ZIP code
26224
in Helvetia, West VirginiaPopulation 311
38.53/ 100
Ranked #27,701 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 13.7%)
Ranked #201 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (top 29%)
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.
Unemployment rate
56.3%
in the top 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
39.6%
in the top 0.3% 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 ›Poverty rate
75.6%
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
91.9%
in the top 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST85thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
12.0%
in the top 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
52.2%
in the top 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
47.8%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
19.3%
in the top 5.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST74thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
12.0%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$23,000
in the bottom 0.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST3rdUS1stDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Helvetia, West Virginia (ZIP 26224) lands in the bottom 13.7% nationally (27,701st) and the top 29% of West Virginia (201st).
Several measures weigh most on this area's profile, and they come first: unemployment lands in the top 0.2% nationally, and crowded housing sits in the top 0.3% nationally. Poverty is in the top 0.5% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease settles in the top 1.8% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure resides in the top 1.8% nationally, high cholesterol registers in the top 1.0% nationally, and diabetes rests in the top 5.0% nationally. Modeled hearing disability stands in the top 4.5% nationally, and household income lies in the bottom 0.7% nationally. On the better side, modeled tree cover lands in the top 0.8% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, unemployment runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 26278, just across the boundary, ranks better overall.
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 78%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 74%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 83%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 2%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 22%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 13%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 20%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 39%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 66%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 85%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 74%
11%
Mental Health
in the top 0.3%
8%
Disability
healthier than 61%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 87%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 50%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 30%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 27%
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
26218
West Virginiashares a border
Score 38.20
Closest healthier
26278
West Virginiashares a border
Score 40.24
Similar health profile
21766
Maryland99% similar profile
Score 43.10
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 | 43.8% | 40.3–47.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 52.2% | 48.3–56.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.6% | 10.6–12.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.8–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 12.0% | 10.7–13.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 12.5% | 10.7–14.4 |
| Depression among adults | 26.7% | 23.5–30.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.3% | 17.1–21.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 47.8% | 43.9–51.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.1% | 36.8–49.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.3% | 4.6–5.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 23.9% | 20.7–27.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.1% | 7.1–11.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.4% | 81.0–85.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.2% | 79.4–84.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.3% | 87.8–90.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.1% | 64.1–72.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.5% | 50.3–56.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.9% | 70.2–82.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.8% | 10.8–15.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 21.0% | 17.8–24.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.0% | 30.1–39.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.0% | 35.7–46.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 27.5% | 23.8–31.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.1% | 16.1–20.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.6% | 16.4–20.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.0% | 14.7–19.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 42.0% | 37.3–46.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.6–13.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.4% | 9.0–11.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.3% | 18.5–24.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.3–5.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.3–7.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.1% | 20.9–27.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.2% | 11.8–17.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.8% | 12.0–17.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.2% | 8.5–12.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.5% | 6.5–8.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.9% | 28.8–37.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 7.6–10.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 75.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 39.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 24.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 14.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 56.3% | 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 | 90.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 85.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 8.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 16.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 84.0% (61.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 39.6% | 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 | 28.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686 |
| Population 65+ | 33.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696 |
| Median age | 39.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681 |
| Median household income | $23,000 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539 |
| Median home value | $57,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $125,600 ($66,920–$223,500) n=553 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 81.2 yr ± 1.69 | 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 1.69 years of 81.2, 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