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ZipVitals

ZIP code

26560

in Baxter, West VirginiaPopulation 153

33.67/ 100

Ranked #29,851 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 7.0%)

Ranked #386 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (bottom 45%)

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.

Unemployment rate

100%

at the national maximum

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

91.5%

in the top 0.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

87%

in the top 0.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 0.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$6,875

in the bottom 0.05% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the bottom 2.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US2nd
Definition & source ›

FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

100%

at the national maximum

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

100%

at the national maximum

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

High cholesterol

46.4%

in the top 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST75th
US98th
Definition & 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

ST74th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Full methodology ›

The read

Baxter, West Virginia (ZIP 26560) ranks in the bottom 7.0% nationally (29,851st) and the bottom 45% of West Virginia (386th).

continue reading

The weightiest signals in the profile are worth naming up front: unemployment lies at the national maximum, and poverty is in the top 0.4% nationally. Housing-cost burden registers in the top 0.4% nationally, and modeled high cholesterol lies in the top 2.2% nationally. Modeled diabetes is in the top 5.0% nationally, and high blood pressure registers in the top 4.1% nationally. More positively, modeled disaster risk lies in the bottom 0.7% nationally, modeled expected annual loss is in the bottom 2.1% nationally, and homeownership registers at the national maximum. Home broadband subscription lies at the national maximum.

Against its neighbors, unemployment runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 26588, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 81%

13%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 55%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 41%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 2%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 25%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 9%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 2%

8%

Disability

healthier than 10%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 32%

5%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 93%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 64%

11%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 53%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 44%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 45%

8%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 29%

21%

Disability

healthier than 38%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 4%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 32%

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 adults44.4%40.1–48.6
High blood pressure among adults49.3%44.7–53.8
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.9%9.7–12.1
Current asthma among adults13.0%11.3–14.8
Coronary heart disease among adults10.9%9.4–12.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults13.0%10.7–15.5
Depression among adults31.1%26.8–35.4
Diagnosed diabetes among adults19.3%16.4–22.1
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened46.4%41.8–51.0
Obesity among adults45.7%38.5–52.7
Stroke among adults5.2%4.4–6.1
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years19.9%16.5–23.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years8.2%6.2–10.7
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure82.5%79.7–85.0
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults83.0%79.8–85.9
Cholesterol screening among adults88.8%86.6–90.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years71.2%66.5–75.5
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults57.9%54.0–61.7
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.0%68.3–82.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.0%10.6–15.7
Current cigarette smoking among adults22.2%17.8–26.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults36.1%30.0–42.3
Short sleep duration among adults40.8%35.1–46.8
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults29.0%24.4–33.9
Frequent mental distress among adults21.9%19.1–24.8
Frequent physical distress among adults19.7%16.9–22.6
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults19.5%16.4–22.7
Any disability among adults43.2%37.7–48.9
Hearing disability among adults10.9%9.4–12.4
Independent living disability among adults12.4%10.4–14.6
Mobility disability among adults23.0%19.4–26.8
Self-care disability among adults5.6%4.7–6.8
Vision disability among adults6.9%5.8–8.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.8%18.2–25.3
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults18.0%14.3–22.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults21.2%17.0–25.9
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.7%11.2–16.3
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.6%8.0–11.3
Loneliness among adults33.3%28.5–38.0
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults12.3%10.3–14.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)WV median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate91.5%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36416.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694
Uninsured 18–6439.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682
No HS diploma (25+)25.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695
Bachelor's or higher (25+)0.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50514.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695
Unemployment rate (16+)100.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.4% (0.0–17.9%) n=668
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.3% (0.0–17.1%) n=694
Broadband subscription100.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32285.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)87.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32216.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694
Homeownership rate100.0%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 population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5530.0% (0.0–2.1%) n=696
Single-parent households100.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08757.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686
Population 65+7.2%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55322.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696
Median age23.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29245.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681
Median household income$6,875$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539
Median home value$93,700$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)WV median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth78.8 yr ± 1.1678.9 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 1.16 years of 78.8, 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