ZIP code
27821
in Edward, North CarolinaPopulation 64
51.84/ 100
Ranked #13,655 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranked #315 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 40%)
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.
High blood pressure
53.4%
in the top 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
9.8%
in the bottom 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
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 ›Poverty rate
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
76.4%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
19.5%
in the top 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
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
Overall, Edward, North Carolina (ZIP 27821) lands in the top 43% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,655th) and the top 40% of North Carolina (315th).
A number of measures pull each way for this area: modeled binge drinking is in the bottom 1.1% nationally, and housing-cost burden settles at the national minimum. Poverty resides at the national minimum, and homeownership registers at the national maximum. Home broadband subscription rests at the national maximum, modeled colon screening stands in the top 1.5% nationally, and lead in tap water lies at the national minimum. Set against that, modeled high blood pressure lands in the top 1.3% nationally, stroke sits in the top 3.2% nationally, and diabetes is in the top 4.6% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, outer-floodplain exposure runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 27814, just across the boundary, ranks better 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 76%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 89%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 58%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 9%
21%
Disability
healthier than 24%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 26%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 24%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 93%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 68%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 98%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 22%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
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
27806
North Carolinashares a border
Score 36.45
Closest healthier
27814
North Carolinashares a border
Score 58.22
Similar health profile
29037
South Carolina98% similar profile
Score 50.56
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 | 37.0% | 33.0–41.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 53.4% | 48.9–58.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.3% | 8.4–10.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.6% | 10.3–13.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.4% | 8.3–10.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.9% | 7.6–10.4 |
| Depression among adults | 18.9% | 15.9–22.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.5% | 17.0–22.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.7% | 37.2–46.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.7% | 31.8–48.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–7.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.4% | 13.3–19.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.4% | 7.5–11.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 85.6% | 83.4–87.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 86.9% | 84.3–89.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 92.3% | 91.0–93.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 76.4% | 71.7–80.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.6% | 56.5–64.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 82.6% | 76.0–87.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 9.8% | 8.0–12.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.6% | 11.3–16.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.4% | 24.6–35.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.7% | 31.1–44.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.4% | 20.2–27.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.6–16.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.5–16.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.6% | 11.8–15.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 37.6% | 32.8–42.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.3% | 7.3–9.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.5–11.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.8% | 18.8–25.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.1–6.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.5% | 6.5–8.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 25.3% | 21.3–29.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 19.4% | 16.0–23.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.6% | 14.4–21.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 12.2–17.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.7% | 8.3–11.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.1% | 27.8–38.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 8.8–12.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 0.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 0.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 0.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 100.0% | 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 | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 100.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 32.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 60.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 76.0 yr ± 1.33 | 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 1.33 years of 76.0, 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