ZIP code
27504
in Benson, North CarolinaPopulation 17,079
51.40/ 100
Ranked #14,287 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 45%)
Ranked #331 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 42%)
Ranked #38 of 48 Raleigh-Cary, NC ZIPs (bottom 21%)
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.
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 ›Grocery access
0.24 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
333 units
in the top 7.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.54 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of child day-care services 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
16.2 mi
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
34.5 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS90thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Benson, North Carolina (ZIP 27504), overall, ranks in the top 45% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,287th) and the top 42% of North Carolina (331st).
This area's most favorable readings come through plainly in the numbers: lead in tap water stands at the national minimum, grocery rests in the top 5.3% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing registers in the top 7.3% nationally. Childcare resides in the top 9.0% nationally. Distance to a community health center settles at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home is at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other side, distance to an emergency room sits in the top 9.3% nationally, and fatal road crashes lands in the top 9.9% nationally. PFOA in drinking water lies in the top 11.8% nationally, and PFOS in drinking water stands in the top 12.2% nationally.
Defined simply, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. PFOA in drinking water is one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. PFOS in drinking water is a common one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. ZIP 27520, just across the boundary, comes out healthier overall.
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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 68%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 78%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 66%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 57%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 43%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 57%
11%
Disability
healthier than 42%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 23%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 72%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 68%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 63%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 58%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 25%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 39%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 20%
8%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 89%
14%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 60%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 21%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 34%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 21%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 15%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 6%
8%
Disability
healthier than 23%
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 ›
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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 76.8 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $66,724 predicts 78.5 years — 1.7 years below.
Ranked #2,112 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
27501
North Carolinashares a border
Score 50.49
Closest healthier
27520
North Carolinashares a border
Score 57.30
Similar health profile
28081
North Carolina96% similar profile
Score 50.96
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 | 27.5% | 24.4–30.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.1% | 32.1–40.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.8% | 7.1–8.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.1% | 9.9–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.1–8.9 |
| Depression among adults | 26.0% | 22.3–29.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.2% | 10.6–13.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.9% | 31.8–40.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.4% | 28.4–42.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.4–4.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.1% | 14.1–20.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.0% | 10.4–13.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.0% | 73.0–78.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.8% | 75.2–82.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.4% | 84.6–88.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.8% | 59.7–69.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.6% | 55.9–63.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.8% | 70.4–83.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.3% | 12.6–18.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.1% | 13.9–18.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.5% | 21.4–29.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.8% | 28.8–40.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.7% | 18.2–23.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.0% | 16.1–20.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.4–15.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.6% | 14.9–18.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.9% | 30.6–39.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.6% | 6.8–8.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.2% | 13.3–17.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.9–4.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.2–6.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.7% | 19.3–26.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.5% | 14.2–18.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.4% | 11.5–15.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.9% | 11.2–14.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 7.9–10.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.7% | 27.9–38.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.5–9.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 15.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 52.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 18.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 38.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $66,724 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $245,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,124 | $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 | 76.8 yr ± 0.65 | 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 0.65 years of 76.8, 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