ZIP code
24221
in Blackwater, VirginiaPopulation 633
40.64/ 100
Ranked #26,310 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 18%)
Ranked #765 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (bottom 12.4%)
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.
Transportation noise
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
63.6%
in the bottom 3.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
99%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
77.6%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
98.4%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 7.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›High cholesterol
44.3%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
10.5%
in the bottom 10.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
6.3%
in the top 10.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
62.3%
in the bottom 24% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS24thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›The read
On the composite measure, Blackwater, Virginia (ZIP 24221) stands in the bottom 18% nationally (26,310th) and the bottom 12.4% of Virginia (765th).
A balanced set of signals defines this area, not any single one: modeled transportation noise lands at the national minimum, and homeownership settles in the top 5.2% nationally. Modeled tree cover rests in the top 5.9% nationally, and fiber broadband lands in the top 6.0% nationally. Modeled extreme heat settles at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Housing-cost burden rests in the bottom 10.0% nationally. By contrast, home broadband subscription lands in the bottom 3.7% nationally, modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the top 7.3% nationally, and modeled high cholesterol rests in the top 6.0% nationally. Crowded housing lands in the top 10.0% nationally.
Set beside the wider area around it, industrial-pollution burden runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For clarity, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. ZIP 24251, about 5.0 miles away, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.
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.
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 54%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 42%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 59%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 31%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 13%
8%
Disability
healthier than 16%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 69%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 32%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 32%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 17%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 7%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
24244
Virginiashares a border
Score 36.37
Closest healthier
24251
Virginiaabout 5.0 mi away
Score 43.90
Similar health profile
37640
Tennessee99% similar profile
Score 34.84
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 | 37.1% | 34.3–40.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.5% | 40.2–46.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.4% | 9.6–11.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.1% | 10.9–13.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.4% | 8.4–10.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.8% | 10.1–13.7 |
| Depression among adults | 27.3% | 24.4–30.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.5% | 14.8–18.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 44.3% | 41.0–47.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.3% | 34.6–46.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.4% | 14.9–20.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.1% | 7.9–12.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.7% | 78.5–82.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.5% | 77.9–82.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.0% | 85.2–88.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.3% | 58.8–65.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.9% | 56.0–61.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.0% | 66.2–77.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.0% | 11.2–14.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.9% | 16.9–23.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.4% | 27.0–35.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.6% | 33.0–42.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.7% | 22.2–29.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.0% | 17.1–20.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.6% | 16.6–20.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.4% | 16.2–20.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.3% | 35.8–44.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–10.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.4% | 9.9–13.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.3% | 18.6–24.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.8–6.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.6% | 5.8–7.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.4% | 17.7–23.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.3% | 13.5–19.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 16.0% | 13.2–19.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.7% | 10.0–13.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.8% | 7.6–10.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.5% | 28.6–36.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.3% | 7.2–9.6 |
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 | 5.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 28.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 13.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 63.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 10.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862 |
| Homeownership rate | 99.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 6.3% | 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 | 73.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 34.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 59.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $47,788 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | $119,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 75.1 yr ± 1.01 | 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 1.01 years of 75.1, 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