ZIP code
27921
in Camden, North CarolinaPopulation 5,063
55.95/ 100
Ranked #8,327 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 26%)
Ranked #189 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 24%)
Ranked #38 of 123 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ZIPs (top 31%)
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.
Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS4thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
21.5 mi
in the top 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
4.2%
in the top 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite measure, Camden, North Carolina (ZIP 27921) sits in the top 26% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,327th) and the top 24% of North Carolina (189th).
Reading across the measures, this area's clearest strengths come through: modeled industrial-pollution burden sits in the bottom 4.2% nationally, arsenic registers in the bottom 12.0% nationally, and radon lands in the bottom 12.4% nationally. Poverty resides in the bottom 16% nationally, civic lies in the top 17% nationally, and households without a vehicle settles in the bottom 17% nationally. By contrast, distance to an emergency room stands in the top 4.6% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure is in the top 8.6% nationally. Floodplain exposure rests in the top 11.0% nationally, and walkability sits in the bottom 14.6% nationally.
In plain language, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. 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 27958, just across the boundary, ranks healthier 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 67%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
Disability
healthier than 66%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 46%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 20%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 74%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 66%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 90%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 74%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 70%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 68%
8%
Disability
healthier than 81%
7%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 16%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 61%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 84%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 68%
11%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 56%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 54%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 49%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
“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
27909
North Carolinashares a border
Score 52.50
Closest healthier
27958
North Carolinashares a border
Score 58.93
Similar health profile
28412
North Carolina98% similar profile
Score 56.68
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 | 29.6% | 27.4–31.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.4% | 34.9–39.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.1% | 8.5–9.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 10.0–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.6% | 6.1–7.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.9 |
| Depression among adults | 24.6% | 22.4–26.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.5% | 10.4–12.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.5% | 35.1–40.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.9% | 31.9–39.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.3–3.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.5% | 9.2–14.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.9% | 6.6–9.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.9% | 76.0–79.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.7% | 78.8–82.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.2% | 88.0–90.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.6% | 63.4–73.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.6% | 60.8–68.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.2% | 71.6–85.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.4% | 13.8–17.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.5% | 11.7–15.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.9% | 19.4–24.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.4% | 26.6–40.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.3% | 15.4–19.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.1% | 14.8–17.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.7% | 11.5–13.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.8% | 12.4–15.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.7% | 28.0–33.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.5% | 6.8–8.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.5% | 6.7–8.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.7% | 12.2–15.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.6% | 3.2–4.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.2% | 19.0–23.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 9.6–12.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.5% | 7.2–10.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.6% | 8.4–10.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.5% | 5.8–7.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.6% | 27.8–33.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.4% | 5.6–7.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 30.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 93.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 22.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 52.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 18.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 40.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $94,473 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $341,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,241 | $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 | 81.0 yr ± 1.50 | 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 1.50 years of 81.0, 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