ZIP code
28001
in Albemarle, North CarolinaPopulation 26,424
46.77/ 100
Ranked #20,429 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 36%)
Ranked #509 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 36%)
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.
Lead in tap water
0 ppb
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
US1stDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
394 units
in the top 6.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Elder-services access
0.11 per 1,000 residents
in the top 13.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS86thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›The read
Albemarle, North Carolina (ZIP 28001), overall, ranks in the bottom 36% nationally (20,429th) and the bottom 36% of North Carolina (509th).
Taken together, the data gives a genuinely mixed reading: lead in tap water rests at the national minimum. Distance to an emergency room registers at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Subsidized affordable housing resides in the top 6.0% nationally. Distance to a community health center settles at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Grocery is in the top 12.0% nationally. Distance to a nursing home sits at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Elder services lands in the top 13.9% nationally, physicians lies in the top 14.3% nationally, and mental-health providers stands in the top 14.4% nationally. On the other side, modeled disaster risk rests in the top 13.8% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. ZIP 27306, just across the boundary, comes out 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 50%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 50%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 58%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 29%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 27%
8%
Disability
healthier than 26%
7%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 57%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 14%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 33%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 40%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 29%
8%
Disability
healthier than 37%
7%
“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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 76.0 ± 1.0 years. A median household income of $54,804 predicts 77.7 years — 1.8 years below.
Ranked #2,203 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
27306
North Carolinashares a border
Score 47.85
Closest healthier
27371
North Carolinashares a border
Score 52.72
Similar health profile
28645
North Carolina98% similar profile
Score 45.33
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 | 31.3% | 27.5–35.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.5% | 35.8–45.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.4% | 9.9–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.2% | 7.3–9.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.5% | 8.4–10.7 |
| Depression among adults | 25.6% | 21.5–30.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.9% | 12.0–16.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.3% | 33.4–43.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.2% | 28.7–46.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.5% | 16.1–23.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.0% | 9.4–12.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.9% | 75.7–81.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.9% | 76.1–83.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.1% | 85.3–88.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.1% | 59.9–70.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.7% | 55.9–63.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.7% | 67.7–82.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.9% | 11.1–17.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.8% | 14.3–19.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.0% | 22.3–32.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.3% | 28.6–42.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.3% | 19.4–25.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.7% | 15.4–20.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.0% | 13.2–17.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.7% | 14.7–18.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.3% | 31.5–41.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.0% | 7.9–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.7% | 15.4–20.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.6–5.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.5% | 5.9–7.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.2% | 19.6–26.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.6% | 15.3–19.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.8% | 13.8–17.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.1% | 11.4–15.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.5% | 8.4–10.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.5% | 27.4–37.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.2–10.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 18.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 14.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 20.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 85.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 48.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 21.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 41.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $54,804 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $215,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $858 | $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 | 75.9 yr ± 0.51 | 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 0.51 years of 75.9, 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