ZIP code
27939
in Grandy, North CarolinaPopulation 2,206
52.14/ 100
Ranked #13,273 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 41%)
Ranked #304 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 38%)
Ranked #75 of 123 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ZIPs (bottom 39%)
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 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Grocery access
0.37 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
22.7 mi
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & 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 hazardous-chemical facility
15 mi
in the top 8.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
34.7%
in the top 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Fatal road crashes
36.3 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
17.9 mi
in the top 9.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
1.6%
in the top 10.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
9.6 mi
in the top 11.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Radon
0.8 pCi/L
in the bottom 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST36thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›The read
In its overall standing, Grandy, North Carolina (ZIP 27939) lands in the top 41% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,273rd) and the top 38% of North Carolina (304th).
Reading the numbers as a whole, the picture lands somewhere in between: modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the bottom 2.2% nationally, grocery is in the top 2.8% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility sits in the top 8.0% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. On the other side, distance to an emergency room lies in the top 4.0% nationally, and floodplain exposure stands in the top 8.0% nationally. Fatal road crashes rests in the top 8.8% nationally, and distance to a community health center registers in the top 9.6% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise resides in the top 10.7% nationally, and distance to a nursing home settles in the top 11.9% nationally.
Put simply, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. 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". On the overall standing, ZIP 27947, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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 65%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 72%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 73%
11%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 47%
8%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 18%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 6%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 90%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 63%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 62%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 68%
8%
Disability
healthier than 66%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 57%
21%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 14%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.9%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 82%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 61%
11%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 52%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 50%
8%
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 38%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.00%
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 96.8 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 44.3 — 53 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,307 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
27923
North Carolinashares a border
Score 50.65
Closest healthier
27947
North Carolinashares a border
Score 52.62
Similar health profile
27936
North Carolina95% similar profile
Score 55.10
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 | 31.2% | 27.5–35.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.6% | 34.0–43.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.3–12.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.1–9.9 |
| Depression among adults | 24.7% | 20.9–29.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.4% | 10.6–14.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.0% | 34.2–43.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.3% | 27.1–44.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.5–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.3% | 10.7–16.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.3% | 7.4–11.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.0% | 75.8–81.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.5% | 76.8–83.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.8% | 87.1–90.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.7% | 62.5–72.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.1% | 59.3–66.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.6% | 70.0–84.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.3% | 12.3–18.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.8% | 12.2–17.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.3% | 19.6–29.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.2% | 25.7–39.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.2% | 16.2–22.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 13.9–18.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.8% | 11.9–15.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.6% | 12.5–16.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.6% | 28.8–38.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–10.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.1% | 6.9–9.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.4% | 12.9–18.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.4–4.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.3–5.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.1% | 17.5–25.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.9% | 9.6–14.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 7.4–11.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 7.7–11.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.8% | 5.8–7.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.1% | 25.0–35.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 5.2–7.2 |
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 | 24.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 22.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 37.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 60.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 27.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 51.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $62,463 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $306,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,122 | $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 | 76.8 yr ± 1.20 | 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 1.20 years of 76.8, 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