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ZipVitals

ZIP code

27017

in Dobson, North CarolinaPopulation 10,085

47.83/ 100

Ranked #19,141 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 40%)

Ranked #474 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 40%)

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.

Grocery access

0.22 per 1,000 residents

in the top 6.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST88th
US94th
Definition & 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 ›

Mental-health provider access

0.11 per 1,000 residents

in the top 9.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST88th
US90th
Definition & source ›

The number of mental-health clinics located 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 ›

Uninsured (under 65)

15.1%

in the top 11.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST92nd
US89th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.

Full methodology ›

Fiber broadband

86.3%

in the top 19% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST91st
US81st
Definition & source ›

The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.

Full methodology ›

The read

Dobson, North Carolina (ZIP 27017), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 40% nationally (19,141st) and the bottom 40% of North Carolina (474th).

continue reading

Where the data leans one way, another reading answers it: grocery rests in the top 6.0% nationally, mental-health providers sits in the top 9.7% nationally, and childcare registers in the top 13.4% nationally. Modeled arsenic lands in the bottom 16% nationally, and tree cover resides in the top 17% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure lies at the national minimum, shared with about 36% of ZIPs. Fiber broadband settles in the top 19% nationally. On the other hand, modeled uninsured stands in the top 11.1% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Modeled expected annual loss rests in the top 20% nationally.

In everyday language, 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. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 27011, 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

Risk Behavior

healthier than 61%

11%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 56%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 41%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 58%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 40%

21%

Preventive Care

healthier than 35%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 25%

8%

Disability

healthier than 30%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 38%

5%

Lifting this score

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 86%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 53%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 55%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 44%

11%

Disability

healthier than 42%

7%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 24%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 15%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 24%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 23%

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 adults29.5%26.3–32.9
High blood pressure among adults37.8%33.7–42.0
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.8%8.0–9.7
Current asthma among adults10.9%9.6–12.3
Coronary heart disease among adults7.7%6.9–8.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults9.0%8.0–10.3
Depression among adults26.3%22.6–30.4
Diagnosed diabetes among adults12.8%11.1–14.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened38.6%34.3–43.1
Obesity among adults40.3%32.4–48.3
Stroke among adults4.0%3.7–4.4
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years16.4%13.2–19.5
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years15.1%13.0–17.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.0%73.9–79.9
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.8%75.1–82.1
Cholesterol screening among adults86.1%84.1–87.7
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years64.1%58.6–68.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults60.0%56.0–63.5
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.3%67.8–82.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.5%11.8–17.5
Current cigarette smoking among adults16.5%14.2–19.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults28.5%24.0–33.4
Short sleep duration among adults32.7%25.9–39.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults23.1%20.3–26.3
Frequent mental distress among adults17.6%15.6–19.9
Frequent physical distress among adults15.0%13.3–17.0
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults17.2%15.3–19.5
Any disability among adults37.7%33.3–42.6
Hearing disability among adults9.0%7.9–10.1
Independent living disability among adults9.5%8.5–10.8
Mobility disability among adults17.0%14.9–19.4
Self-care disability among adults4.7%4.2–5.2
Vision disability among adults6.3%5.7–7.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.7%19.4–26.5
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.3%14.9–19.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults13.4%11.5–15.7
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.0%11.2–14.9
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.0%7.9–10.1
Loneliness among adults32.8%27.8–38.0
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults8.0%7.0–9.2
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate17.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793
Uninsured 18–6425.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794
No HS diploma (25+)21.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50510.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798
Bachelor's or higher (25+)15.3%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50522.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798
Unemployment rate (16+)5.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796
Households without a vehicle3.4%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793
Broadband subscription82.7%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)17.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32224.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793
Homeownership rate77.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32275.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793
Crowded housing (>1 per room)3.3%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793
Foreign-born population12.9%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5534.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799
Single-parent households62.6%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08751.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790
Population 65+16.2%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799
Median age40.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797
Median household income$59,329$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749
Median home value$152,800$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758
Median gross rent$704$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$957 ($715–$1,575) n=687
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth77.1 yr ± 0.8178.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30877.3 yr (74.6–80.8) n=747

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 0.81 years of 77.1, 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