ZIP code
24442
in Head Waters, VirginiaPopulation 68
56.46/ 100
Ranked #7,805 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 24%)
Ranked #228 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (top 26%)
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.
Tree cover
90%
in the top 1.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
18.5%
in the top 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Park land
61.9%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
75.9%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
22.1 mi
in the top 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & 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
18.4 mi
in the top 5.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
7.4%
in the bottom 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
12.8 mi
in the top 7.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›The read
Head Waters, Virginia (ZIP 24442), by its composite score, sits in the top 24% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,805th) and the top 26% of Virginia (228th).
The measures land in both directions, and neither dominates: modeled tree cover resides in the top 1.3% nationally, and park land is in the top 1.5% nationally. Poverty lands at the national minimum, and home broadband subscription stands at the national maximum. Modeled colon screening registers in the top 1.9% nationally, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility settles in the top 5.7% nationally, and housing-cost burden sits in the bottom 6.7% nationally. Pulling the other way, crowded housing lies in the top 1.4% nationally, distance to an emergency room rests in the top 4.3% nationally, and distance to a nursing home resides in the top 7.1% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, crowded housing runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, 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. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 22812, about 8.3 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 82%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 83%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 80%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 79%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 55%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 76%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 80%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 71%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 76%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 85%
8%
Disability
healthier than 64%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.5%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
22843
Virginiashares a border
Score 52.79
Closest healthier
22812
Virginiaabout 8.3 mi away
Score 58.48
Similar health profile
54560
Wisconsin98% similar profile
Score 59.46
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 | 33.6% | 29.3–37.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.1% | 36.1–45.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.6% | 10.2–13.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.7% | 8.5–11.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.4% | 7.9–11.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.5% | 6.4–11.1 |
| Depression among adults | 21.5% | 18.1–25.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.0% | 11.5–16.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.8% | 39.0–48.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.1% | 25.0–41.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.1% | 3.4–5.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 7.3% | 5.9–9.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.0% | 5.3–11.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.6% | 78.8–84.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.0% | 77.4–84.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.9% | 86.6–90.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 75.9% | 71.1–80.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.7% | 61.9–69.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.0% | 63.5–79.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.2% | 11.5–17.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.4% | 9.9–17.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.3% | 17.8–29.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.5% | 26.7–40.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.6% | 14.4–23.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.5% | 12.3–17.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.1% | 11.5–17.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.2% | 10.7–16.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.9% | 26.9–39.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.0% | 8.5–11.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.4% | 5.8–9.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.4% | 12.0–19.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 2.7–4.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 3.5–5.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.3% | 15.4–23.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 6.6–12.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 5.2–10.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 5.3–9.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.5% | 4.3–6.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.3% | 24.9–35.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.6% | 3.6–5.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 0.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 12.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 70.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 7.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 18.5% | 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 | 41.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 16.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 32.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $69,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | — | $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 | 77.6 yr ± 2.44 | 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 2.44 years of 77.6, 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