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ZIP code

26717

in Elk Garden, West VirginiaPopulation 1,593

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

34.22/ 100

Ranked #29,654 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 7.6%)

Ranked #364 of 697 West Virginia ZIPs (bottom 48%)

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.

Crowded housing

15.9%

in the top 2.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

59%

in the bottom 2.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST9th
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Coronary heart disease

11.1%

in the top 3.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST75th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.

Full methodology ›

Diabetes

19.2%

in the top 5.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST73rd
US95th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

49.1%

in the top 4.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST71st
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

3.6%

in the bottom 4.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST17th
US4th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

23.1%

in the top 6.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST68th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

96.8%

in the top 6.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST79th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Fair or poor health

30%

in the top 8.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST62nd
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.

Full methodology ›

High cholesterol

44.8%

in the top 4.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST47th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.

Full methodology ›

The read

In overall standing, Elk Garden, West Virginia (ZIP 26717) comes out in the bottom 7.6% nationally (29,654th) and the bottom 48% of West Virginia (364th).

continue reading

The data is direct about where this area carries real strain: crowded housing settles in the top 2.0% nationally, home broadband subscription registers in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease stands in the top 3.9% nationally. Modeled diabetes lands in the top 5.2% nationally, high blood pressure is in the top 4.4% nationally, and mobility disability resides in the top 6.6% nationally. Modeled fair or poor health rests in the top 8.4% nationally, and high cholesterol lies in the top 4.8% nationally. More encouragingly, housing-cost burden sits in the bottom 4.5% nationally, and homeownership settles in the top 6.6% nationally.

Relative to the ZIPs around it, crowded housing runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 21538, 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

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 88%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 87%

5%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 56%

13%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 46%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 2%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 12%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 8%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 4%

8%

Disability

healthier than 10%

7%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 81%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 68%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 92%

5%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 57%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 58%

11%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 31%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 31%

16%

Disability

healthier than 37%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 38%

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 ›

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 87.8; chronic-disease standing 2.4 (bottom 10%) — 85 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #264 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.

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 adults43.6%40.5–46.8
High blood pressure among adults49.1%45.6–52.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.0%10.1–11.9
Current asthma among adults12.2%11.0–13.5
Coronary heart disease among adults11.1%10.1–12.3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults13.8%12.2–15.6
Depression among adults30.7%27.4–34.2
Diagnosed diabetes among adults19.2%17.2–21.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened44.8%41.3–48.5
Obesity among adults43.3%37.4–49.6
Stroke among adults5.3%4.8–5.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years24.3%20.8–28.3
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.3%7.6–11.1
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure82.4%80.3–84.5
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults81.7%79.0–84.1
Cholesterol screening among adults87.5%85.9–89.0
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years64.9%60.6–69.3
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults54.2%50.6–57.9
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years74.3%67.4–80.7
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.2%11.3–15.3
Current cigarette smoking among adults23.2%20.2–26.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults37.5%32.9–42.2
Short sleep duration among adults39.3%34.0–45.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults30.0%26.7–33.6
Frequent mental distress among adults20.7%18.7–22.8
Frequent physical distress among adults20.1%18.1–22.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults19.3%17.2–21.5
Any disability among adults43.2%39.1–47.4
Hearing disability among adults11.2%10.1–12.4
Independent living disability among adults12.3%10.9–13.8
Mobility disability among adults23.1%20.5–25.9
Self-care disability among adults5.6%5.0–6.3
Vision disability among adults6.9%6.2–7.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.1%20.0–26.4
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.5%14.7–20.4
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults21.0%17.7–24.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.7%10.9–14.6
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.3%8.1–10.6
Loneliness among adults31.8%27.5–36.2
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults11.7%10.2–13.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)WV median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate13.7%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36416.3% (0.0–41.0%) n=694
Uninsured 18–645.4%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2867.1% (0.0–21.5%) n=682
No HS diploma (25+)12.2%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.8% (0.9–29.6%) n=695
Bachelor's or higher (25+)7.5%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50514.1% (0.0–32.5%) n=695
Unemployment rate (16+)8.5%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.4% (0.0–17.9%) n=668
Households without a vehicle4.7%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.3% (0.0–17.1%) n=694
Broadband subscription59.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32285.7% (62.6–100.0%) n=694
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)3.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32216.7% (0.0–34.6%) n=694
Homeownership rate96.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32284.0% (61.6–100.0%) n=694
Crowded housing (>1 per room)15.9%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 households28.2%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08757.0% (31.3–90.6%) n=686
Population 65+14.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55322.0% (10.4–45.0%) n=696
Median age29.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29245.9 yr (32.6–62.1) n=681
Median household income$74,712$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$55,088 ($33,083–$85,218) n=539
Median home value$101,300$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 birth75.1 yr ± 1.6378.9 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 1.63 years of 75.1, 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