ZIP code
27885
in Swanquarter, North CarolinaPopulation 1,003
42.56/ 100
Ranked #24,764 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 23%)
Ranked #647 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 18%)
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.
Elder-services access
1.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
89.9%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Walkability
0.49 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 1.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
33 mi
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
26.9 mi
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
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 ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
19.9 mi
in the top 4.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
5.5%
in the top 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Stroke
5.6%
in the top 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS93rdDefinition & 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
46.8%
in the top 8.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›The read
In overall standing, Swanquarter, North Carolina (ZIP 27885) comes out in the bottom 23% nationally (24,764th) and the bottom 18% of North Carolina (647th).
The profile opens on the burdens that define it most: floodplain exposure lands in the top 0.7% nationally, walkability is in the bottom 1.1% nationally, and distance to an emergency room resides in the top 1.6% nationally. Distance to a nursing home rests in the top 2.0% nationally, modeled energy burden lies in the top 4.9% nationally, and modeled stroke sits in the top 6.9% nationally. More positively, elder services settles in the top 0.5% nationally, and lead in tap water registers at the national minimum. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility stands in the top 4.9% nationally. Unemployment lands at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs.
Relative to the ZIPs around it, elder services runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain 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. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 27810, about 3.3 miles away.
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
in the top 0.8%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 76%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 60%
11%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 41%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 4%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 11%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.9%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 59%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 15%
16%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 3%
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 99.2 (top 1%); chronic-disease standing 11.3 — 88 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #178 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
27824
North Carolinashares a border
Score 34.87
Closest healthier
27810
North Carolinaabout 3.3 mi away
Score 42.88
Similar health profile
75853
Texas96% similar profile
Score 45.32
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 | 35.5% | 31.6–39.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.8% | 42.1–51.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.8% | 8.8–10.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.4% | 9.9–12.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.0% | 8.8–11.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.8% | 9.4–12.3 |
| Depression among adults | 24.2% | 20.4–28.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.4% | 15.1–19.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.7% | 36.8–46.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.1% | 30.3–48.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.7% | 13.7–20.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.5% | 9.5–13.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.6% | 79.9–85.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.5% | 79.3–85.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.7% | 87.0–90.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.5% | 64.4–74.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.2% | 55.3–63.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.5% | 70.0–84.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.2% | 9.8–14.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.2% | 14.6–19.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.0% | 25.9–36.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.3% | 27.4–41.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.5% | 22.1–29.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.0% | 14.9–19.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.3–18.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.8% | 14.7–19.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.4% | 35.2–45.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.3% | 9.0–11.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.9% | 9.6–12.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.6% | 18.7–24.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.3–6.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.6% | 6.8–8.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.6% | 20.0–27.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 19.0% | 16.2–22.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 16.8% | 14.2–19.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.5% | 11.6–15.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.7% | 8.5–11.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.6% | 27.3–38.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.1–10.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 14.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 7.5% | 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 | 5.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 39.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.1% | 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 | 66.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 24.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 40.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $59,784 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $124,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,394 | $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 | 78.7 yr ± 1.14 | 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 1.14 years of 78.7, 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