ZIP code
26287
in Parsons, West VirginiaPopulation 3,034
41.45/ 100
Ranked #25,704 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 20%)
Ranked #126 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (top 18%)
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.
Tree cover
89.2%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.34 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Park land
40.7%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
45.3%
in the top 3.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST57thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
47.5%
in the top 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST55thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
14.3%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Recreation access
1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
0.27%
in the top 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS77thDefinition & source ›
The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
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
On balance, and by the composite measure, Parsons, West Virginia (ZIP 26287) ranks in the bottom 20% nationally (25,704th) and the top 18% of West Virginia (126th).
Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: modeled tree cover is in the top 1.6% nationally, and grocery stands in the top 3.1% nationally. Park land settles in the top 3.2% nationally, and recreation lies in the top 8.4% nationally. Modeled extreme heat resides at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Pharmacy lands in the top 11.0% nationally. Distance to a community health center registers at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Against that, modeled high cholesterol sits in the top 3.8% nationally, modeled high blood pressure rests in the top 6.8% nationally, and households without a vehicle is in the top 7.9% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 26269, 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 68%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 74%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 81%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 7%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 21%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 6%
8%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 62%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 86%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 86%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 83%
8%
Disability
healthier than 72%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 79%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 61%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 56%
14%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
“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 68.2; chronic-disease standing 7.0 (bottom 10%) — 61 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,644 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
26254
West Virginiashares a border
Score 40.97
Closest healthier
26269
West Virginiashares a border
Score 42.26
Similar health profile
25832
West Virginia99% similar profile
Score 42.22
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 | 41.7% | 37.6–45.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 47.5% | 42.8–52.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.8% | 9.8–12.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.1% | 10.7–13.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.6% | 8.6–10.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.4% | 10.0–12.9 |
| Depression among adults | 30.1% | 25.8–34.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.8% | 14.6–19.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 45.3% | 40.5–50.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.1% | 31.6–48.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.5% | 16.0–23.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.0% | 6.4–9.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.5% | 78.8–84.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.0% | 78.7–85.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.5% | 86.8–90.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.8% | 64.7–74.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.6% | 53.6–61.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.4% | 67.3–82.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.4% | 10.9–16.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.6% | 16.6–22.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 33.5% | 28.4–39.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.8% | 31.8–46.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.9% | 22.6–29.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.0% | 17.6–22.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.1% | 16.0–20.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.6% | 15.4–20.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.0% | 35.2–44.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.0% | 8.8–11.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.6% | 9.3–12.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.9% | 17.4–22.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.1–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.1% | 18.7–26.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 12.0–17.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.8% | 13.1–18.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 9.3–13.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.0% | 6.8–9.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.5% | 28.3–38.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.4–11.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 11.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 14.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.4% (0.0–17.9%) n=668 |
| Households without a vehicle | 14.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.3% (0.0–17.1%) n=694 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 85.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 16.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 84.0% (61.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.0% (0.0–4.1%) n=694 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.0% (0.0–2.1%) n=696 |
| Single-parent households | 65.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686 |
| Population 65+ | 23.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696 |
| Median age | 48.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681 |
| Median household income | $51,855 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539 |
| Median home value | $137,500 | $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
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.3 yr ± 1.30 | 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 1.30 years of 78.3, 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