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ZipVitals

ZIP code

25159

in Poca, West VirginiaPopulation 3,656

33.99/ 100

Ranked #29,737 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 7.3%)

Ranked #374 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (bottom 46%)

Ranked #44 of 65 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH ZIPs (bottom 32%)

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.

Industrial-pollution burden

in the top 1.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & 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 ›

Tree cover

82.9%

in the top 3.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST50th
US96th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Short sleep

44%

in the top 4.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST70th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

47.3%

in the top 7.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST52nd
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

38.7 per million

in the top 7.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US92nd
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 ›

High cholesterol

44.3%

in the top 6.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST38th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.

Full methodology ›

Tooth loss

23.5%

in the top 9.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST49th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

1.9 mi

in the bottom 10.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST4th
US11th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Outer-floodplain exposure

1.5%

in the top 19% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST92nd
US81st
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.

Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.

Full methodology ›

Dry extreme heat

0.8 days/year

in the bottom 32% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US32nd
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.

Full methodology ›

The read

Overall, Poca, West Virginia (ZIP 25159) places in the bottom 7.3% nationally (29,737th) and the bottom 46% of West Virginia (374th).

continue reading

The measures that define this area's challenges come through directly: modeled industrial-pollution burden registers in the top 1.2% nationally, and short sleep settles in the top 4.5% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure sits in the top 7.1% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk lies in the top 7.6% nationally. Modeled high cholesterol rests in the top 6.0% nationally, tooth loss resides in the top 9.5% nationally, and cognitive disability is in the top 11.1% nationally. Distance to a Superfund site lands in the bottom 10.7% nationally. On the stronger side, modeled tree cover stands in the top 3.8% nationally, and lead in tap water registers in the bottom 10.8% nationally.

Beside the areas that surround it, industrial-pollution burden runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 25011, 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 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Nothing measured is lifting this score.

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 47%

13%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 52%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 52%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 7%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 34%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 10%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 5%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 2%

8%

Disability

healthier than 17%

7%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 63%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 64%

16%

Disability

healthier than 60%

7%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 44%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 46%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 47%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 5%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 32%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 12%

5%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 65%

16%

About typical

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 49%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 30%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 21%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 37%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 30%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 24%

8%

Disability

healthier than 33%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 28%

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.

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 adults39.2%35.8–42.9
High blood pressure among adults47.3%43.2–51.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.3%8.4–10.3
Current asthma among adults12.5%11.1–14.1
Coronary heart disease among adults9.1%8.1–10.1
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.9%10.4–13.5
Depression among adults32.1%28.2–36.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults16.9%14.7–19.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened44.3%40.1–48.4
Obesity among adults42.1%35.6–48.7
Stroke among adults4.4%4.0–4.9
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years23.5%19.5–27.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years8.6%7.1–10.5
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.3%76.5–81.8
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults81.8%78.7–84.8
Cholesterol screening among adults86.1%84.0–88.0
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years64.7%59.8–69.3
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults52.0%48.0–55.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years74.7%67.1–81.3
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.6%11.2–16.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults21.8%18.7–25.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults35.1%30.1–40.2
Short sleep duration among adults44.0%38.1–49.9
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults27.4%24.0–30.9
Frequent mental distress among adults22.3%19.9–25.0
Frequent physical distress among adults18.4%16.3–20.7
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults19.6%17.3–22.2
Any disability among adults40.4%35.9–45.2
Hearing disability among adults9.4%8.3–10.5
Independent living disability among adults11.9%10.5–13.4
Mobility disability among adults20.0%17.4–22.6
Self-care disability among adults5.1%4.5–5.7
Vision disability among adults6.3%5.6–7.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.1%19.8–26.9
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.7%14.8–20.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults20.7%17.5–24.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.2%11.2–15.4
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.6%8.3–11.0
Loneliness among adults32.3%27.7–37.1
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults12.5%10.7–14.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)WV median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate14.1%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36416.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694
Uninsured 18–6411.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682
No HS diploma (25+)7.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695
Bachelor's or higher (25+)12.2%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50514.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695
Unemployment rate (16+)7.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.4% (0.0–17.9%) n=668
Households without a vehicle6.6%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.3% (0.0–17.1%) n=694
Broadband subscription86.3%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32285.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)19.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32216.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694
Homeownership rate79.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32284.0% (61.6–100.0%) n=694
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.0% (0.0–4.1%) n=694
Foreign-born population0.1%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5530.0% (0.0–2.1%) n=696
Single-parent households49.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08757.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686
Population 65+19.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55322.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696
Median age44.4 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29245.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681
Median household income$56,517$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539
Median home value$160,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$125,600 ($66,920–$223,500) n=553
Median gross rent$634$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$802 ($586–$1,085) n=293
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)WV median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth74.5 yr ± 0.9878.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30876.2 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 0.98 years of 74.5, 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