ZIP code
24554
in Gladys, VirginiaPopulation 3,769
43.41/ 100
Ranked #24,003 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 25%)
Ranked #707 of 873 Virginia ZIPs (bottom 19%)
Ranked #26 of 28 Lynchburg, VA ZIPs (bottom 7.2%)
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.
Fatal road crashes
50.4 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 3.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›The read
Gladys, Virginia (ZIP 24554), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 25% nationally (24,003rd) and the bottom 19% of Virginia (707th).
A balanced showing across the data, with a few readings each side: crowded housing resides at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Modeled binge drinking sits in the bottom 14.7% nationally, and pfas stands in the bottom 16% nationally. On the other hand, fatal road crashes resides in the top 3.8% nationally. Fiber broadband sits at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled diabetes stands in the top 11.0% nationally, and mobility disability resides in the top 14.3% nationally. Modeled stroke sits in the top 12.8% nationally, and high cholesterol stands in the top 13.6% nationally. Distance to an emergency room resides in the top 17% nationally.
Defined simply, for reference, 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. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 24517, just across the boundary.
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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Lynchburg, VA metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 68%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 55%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 50%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 27%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 39%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 31%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 49%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 50%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 56%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 24%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 23%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 29%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 25%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 74%
14%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 56%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 4%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 4%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 11%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 4%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 11%
8%
Disability
healthier than 4%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 33%
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 67.8; chronic-disease standing 13.5 — 54 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,159 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
24517
Virginiashares a border
Score 45.58
Closest healthier
24538
Virginiashares a border
Score 48.40
Similar health profile
72651
Arkansas99% similar profile
Score 39.11
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 | 34.0% | 30.6–37.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.7% | 39.4–48.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.4% | 8.5–10.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.3% | 8.4–10.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.6% | 9.2–12.0 |
| Depression among adults | 23.8% | 20.3–27.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.2% | 15.1–19.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.4% | 38.0–46.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.6% | 31.0–46.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.7–5.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.8% | 16.4–23.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.7% | 7.8–11.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.1% | 78.5–83.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.8% | 77.4–83.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.5% | 84.7–88.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.5% | 62.5–72.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.9% | 55.1–62.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 73.1% | 65.2–80.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.1% | 10.7–15.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.5% | 15.6–21.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.4% | 26.4–36.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.7% | 30.4–43.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.2% | 21.8–28.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.5% | 16.2–20.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.0–19.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.7% | 15.5–19.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.0% | 34.1–43.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.3% | 9.9–12.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.7% | 18.1–23.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.9% | 18.5–25.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.2% | 15.3–21.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.8% | 15.0–20.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.4% | 11.4–15.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 8.5–11.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.9% | 27.8–38.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.7% | 8.3–11.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | VA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.2% (2.0–22.9%) n=863 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (0.0–19.2%) n=861 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.2% (1.9–20.7%) n=872 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 22.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.0% (9.2–59.8%) n=872 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.0–8.2%) n=860 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.3%) n=862 |
| Broadband subscription | 83.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (69.5–97.9%) n=862 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.1% (10.8–38.1%) n=862 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.1% (52.2–95.9%) n=862 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 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 | 53.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 54.3% (38.2–78.2%) n=855 |
| Population 65+ | 26.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (10.8–37.3%) n=874 |
| Median age | 44.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (34.0–59.2) n=864 |
| Median household income | $56,667 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,854 ($46,504–$141,698) n=804 |
| Median home value | $159,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $274,800 ($123,240–$642,380) n=789 |
| Median gross rent | $1,146 | $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 | 75.3 yr ± 1.34 | 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 1.34 years of 75.3, 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