ZIP code
26296
in Whitmer, West VirginiaPopulation 0
43.53/ 100
Ranked #23,874 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 26%)
Ranked #85 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (top 12.2%)
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
97.1%
in the top 0.02% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Park land
93.7%
in the top 0.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
12.6%
in the top 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
13.4%
in the top 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
53.3%
in the top 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
48.4%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
11.1%
in the bottom 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
18.9%
in the top 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST69thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
17.3 mi
in the top 6.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST86thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Whitmer, West Virginia (ZIP 26296), by its composite score, sits in the bottom 26% nationally (23,874th) and the top 12.2% of West Virginia (85th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The measures that define this area's challenges come through directly: modeled coronary heart disease is in the top 1.1% nationally, and hearing disability lands in the top 1.4% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure stands in the top 1.3% nationally, and high cholesterol registers in the top 0.7% nationally. Modeled diabetes settles in the top 5.8% nationally. On the stronger side, modeled tree cover sits in the top 0.02% nationally, park land lies in the top 0.2% nationally, and modeled transportation noise rests at the national minimum. Modeled binge drinking resides in the bottom 3.4% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is in the top 6.4% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, 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. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 26807, about 7.0 miles away.
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
Social Need / SDOHPartial
healthier than 77%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 91%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 89%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 46%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 2%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 29%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 21%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOHPartial
healthier than 97%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
in the top 0.3%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 98%
11%
Mental Health
in the top 0.00%
8%
Disability
healthier than 60%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 94%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 24%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 3%
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
26270
West Virginiashares a border
Score 41.06
Closest healthier
26807
West Virginiaabout 7.0 mi away
Score 43.64
Similar health profile
14529
New York96% similar profile
Score 43.65
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 | 47.4% | 43.1–51.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 53.3% | 48.7–57.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 14.2% | 12.7–15.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.6–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 12.6% | 10.7–14.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 12.1% | 9.8–14.5 |
| Depression among adults | 26.7% | 22.8–30.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 18.9% | 16.0–21.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 48.4% | 43.6–53.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 42.3% | 34.5–50.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.5% | 4.6–6.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.8% | 15.4–22.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.2% | 5.1–9.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 86.0% | 83.7–88.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 84.3% | 81.4–87.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.5% | 88.7–92.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.7% | 68.1–77.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.3% | 51.3–59.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.6% | 70.3–83.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.1% | 9.0–13.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.1% | 12.6–19.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 33.6% | 27.3–39.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.2% | 32.6–45.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.5% | 21.0–29.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.2–18.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.9% | 15.1–20.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.5% | 12.9–18.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.2% | 37.3–48.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.5–15.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.4% | 8.6–12.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.3% | 18.5–26.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 3.8–5.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.8% | 4.8–7.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.7% | 18.1–25.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.6% | 9.0–14.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 9.1–15.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.0% | 6.4–9.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.5% | 5.4–7.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.8% | 27.8–38.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 5.8–8.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | — | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | — | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | — | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | — | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 14.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | — | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.4% (0.0–17.9%) n=668 |
| Households without a vehicle | — | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.3% (0.0–17.1%) n=694 |
| Broadband subscription | — | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 85.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | — | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 16.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694 |
| Homeownership rate | — | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 84.0% (61.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | — | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.0% (0.0–4.1%) n=694 |
| Foreign-born population | — | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.0% (0.0–2.1%) n=696 |
| Single-parent households | — | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686 |
| Population 65+ | — | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696 |
| Median age | — | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 45.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539 |
| Median home value | — | $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 | 81.9 yr ± 2.49 | 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 2.49 years of 81.9, 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