ZIP code
27860
in Pantego, North CarolinaPopulation 1,546
52.61/ 100
Ranked #12,605 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 39%)
Ranked #283 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 36%)
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.
PFAS in drinking water
6.8%
in the bottom 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
1.4 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS4thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
98.6%
in the top 5.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
72.1%
in the bottom 7.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.3%
in the bottom 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST16thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Civic-institution access
0.57 per 1,000 residents
in the top 10.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›Radon
0.7 pCi/L
in the bottom 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST20thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
7.8 mi
in the top 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
0.57%
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS82ndDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
41 µg/L
in the top 21% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS79thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
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
On the composite measure, Pantego, North Carolina (ZIP 27860) stands in the top 39% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,605th) and the top 36% of North Carolina (283rd).
The bright spots in the data define much of the story here: modeled pfas stands in the bottom 3.0% nationally, and fiber broadband sits in the top 5.7% nationally. Modeled arsenic resides in the bottom 8.8% nationally, and civic stands in the top 10.6% nationally. Modeled radon sits in the bottom 4.6% nationally, colon screening resides in the top 12.3% nationally, and mammography stands in the top 14.9% nationally. On the other side, walkability sits in the bottom 4.3% nationally, home broadband subscription resides in the bottom 7.4% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure stands in the top 14.3% nationally.
For clarity, 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. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. ZIP 27865, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 83%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 72%
11%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 57%
8%
Disability
healthier than 45%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 38%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 27%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 34%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 20%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 61%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 81%
8%
Disability
healthier than 62%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 52%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 27%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 33%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 8%
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 98.2 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 38.5 — 60 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,751 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
27810
North Carolinashares a border
Score 42.88
Closest healthier
27865
North Carolinashares a border
Score 54.55
Similar health profile
23025
Virginia93% similar profile
Score 53.03
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 | 31.1% | 28.1–34.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.1% | 38.4–46.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.9% | 8.1–9.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.7–12.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.8% | 7.0–8.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 23.1% | 20.1–26.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.1% | 12.4–16.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.0% | 35.1–43.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.5% | 29.1–43.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.8% | 12.2–17.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.6% | 9.0–12.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.7% | 78.2–83.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.5% | 78.5–84.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.0% | 87.4–90.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 71.6% | 67.3–75.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.1% | 59.4–66.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.4% | 72.9–84.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.1% | 11.8–16.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.4% | 12.4–16.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.7% | 22.0–30.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.9% | 28.0–39.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.1% | 17.7–23.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.4–18.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.7% | 12.2–15.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.7% | 13.1–16.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.2% | 30.4–38.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.3–9.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.3% | 7.4–9.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.5% | 14.5–18.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.9–6.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.4% | 20.2–26.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 12.4–16.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 9.3–13.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 9.8–13.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.7–8.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.0% | 28.6–37.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.3% | 6.3–8.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 20.5% | 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+) | 14.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 72.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 43.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 15.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 31.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $62,083 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $145,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,045 | $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 ± 1.60 | 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 1.60 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