ZIP code
27820
in Conway, North CarolinaPopulation 2,201
44.02/ 100
Ranked #23,403 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 27%)
Ranked #613 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 23%)
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 ›Binge drinking
11.8%
in the bottom 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Stroke
5.5%
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
47.1%
in the top 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
23.9%
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›Pharmacy access
0.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies 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 ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.3%
in the bottom 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST17thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Energy-cost burden
4.7%
in the top 12.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
42.9 mi
in the top 16% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS84thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Conway, North Carolina (ZIP 27820) ranks in the bottom 27% nationally (23,403rd) and the bottom 23% of North Carolina (613th).
A number of measures pull each way for this area: lead in tap water rests at the national minimum, and modeled binge drinking stands in the bottom 5.8% nationally. Pharmacy lies in the top 8.1% nationally, and modeled arsenic lands in the bottom 9.2% nationally. Outpatient sits in the top 11.6% nationally. Set against that, modeled stroke is in the top 7.8% nationally, high blood pressure settles in the top 7.5% nationally, and tooth loss resides in the top 8.9% nationally. Modeled diabetes registers in the top 11.0% nationally, and unemployment rests in the top 11.9% nationally.
To spell things out, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Close by, ZIP 27855, just across the boundary, ranks 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 57%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 47%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 51%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 39%
14%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 77%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 69%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 23%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 37%
11%
Disability
healthier than 25%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 31%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 40%
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.
Nearby
27845
North Carolinashares a border
Score 39.07
Closest healthier
27855
North Carolinashares a border
Score 44.35
Similar health profile
27932
North Carolina97% similar profile
Score 45.26
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 | 34.5% | 30.8–38.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 47.1% | 42.6–52.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.8% | 10.4–13.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.2–10.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.0% | 8.8–11.3 |
| Depression among adults | 23.5% | 20.0–27.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.2% | 15.0–19.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.0% | 35.2–44.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.7% | 32.3–49.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.5% | 5.0–6.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 23.9% | 19.5–28.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.0% | 8.4–11.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.0% | 79.4–84.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.6% | 80.6–86.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.3% | 87.7–90.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.5% | 63.9–74.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.6% | 52.3–60.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.9% | 71.0–84.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.8% | 9.5–14.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.5% | 14.2–19.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.8% | 25.2–35.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.5% | 30.3–44.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.7% | 21.7–27.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.8% | 14.9–19.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.4% | 13.6–17.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.1% | 14.3–18.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.8% | 34.2–43.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.0–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.7% | 9.5–12.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.7% | 18.2–23.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.4–6.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.7–8.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.4% | 20.7–28.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 20.3% | 17.4–23.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 18.7% | 16.0–21.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.1% | 12.9–17.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 9.1–11.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.6% | 27.4–38.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.9% | 9.4–12.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 29.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 9.1% | 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 | 85.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 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 | 1.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 33.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 15.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 36.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $50,909 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $130,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $682 | $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 | 78.9 yr ± 0.82 | 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 0.82 years of 78.9, 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