ZIP code
27563
in Norlina, North CarolinaPopulation 5,205
36.27/ 100
Ranked #28,872 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 10.0%)
Ranked #750 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 5.5%)
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.
Self-care disability
7.9%
in the top 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Stroke
6.2%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
10.1%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
19.6%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Obesity
47%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.8 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Utility shut-off threat
17.7%
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
49.3%
in the top 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
26.1%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
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 ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Norlina, North Carolina (ZIP 27563) sits in the bottom 10.0% nationally (28,872nd) and the bottom 5.5% of North Carolina (750th).
A demanding profile, and several measures drive it: modeled self-care disability settles in the top 3.0% nationally, stroke lands in the top 3.2% nationally, and vision disability rests in the top 4.7% nationally. Modeled diabetes settles in the top 4.4% nationally, obesity lands in the top 2.1% nationally, and utility shutoff rests in the top 4.0% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure settles in the top 4.1% nationally, and tooth loss lands in the top 6.0% nationally. On the stronger side, childcare rests in the top 3.8% nationally, and lead in tap water settles at the national minimum.
Put plainly, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 23917, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 65%
14%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 45%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 7%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 5%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 35%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 12%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 33%
8%
Disability
healthier than 5%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 62%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 49%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 44%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 4%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 2%
11%
Disability
healthier than 5%
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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 65.1; chronic-disease standing 7.1 (bottom 10%) — 58 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,885 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.
Nearby
23917
Virginiashares a border
Score 45.23
Closest healthier
27537
North Carolinashares a border
Score 44.81
Similar health profile
29379
South Carolina99% similar profile
Score 36.69
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 | 32.4% | 28.8–36.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 49.3% | 44.8–53.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.9% | 6.2–7.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.2% | 10.8–13.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.3% | 8.3–10.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.3% | 10.0–12.5 |
| Depression among adults | 22.7% | 19.3–26.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.6% | 17.2–22.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.1% | 33.7–42.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 47.0% | 38.5–56.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 6.2% | 5.7–6.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 26.1% | 22.1–30.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 14.6% | 12.4–16.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.6% | 76.9–82.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.0% | 78.8–85.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.7% | 83.9–87.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.9% | 56.6–67.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 48.7% | 44.8–52.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.9% | 70.4–84.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.7% | 9.5–14.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 21.8% | 19.0–24.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.6% | 30.4–41.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.7% | 34.5–49.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 30.8% | 27.4–34.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.0% | 16.9–21.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.0% | 15.0–19.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.7% | 17.6–21.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.1% | 38.3–48.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 13.2% | 11.9–14.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 23.3% | 20.6–25.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 7.9% | 7.2–8.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 10.1% | 9.2–11.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 28.8% | 24.6–33.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 31.7% | 27.8–35.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 31.6% | 28.0–35.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 22.7% | 19.8–25.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 15.8% | 14.0–17.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.8% | 30.1–41.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 17.7% | 15.5–20.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 28.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 12.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 16.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 12.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 77.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 31.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 56.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 44.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 24.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 43.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $36,287 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $95,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $688 | $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 | 75.9 yr ± 0.86 | 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 0.86 years of 75.9, 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