ZIP code
27976
in South Mills, North CarolinaPopulation 4,309
56.53/ 100
Ranked #7,731 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 24%)
Ranked #179 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 23%)
Ranked #35 of 123 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ZIPs (top 28%)
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.
Floodplain exposure
58.7%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Park land
31.2%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Mammography
82.4%
in the top 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.8 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 6.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST4thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
92.3%
in the top 13.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS87thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
3.8%
in the bottom 15% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS15thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
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 ›Tree cover
2.7%
in the bottom 30% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS30thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›The read
On the composite measure, South Mills, North Carolina (ZIP 27976) stands in the top 24% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,731st) and the top 23% of North Carolina (179th).
The bright spots in the data define much of the story here: park land lies in the top 4.5% nationally, and modeled mammography is in the top 3.3% nationally. Homeownership registers in the top 13.0% nationally. Crowded housing lies at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Modeled coronary heart disease is in the bottom 13.3% nationally, and radon registers in the bottom 16% nationally. On the other side, floodplain exposure lies in the top 2.7% nationally, walkability is in the bottom 6.5% nationally, and distance to an emergency room registers in the top 13.0% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure lies in the top 13.9% nationally.
Set beside the wider area around it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For clarity, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". ZIP 27958, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.
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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 77%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 67%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 76%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 74%
11%
Disability
healthier than 81%
7%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 38%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 3%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 28%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 87%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 67%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 90%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 71%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 66%
11%
Disability
healthier than 90%
7%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 53%
8%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the bottom 0.7%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 14%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 84%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 64%
11%
Disability
healthier than 81%
7%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 58%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 49%
13%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the bottom 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 29%
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
23434
Virginiashares a border
Score 49.59
Closest healthier
27958
North Carolinashares a border
Score 58.93
Similar health profile
41085
Kentucky97% similar profile
Score 53.22
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 | 25.9% | 24.1–27.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.2% | 31.0–35.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.8% | 7.3–8.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 10.0–11.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.3% | 4.8–5.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.9% | 5.0–6.8 |
| Depression among adults | 25.3% | 23.1–27.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 9.7% | 8.7–10.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.7% | 32.5–37.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.8% | 31.0–38.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.9% | 2.7–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.3% | 9.0–13.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.7% | 6.2–9.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 75.0% | 72.8–77.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.1% | 76.8–81.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.3% | 86.6–89.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.1% | 62.0–71.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.4% | 62.7–69.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 82.4% | 75.6–87.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.0% | 15.2–19.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.9% | 10.6–15.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.0% | 17.1–22.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.7% | 26.8–40.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.5% | 13.4–17.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.6% | 15.0–18.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.6% | 10.3–12.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.8% | 12.0–15.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.1% | 25.1–31.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–6.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.8% | 5.9–7.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.4% | 10.0–13.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.0% | 2.7–3.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.4% | 19.0–23.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 8.6–12.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.0–9.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 7.9–10.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.2% | 5.4–7.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.4% | 28.4–34.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.9% | 5.1–6.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 28.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.3% | 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 | 1.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 44.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 12.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 40.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $91,314 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $349,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 81.8 yr ± 2.57 | 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 2.57 years of 81.8, 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