ZIP code
27959
in Nags Head, North CarolinaPopulation 3,170
62.78/ 100
Ranked #3,087 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 9.7%)
Ranked #61 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 7.7%)
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.
Dental provider access
3.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices located 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 ›Recreation access
3.1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›Outpatient-care access
1.6 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics located 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 ›Grocery access
0.63 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Physician access
4.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of physicians’ offices located 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 ›Mental-health provider access
0.31 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics located 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 ›Short sleep
26.4%
in the bottom 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
63.9%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Loneliness
27.1%
in the bottom 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
6.3%
in the bottom 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›The read
Nags Head, North Carolina (ZIP 27959), by its overall standing, sits in the top 9.7% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,087th) and the top 7.7% of North Carolina (61st).
The profile opens balanced, with readings on either hand: dental providers stands in the top 0.4% nationally, recreation lands in the top 0.5% nationally, and outpatient is in the top 0.7% nationally. Grocery resides in the top 1.0% nationally, physicians rests in the top 1.7% nationally, and mental-health providers lies in the top 1.9% nationally. Modeled short sleep sits in the bottom 1.0% nationally, and loneliness settles in the bottom 3.4% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity registers in the bottom 3.6% nationally. By contrast, floodplain exposure stands in the top 2.2% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, dental providers runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 27949, about 4.6 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
Social Need / SDOH
in the top 0.7%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 97%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 97%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 76%
8%
Disability
healthier than 74%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 52%
21%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 68%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the top 0.4%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 96%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 96%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 94%
8%
Disability
healthier than 86%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 63%
5%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 6%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
27948
North Carolinashares a border
Score 60.39
Closest healthier
27949
North Carolinaabout 4.6 mi away
Score 66.97
Similar health profile
28682
North Carolina98% similar profile
Score 57.65
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 | 32.3% | 28.2–36.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.0% | 35.1–44.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.9% | 10.6–13.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.0% | 8.7–11.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.5–8.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.2% | 5.6–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 23.7% | 20.0–27.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.8% | 9.8–13.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.7% | 35.9–45.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.6% | 24.2–39.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.1–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 6.1% | 4.8–7.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.2% | 4.6–8.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.5% | 78.2–84.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.0% | 79.8–85.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.9% | 90.4–93.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.4% | 67.6–76.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 73.7% | 70.4–76.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.2% | 73.0–86.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.7% | 11.1–16.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.1% | 8.2–14.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 19.7% | 15.3–24.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 26.4% | 20.9–32.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.4% | 12.3–18.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.3% | 11.3–15.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.1% | 10.0–14.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.2% | 9.2–13.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.9% | 24.0–34.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.3–10.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.3–7.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.6% | 10.8–16.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.3% | 2.7–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.3–4.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 17.1% | 14.1–20.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 5.8–10.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 4.3–8.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 6.3% | 4.9–7.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 4.8% | 3.9–5.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 27.1% | 22.4–32.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.5% | 3.5–5.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 2.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 50.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 81.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 39.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 58.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $91,264 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $490,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,005 | $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 | 78.2 yr ± 1.63 | 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 1.63 years of 78.2, 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