ZIP code
26261
in Richwood, West VirginiaPopulation 2,760
29.17/ 100
Ranked #30,915 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 3.6%)
Ranked #530 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (bottom 24%)
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.
Coronary heart disease
11.9%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
89%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST73rdUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
24.9%
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST81stUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
19.8%
in the top 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST79thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
50.6%
in the top 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.87 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of child day-care services inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
46.5%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST76thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
23.3 mi
in the top 3.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Lead in tap water
9.8 ppb
in the top 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
US97thDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
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 ›Fair or poor health
31.8%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST75thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›The read
Richwood, West Virginia (ZIP 26261) ranks in the bottom 3.6% nationally (30,915th) and the bottom 24% of West Virginia (530th).
The weightiest signals in the profile are worth naming up front: modeled coronary heart disease sits in the top 1.9% nationally, and mobility disability resides in the top 3.6% nationally. Modeled diabetes stands in the top 4.1% nationally, and high blood pressure sits in the top 2.9% nationally. Modeled high cholesterol resides in the top 2.1% nationally, lead in tap water stands in the top 3.5% nationally, and modeled fair or poor health sits in the top 5.6% nationally. More positively, modeled tree cover resides in the top 1.6% nationally, childcare stands in the top 3.2% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility sits in the top 3.5% nationally.
Against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, 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. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 24946, 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
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 89%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 49%
13%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 1%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 37%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 6%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 2%
8%
Disability
healthier than 5%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 94%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 46%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 43%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 28%
14%
Disability
healthier than 21%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 40%
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
24946
West Virginiashares a border
Score 39.27
Closest healthier
24966
West Virginiashares a border
Score 31.28
Similar health profile
25243
West Virginia99% similar profile
Score 29.79
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 | 45.0% | 41.4–49.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 50.6% | 46.7–55.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.2% | 10.2–12.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.6% | 11.2–14.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 11.9% | 10.7–13.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 14.9% | 13.3–16.6 |
| Depression among adults | 31.5% | 27.8–36.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.8% | 17.5–22.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 46.5% | 42.4–51.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 42.8% | 35.8–51.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 25.5% | 21.5–29.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.5% | 7.8–11.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.6% | 80.3–85.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.6% | 78.7–84.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.9% | 85.2–88.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.1% | 60.2–69.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 49.8% | 46.1–53.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.0% | 66.6–80.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.0% | 9.9–14.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 23.8% | 20.9–27.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 39.5% | 34.7–45.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.3% | 35.0–47.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 31.8% | 28.3–35.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 21.7% | 19.5–24.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 20.9% | 18.7–23.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 20.6% | 18.4–23.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 46.3% | 41.7–51.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.8% | 10.6–13.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 13.5% | 12.2–15.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 24.9% | 22.2–27.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.6–6.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.7% | 6.9–8.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.3% | 19.9–27.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 20.0% | 17.2–23.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 23.8% | 20.6–27.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.7% | 11.8–15.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 10.3% | 9.1–11.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.4% | 29.5–39.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 12.9% | 11.3–14.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 24.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 14.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 13.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.4% (0.0–17.9%) n=668 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.3% (0.0–17.1%) n=694 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 85.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 16.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 84.0% (61.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.0% (0.0–4.1%) n=694 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.0% (0.0–2.1%) n=696 |
| Single-parent households | 48.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686 |
| Population 65+ | 26.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696 |
| Median age | 46.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681 |
| Median household income | $33,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539 |
| Median home value | $74,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $125,600 ($66,920–$223,500) n=553 |
| Median gross rent | $677 | $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 | 72.1 yr ± 1.08 | 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 1.08 years of 72.1, 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