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ZIP code

27869

in Rich Square, North CarolinaPopulation 1,834

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

35.05/ 100

Ranked #29,375 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 8.4%)

Ranked #762 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 4.0%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Stroke

7.7%

in the top 0.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

Diabetes

23.2%

in the top 1.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Full methodology ›

Self-care disability

8.7%

in the top 1.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

55.9%

in the top 0.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

28.2%

in the top 1.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

8.9%

in the bottom 0.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

Vision disability

10.7%

in the top 3.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.

Full methodology ›

Tooth loss

27.4%

in the top 4.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.

Full methodology ›

Independent-living disability

13.8%

in the top 4.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

62%

in the bottom 3.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

The read

On balance, and by the composite measure, Rich Square, North Carolina (ZIP 27869) ranks in the bottom 8.4% nationally (29,375th) and the bottom 4.0% of North Carolina (762nd).

continue reading

Where this area bears down hardest, the measures speak first: modeled stroke lies in the top 0.5% nationally, and diabetes resides in the top 1.1% nationally. Modeled self-care disability lands in the top 1.7% nationally, and high blood pressure registers in the top 0.7% nationally. Modeled mobility disability sits in the top 1.1% nationally, vision disability rests in the top 3.5% nationally, and tooth loss is in the top 4.9% nationally. Modeled independent living disability stands in the top 4.5% nationally, and home broadband subscription settles in the bottom 3.3% nationally. On the encouraging side, modeled binge drinking lies in the bottom 0.4% nationally.

Compared with the ZIPs it borders, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 27805, just across the boundary.

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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 84%

13%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 70%

5%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 56%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 59%

8%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 1%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 3%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 32%

11%

Disability

healthier than 3%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 18%

5%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 80%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 82%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 66%

5%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 41%

14%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 1%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 3%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 11%

11%

Disability

healthier than 3%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 13%

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 56.7; chronic-disease standing 1.3 (bottom 10%) — 55 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #2,084 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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults39.4%35.3–43.6
High blood pressure among adults55.9%51.3–60.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.6%7.8–9.5
Current asthma among adults12.9%11.4–14.5
Coronary heart disease among adults11.1%10.0–12.3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults12.3%11.0–13.9
Depression among adults21.3%18.0–25.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults23.2%20.5–26.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened41.9%37.1–46.8
Obesity among adults45.5%36.8–54.5
Stroke among adults7.7%7.1–8.5
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years27.4%22.6–32.1
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years12.7%10.7–14.8
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure85.1%82.7–87.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults86.1%83.5–88.6
Cholesterol screening among adults90.2%88.7–91.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.2%61.5–71.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults52.5%48.2–56.3
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.6%73.4–86.0
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults8.9%7.2–11.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults18.9%16.4–21.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults37.6%32.4–43.2
Short sleep duration among adults40.9%33.4–48.0
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults32.0%28.4–35.8
Frequent mental distress among adults17.1%15.2–19.2
Frequent physical distress among adults18.1%16.0–20.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults17.9%16.0–20.2
Any disability among adults45.7%40.9–50.7
Hearing disability among adults9.6%8.6–10.8
Independent living disability among adults13.8%12.4–15.5
Mobility disability among adults28.2%25.2–31.5
Self-care disability among adults8.7%7.8–9.6
Vision disability among adults10.7%9.7–11.9
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults28.9%24.7–33.4
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults29.1%25.1–32.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults28.0%24.3–31.6
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults20.6%17.8–23.4
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults14.0%12.2–15.7
Loneliness among adults35.2%29.6–40.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults15.1%13.2–17.2
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate17.5%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793
Uninsured 18–6425.1%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794
No HS diploma (25+)20.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50510.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798
Bachelor's or higher (25+)10.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50522.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798
Unemployment rate (16+)5.3%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796
Households without a vehicle7.5%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793
Broadband subscription62.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)33.8%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32224.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793
Homeownership rate75.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32275.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793
Foreign-born population0.7%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5534.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799
Single-parent households67.8%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08751.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790
Population 65+39.2%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799
Median age59.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797
Median household income$43,301$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749
Median home value$115,200$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758
Median gross rent$540$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$957 ($715–$1,575) n=687
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth77.2 yr ± 0.8278.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30877.3 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 77.2, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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