ZIP code
27209
in Biscoe, North CarolinaPopulation 3,906
39.07/ 100
Ranked #27,338 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 14.8%)
Ranked #718 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 9.5%)
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.
Uninsured (under 65)
20.9%
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.1%
in the bottom 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
53.8 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
9.7%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
0 ppb
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
US1stDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
6.8%
in the top 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Elder-services access
0.25 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›Fair or poor health
29.8%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
12.6%
in the top 8.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
24.1%
in the top 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›The read
By its overall health score, Biscoe, North Carolina (ZIP 27209) lands in the bottom 14.8% nationally (27,338th) and the bottom 9.5% of North Carolina (718th).
The measures split the difference for this area: modeled arsenic is in the bottom 2.9% nationally, and lead in tap water stands at the national minimum. Elder services settles in the top 5.7% nationally. Against that, modeled uninsured lies in the top 3.9% nationally, fatal road crashes resides in the top 3.1% nationally, and modeled vision disability lands in the top 5.5% nationally. Modeled self-care disability registers in the top 6.8% nationally, fair or poor health sits in the top 8.7% nationally, and independent living disability rests in the top 8.4% nationally. Modeled tooth loss is in the top 8.6% nationally.
To translate a couple of terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 27229, 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
Healthcare Access
healthier than 80%
5%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 16%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 19%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 24%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 18%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 26%
8%
Disability
healthier than 6%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 76%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 78%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 22%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 20%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 11%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 5%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 15%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 28%
8%
Disability
healthier than 7%
7%
“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
27229
North Carolinashares a border
Score 42.68
Closest healthier
27242
North Carolinashares a border
Score 50.77
Similar health profile
28365
North Carolina98% similar profile
Score 40.91
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 | 31.1% | 27.8–34.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.9% | 38.6–47.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.0% | 7.3–8.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.1% | 9.8–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.4% | 8.5–10.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.9% | 9.6–12.4 |
| Depression among adults | 24.7% | 21.2–28.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.9% | 14.8–19.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.3% | 34.1–42.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 42.0% | 33.7–50.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.2% | 4.8–5.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 24.1% | 20.3–28.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 20.9% | 18.0–24.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.1% | 75.5–80.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.5% | 76.1–82.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.2% | 82.3–86.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.8% | 56.7–66.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 54.2% | 50.5–58.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.9% | 67.4–81.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.7% | 10.4–15.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.9% | 16.3–21.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.7% | 29.6–39.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.5% | 29.3–42.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 29.8% | 26.3–33.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.5% | 16.4–20.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.4% | 15.4–19.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.9% | 17.6–22.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 42.6% | 37.7–47.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.3% | 9.2–11.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.6% | 11.2–14.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.6% | 19.1–24.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.8% | 6.1–7.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.7–10.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.7% | 21.2–28.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 27.9% | 24.4–31.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 25.0% | 21.8–28.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 19.8% | 17.2–22.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 13.9% | 12.2–15.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.3% | 29.4–39.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 13.5% | 11.8–15.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 23.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 30.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 20.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 37.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 15.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 26.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 17.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 32.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $45,861 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $129,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $594 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $957 ($715–$1,575) n=687 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.9 yr ± 0.95 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 77.3 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 0.95 years of 76.9, 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