ZIP code
27526
in Fuquay Varina, North CarolinaPopulation 61,588
61.81/ 100
Ranked #3,625 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 11.4%)
Ranked #71 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 9.0%)
Ranked #22 of 48 Raleigh-Cary, NC ZIPs (top 46%)
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.
Subsidized affordable housing
356 units
in the top 6.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Radon
0.8 pCi/L
in the bottom 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST31stUS7thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
14.8%
in the bottom 12.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS13thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
6.4%
in the bottom 13.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS13thDefinition & 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 ›Mobility disability
11.1%
in the bottom 14.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS15thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$110,017
in the top 13.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS87thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
3.9%
in the bottom 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS18thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›The read
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina (ZIP 27526), on the composite measure, lands in the top 11.4% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,625th) and the top 9.0% of North Carolina (71st).
Where this area does well, the measures make it plain: subsidized affordable housing settles in the top 6.8% nationally. Distance to a community health center stands at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Modeled energy burden is in the bottom 10.8% nationally, and radon rests in the bottom 7.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home sits at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Modeled fair or poor health registers in the bottom 12.7% nationally, and grocery lands in the top 15% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease resides in the bottom 14.6% nationally. Against that, PFOA in drinking water lies in the top 13.5% nationally, and PFOS in drinking water settles in the top 14.2% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. 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. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 27539, 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. 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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 80%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 89%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 76%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 75%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 89%
11%
Disability
healthier than 83%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 79%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 50%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 45%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 89%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 89%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 60%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 68%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
Disability
healthier than 92%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 62%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 75%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 64%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 79%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 79%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 47%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 55%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 55%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
8%
Disability
healthier than 53%
7%
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
27330
North Carolinashares a border
Score 47.08
Closest healthier
27539
North Carolinashares a border
Score 68.57
Similar health profile
28115
North Carolina99% similar profile
Score 60.18
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 | 24.7% | 22.3–27.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.1% | 31.2–37.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.1% | 7.4–8.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.4–11.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.4% | 4.9–5.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.1 |
| Depression among adults | 24.9% | 22.2–27.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.8% | 8.6–11.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.4% | 32.4–38.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 30.7% | 26.8–35.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.5% | 8.7–12.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.1% | 7.1–9.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.4% | 72.6–77.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.3% | 77.7–82.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.4% | 88.1–90.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.3% | 63.5–70.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 69.0% | 66.3–71.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.7% | 71.9–82.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.4% | 13.3–17.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.1% | 9.7–12.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 19.0% | 16.4–21.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.9% | 28.3–35.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 14.8% | 13.2–16.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.5% | 13.9–17.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 10.6% | 9.5–11.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.7% | 11.4–14.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.3% | 23.5–29.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.7–7.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.8–7.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.8–12.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.0% | 2.7–3.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.6–4.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.9% | 17.5–22.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.6–8.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–10.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 5.4–6.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.8% | 27.5–34.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.8% | 5.1–6.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 46.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 7.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 48.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 15.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 39.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $110,017 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $414,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,642 | $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 | 79.9 yr ± 0.57 | 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 0.57 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