ZIP code
27853
in Margarettsville, North CarolinaPopulation 585
41.67/ 100
Ranked #25,506 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 20%)
Ranked #681 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 14.2%)
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.
Crowded housing
19.8%
in the top 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Stroke
6.4%
in the top 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS98thDefinition & 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
52.1%
in the top 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
20.5%
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
60.3%
in the bottom 3.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
7.1%
in the top 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
11.0%
in the bottom 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›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 ›PFAS in drinking water
8.1%
in the bottom 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS5thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
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 ›Mobility disability
23.3%
in the top 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›The read
On the composite measure, Margarettsville, North Carolina (ZIP 27853) stands in the bottom 20% nationally (25,506th) and the bottom 14.2% of North Carolina (681st).
The weightiest signals in the profile are worth naming up front: crowded housing rests in the top 1.3% nationally, and modeled stroke lands in the top 2.5% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure settles in the top 1.9% nationally, and diabetes rests in the top 3.1% nationally. Home broadband subscription lands in the bottom 3.0% nationally, modeled self-care disability settles in the top 5.4% nationally, and modeled mobility disability rests in the top 6.2% nationally. More positively, modeled binge drinking lands in the bottom 3.1% nationally, lead in tap water settles at the national minimum, and modeled pfas rests in the bottom 5.1% nationally.
Set beside the wider area around it, crowded housing runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For clarity, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. ZIP 23827, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.
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 88%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 74%
8%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 7%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 31%
14%
Disability
healthier than 12%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 23%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 27%
5%
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 85%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 93%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 15%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 27%
11%
Disability
healthier than 13%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 18%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
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
23827
Virginiashares a border
Score 50.46
Closest healthier
23828
Virginiashares a border
Score 48.98
Similar health profile
29580
South Carolina97% similar profile
Score 41.38
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 | 36.4% | 32.5–40.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 52.1% | 47.4–56.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.3–13.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.1–12.4 |
| Depression among adults | 20.8% | 17.6–24.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 20.5% | 17.8–23.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.8% | 37.0–46.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.1% | 34.5–52.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 6.4% | 5.7–7.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.3% | 13.0–19.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.5% | 9.3–14.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.8% | 81.3–86.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 84.6% | 81.7–87.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.1% | 88.5–91.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 71.7% | 66.4–76.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.5% | 52.1–60.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.9% | 72.2–85.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.0% | 8.8–13.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.2% | 14.3–20.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.0% | 26.7–37.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.1% | 31.6–46.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 27.3% | 23.6–31.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.7% | 13.7–17.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.2% | 14.1–18.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.7% | 13.6–18.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.3% | 35.2–45.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.0% | 9.5–12.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 23.3% | 20.2–26.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.2–8.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.3% | 22.2–30.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 23.2% | 19.2–27.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 21.4% | 17.7–25.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.7% | 14.1–19.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.4% | 9.8–13.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.4% | 27.1–37.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 12.2% | 10.3–14.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 21.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 23.3% | 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 | 8.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 60.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 19.8% | 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+ | 20.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 48.3 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 | $75,500 | $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 | 79.1 yr ± 1.08 | 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 1.08 years of 79.1, 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