ZIP code
26563
in Carolina, West VirginiaPopulation 261
36.96/ 100
Ranked #28,546 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 11.0%)
Ranked #253 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (top 36%)
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.
Poverty rate
53.3%
in the top 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
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 ›Floodplain exposure
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
43.9%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST69thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Obesity
46.4%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the bottom 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS5thDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the bottom 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS6thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
44.1%
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
18.2%
in the top 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST60thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
47.4%
in the top 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST53rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Carolina, West Virginia (ZIP 26563) sits in the bottom 11.0% nationally (28,546th) and the top 36% of West Virginia (253rd).
A few readings account for most of this area's strain: poverty resides in the top 1.4% nationally, modeled short sleep sits in the top 4.7% nationally, and modeled obesity stands in the top 2.7% nationally. Housing-cost burden resides in the top 6.1% nationally, modeled diabetes sits in the top 7.5% nationally, and modeled high blood pressure stands in the top 7.0% nationally. On the better side, modeled transportation noise resides at the national minimum, and floodplain exposure sits at the national minimum. Modeled disaster risk stands in the bottom 5.3% nationally, and expected annual loss resides in the bottom 5.9% nationally.
Put plainly, 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. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 26571, 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
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 81%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 50%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 59%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 35%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 5%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 3%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 66%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 74%
13%
Disability
healthier than 62%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 79%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 55%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 42%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 59%
5%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
26571
West Virginiashares a border
Score 39.65
Closest healthier
26554
West Virginialess than 0.1 mi away
Score 44.42
Similar health profile
26338
West Virginia99% similar profile
Score 39.27
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 | 40.4% | 36.3–44.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 47.4% | 42.9–52.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.2–10.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 13.0% | 11.4–14.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.7–10.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.3% | 9.4–13.2 |
| Depression among adults | 29.8% | 25.7–34.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 18.2% | 15.6–20.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.9% | 39.4–48.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 46.4% | 39.2–53.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 21.8% | 18.1–26.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.4% | 6.5–10.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.3% | 77.4–82.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.8% | 78.4–84.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.1% | 84.8–89.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.7% | 66.3–74.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 54.6% | 50.6–58.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.7% | 68.3–82.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.4% | 11.8–17.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 21.7% | 17.8–25.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.4% | 28.9–40.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 43.9% | 38.0–49.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 27.7% | 23.6–32.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 22.1% | 19.4–25.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.3% | 15.8–20.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.4% | 16.7–22.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 41.1% | 35.8–46.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.3–9.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.0–13.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.9% | 17.8–24.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.3% | 4.5–6.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.6–7.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.6% | 20.1–27.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.9% | 15.4–22.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 21.4% | 17.5–25.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.9% | 12.4–17.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 10.3% | 8.8–12.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.3% | 29.6–39.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 13.4% | 11.4–15.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WV median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 53.3% | 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+) | 8.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 24.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 14.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 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 | 91.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 85.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 44.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 16.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.6% | 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 | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.0% (0.0–2.1%) n=696 |
| Single-parent households | 48.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686 |
| Population 65+ | 20.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 22.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696 |
| Median age | 33.0 yr | 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 | 79.9 yr ± 1.67 | 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 1.67 years of 79.9, 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