

Ranked #636 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (bottom 27%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Mental-health provider access

0.29 per 1,000 residents

in the top 2.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US98th
Definition & 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 ›

Park land

22.6%

in the top 6.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST90th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

76.9%

in the top 6.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST89th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.

Full methodology ›

Obesity

43.1%

in the top 8.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US91st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.

Full methodology ›

Elder-services access

0.096 per 1,000 residents

in the top 16% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST91st
US84th
Definition & 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 ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the top 25% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US75th
Definition & source ›

FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

20 per million

in the bottom 25% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US25th
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.

Full methodology ›

The read

In its overall standing, Big Stone Gap, Virginia (ZIP 24219) lands in the bottom 32% nationally (21,873rd) and the bottom 27% of Virginia (636th).

continue reading

Reading the numbers as a whole, the picture lands somewhere in between: mental-health providers resides in the top 2.2% nationally. Distance to an emergency room settles at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Park land is in the top 6.1% nationally, and modeled tree cover sits in the top 6.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled arsenic lies in the bottom 11.4% nationally, and outpatient stands in the top 12.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home rests at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other side, lead in tap water registers in the top 11.3% nationally, and modeled obesity resides in the top 8.6% nationally.

Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. On the overall standing, ZIP 24293, about 3.3 miles away, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 73%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 65%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 82%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 45%

16%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 27%

21%

Preventive Care

healthier than 36%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 36%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 17%

8%

Disability

healthier than 26%

7%

Lifting this score

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 79%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 91%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 43%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 58%

14%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 38%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 13%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 21%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 10%

8%

Disability

healthier than 31%

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.

  • Below what income predicts

    The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes

    Estimated life expectancy is 74.1 ± 2.1 years. A median household income of $55,252 predicts 77.7 years — 3.6 years below.

    Ranked #4,800 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults31.7%28.7–35.2
High blood pressure among adults41.3%37.4–45.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.0%8.2–9.8
Current asthma among adults11.4%10.1–12.7
Coronary heart disease among adults8.1%7.3–9.0
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults9.8%8.8–11.0
Depression among adults25.7%22.3–29.5
Diagnosed diabetes among adults14.6%12.8–16.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.7%35.9–43.9
Obesity among adults43.1%36.2–51.2
Stroke among adults4.2%3.9–4.6
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years13.8%11.7–16.4
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years10.5%8.7–12.5
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure76.0%73.2–78.7
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.3%74.7–81.6
Cholesterol screening among adults84.6%82.4–86.4
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years66.5%62.1–70.7
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults61.0%57.8–64.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years73.2%66.4–79.3
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.5%12.0–17.5
Current cigarette smoking among adults18.6%16.0–21.4
No leisure-time physical activity among adults30.0%25.7–35.1
Short sleep duration among adults35.9%30.4–41.7
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults23.3%20.5–26.5
Frequent mental distress among adults19.4%17.4–21.8
Frequent physical distress among adults16.6%14.8–18.7
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults18.2%16.2–20.4
Any disability among adults37.8%33.6–42.7
Hearing disability among adults8.5%7.6–9.5
Independent living disability among adults10.5%9.3–11.7
Mobility disability among adults17.7%15.7–20.1
Self-care disability among adults4.8%4.3–5.3
Vision disability among adults6.1%5.5–6.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.4%19.4–25.7
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults16.9%14.3–19.5
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults15.5%13.2–18.0
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.8%11.0–14.7
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.5%8.3–10.7
Loneliness among adults36.1%31.5–40.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.0%7.9–10.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)VA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate18.5%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3649.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863
Uninsured 18–648.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2868.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861
No HS diploma (25+)16.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5059.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872
Bachelor's or higher (25+)14.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50526.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872
Unemployment rate (16+)5.3%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860
Households without a vehicle9.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862
Broadband subscription86.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)23.9%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32223.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862
Homeownership rate69.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32278.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.1%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.0%) n=862
Foreign-born population0.8%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5532.9% (0.0–17.0%) n=874
Single-parent households57.9%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08754.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855
Population 65+18.6%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874
Median age43.3 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29243.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864
Median household income$55,252$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804
Median home value$160,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789
Median gross rent$794$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$1,144 ($742–$2,191) n=615
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)VA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth74.1 yr ± 1.0678.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30877.6 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 1.06 years of 74.1, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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