ZIP code
24918
in Ballard, West VirginiaPopulation 1,420
39.00/ 100
Ranked #27,391 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 14.6%)
Ranked #183 of 697 West 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.
Distance to an emergency room
17.7 mi
in the top 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
26.7%
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST78thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
6.0%
in the top 10.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
43.6%
in the top 8.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST28thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
13 µg/L
in the bottom 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS23rdDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Radon
2.4 pCi/L
in the top 22% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS78thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & 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
Ballard, West Virginia (ZIP 24918), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 14.6% nationally (27,391st) and the top 26% of West Virginia (183rd).
Where the data leans one way, another reading answers it: households without a vehicle lands at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled extreme heat resides at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled loud transportation noise lies at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Distance to a community health center settles at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise stands in the bottom 14.4% nationally. On the other hand, distance to an emergency room is in the top 7.5% nationally, and poverty rests in the top 9.2% nationally. Fiber broadband sits at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Crowded housing registers in the top 10.7% nationally, and modeled high cholesterol lands in the top 8.2% nationally.
In everyday language, extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 24945, 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 72%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 41%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 12%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 4%
8%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 82%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 72%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 68%
8%
Disability
healthier than 73%
7%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 58%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 39%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 35%
13%
“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 82.9; chronic-disease standing 12.9 — 70 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,071 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
24935
West Virginiashares a border
Score 34.18
Closest healthier
24945
West Virginiashares a border
Score 39.67
Similar health profile
25285
West Virginia100% similar profile
Score 36.30
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 | 38.2% | 34.4–41.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.4% | 40.1–48.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.5% | 8.6–10.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.4–13.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.2–12.5 |
| Depression among adults | 30.3% | 26.3–34.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.0% | 13.8–18.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.6% | 39.1–48.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.8% | 32.8–49.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.5% | 15.2–22.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.9% | 6.7–11.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.2% | 76.5–81.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.2% | 76.7–83.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.6% | 83.2–87.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.9% | 58.9–69.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.7% | 53.9–61.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.5% | 64.3–79.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.8% | 12.1–17.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 20.5% | 17.3–24.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 33.2% | 27.9–38.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.7% | 33.4–46.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.7% | 22.0–29.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 21.0% | 18.5–23.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.4% | 15.1–19.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.9% | 16.4–21.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.4% | 35.2–45.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.5–10.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.7% | 9.2–12.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.6% | 15.9–21.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 3.9–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.0–6.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.6% | 20.0–27.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.7% | 12.6–19.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.1% | 13.8–20.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.9% | 9.8–14.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.8% | 7.5–10.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.1% | 29.0–39.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 9.0–12.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 26.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 10.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 14.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.4% (0.0–17.9%) n=668 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.3% (0.0–17.1%) n=694 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 85.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 16.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 16.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 84.0% (61.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 6.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.0% (0.0–4.1%) n=694 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.0% (0.0–2.1%) n=696 |
| Single-parent households | 65.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686 |
| Population 65+ | 18.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696 |
| Median age | 25.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681 |
| Median household income | $63,594 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539 |
| Median home value | $140,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $125,600 ($66,920–$223,500) n=553 |
| Median gross rent | $667 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $802 ($586–$1,085) n=293 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.3 yr ± 1.39 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 76.2 yr (73.1–81.1) n=686 |
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 1.39 years of 77.3, 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