ZIP code
27981
in Wanchese, North CarolinaPopulation 1,969
51.81/ 100
Ranked #13,697 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranked #317 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 40%)
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
86%
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Transportation noise
0.02%
in the bottom 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS6thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
72.1 mi
in the top 6.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
30%
in the bottom 9.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
6.2%
in the top 10.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Radon
0.7 pCi/L
in the bottom 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST20thUS5thDefinition & 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 ›Fiber broadband
86.6%
in the top 18% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS82ndDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
61.2%
in the bottom 19% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS19thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
1.0%
in the bottom 23% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST4thUS23rdDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
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
Wanchese, North Carolina (ZIP 27981), on the composite measure, lands in the top 43% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,697th) and the top 40% of North Carolina (317th).
The readings split fairly evenly between strengths and concerns: modeled transportation noise stands in the bottom 6.1% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site is in the top 6.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat rests at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled short sleep sits in the bottom 9.7% nationally, and radon registers in the bottom 4.7% nationally. Dental providers lands in the top 16% nationally. Working the other way, floodplain exposure resides in the top 0.8% nationally, and crowded housing lies in the top 10.3% nationally. Modeled pfas settles in the top 12.0% nationally, and lead in tap water stands in the top 15% nationally.
In everyday language, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 27954, just across the boundary.
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
healthier than 62%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 1.0%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 48%
13%
Disability
healthier than 48%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 68%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 69%
11%
Disability
healthier than 66%
7%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 41%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 31%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 40%
8%
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
27954
North Carolinashares a border
Score 58.15
Closest healthier
27959
North Carolinaless than 0.1 mi away
Score 62.78
Similar health profile
73027
Oklahoma94% similar profile
Score 50.45
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% | 25.8–33.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.7% | 33.0–42.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.4% | 8.5–10.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.7% | 9.3–12.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.2% | 6.2–8.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.3% | 6.8–9.9 |
| Depression among adults | 26.1% | 22.1–30.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.7% | 9.8–13.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.3% | 32.6–41.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.4% | 26.2–42.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.2–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.1% | 10.5–16.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.8% | 7.6–12.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.6% | 74.0–80.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.4% | 75.6–82.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.8% | 85.3–89.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.2% | 56.1–66.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.9% | 60.2–67.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.6% | 67.6–82.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.3% | 12.4–18.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.6% | 12.4–19.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 24.3% | 19.4–29.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.0% | 24.0–36.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.1% | 15.8–22.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.8% | 14.4–19.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.7% | 11.6–15.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.1% | 12.8–17.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.9% | 27.6–38.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.3–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.1–9.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.0% | 12.3–17.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.4–4.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.4–5.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.6% | 17.1–24.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.8% | 10.1–16.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 8.0–13.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 8.0–12.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 6.0–8.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.8% | 25.8–36.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.8% | 5.6–8.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 19.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 28.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 6.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 49.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 14.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 36.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $88,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $311,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,073 | $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 | 78.6 yr ± 2.90 | 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 2.90 years of 78.6, 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