ZIP code
27850
in Littleton, North CarolinaPopulation 7,053
47.32/ 100
Ranked #19,777 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 38%)
Ranked #490 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 38%)
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.
PFOS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOS, one of the most common “forever chemicals,” was detected in EPA testing.
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 ›High blood pressure
50.1%
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.31 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
10.9%
in the bottom 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS3rdDefinition & 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
5.9%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.
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 ›Coronary heart disease
10.4%
in the top 7.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
17.9%
in the top 8.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Elder-services access
0.15 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›Home broadband subscription
75.7%
in the bottom 10.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST10thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Littleton, North Carolina (ZIP 27850) lands in the bottom 38% nationally (19,777th) and the bottom 38% of North Carolina (490th).
Several measures weigh most on this area's profile, and they come first: PFOS in drinking water registers at the national maximum, and modeled high blood pressure rests in the top 3.4% nationally. Modeled stroke stands in the top 4.7% nationally, and PFAS in drinking water lies at the national maximum. Modeled coronary heart disease lands in the top 7.1% nationally, diabetes sits in the top 8.4% nationally, and mobility disability is in the top 11.0% nationally. On the better side, grocery settles in the top 3.5% nationally, modeled binge drinking resides in the bottom 2.9% nationally, and elder services registers in the top 9.8% nationally.
A note on the terms: 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. PFAS in drinking water is the family of man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 23919, 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 84%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 91%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 76%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 73%
8%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 29%
16%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 36%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 71%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 90%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 68%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 7%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 29%
16%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 40%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
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 ›
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 84.3; chronic-disease standing 6.5 (bottom 10%) — 78 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #607 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
23919
Virginiashares a border
Score 49.33
Similar health profile
72631
Arkansas98% similar profile
Score 46.54
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 | 38.2% | 35.3–41.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 50.1% | 46.9–53.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.3% | 10.5–12.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.3% | 10.3–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.4% | 9.6–11.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.6–11.9 |
| Depression among adults | 21.8% | 19.3–24.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.9% | 16.2–19.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.6% | 40.1–47.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.4% | 32.8–44.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.9% | 5.5–6.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.3% | 16.8–22.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.0% | 8.7–11.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 84.0% | 82.0–86.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 85.0% | 83.0–87.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.1% | 90.1–92.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.8% | 67.3–74.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.6% | 57.9–63.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.9% | 73.8–83.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 10.9% | 9.3–12.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.4% | 13.7–17.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.6% | 26.3–33.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.0% | 29.3–39.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.2% | 21.9–26.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.1% | 13.8–16.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.8% | 14.4–17.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.9% | 13.5–16.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.8% | 35.4–42.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.6% | 9.6–11.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.3% | 9.4–11.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.6% | 19.5–23.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.5–6.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.8–8.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.2% | 20.4–26.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.0% | 15.9–20.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 16.1% | 14.2–18.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.9% | 11.5–14.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.4% | 27.6–35.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.3% | 8.3–10.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 28.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 75.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 27.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 62.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 30.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 51.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $65,672 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $192,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $616 | $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 unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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