ZIP code
28209
in Charlotte, North CarolinaPopulation 24,331
67.42/ 100
Ranked #1,157 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 3.7%)
Ranked #22 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 2.8%)
Ranked #6 of 113 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ZIPs (top 5.4%)
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.
High cholesterol
28.7%
in the bottom 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
23.7%
in the bottom 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
6.3%
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
3.6%
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
7.1%
in the bottom 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Stroke
1.9%
in the bottom 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Obesity
25%
in the bottom 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
1.00%
in the bottom 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
10.6%
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
40 per million
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & 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
ZIP 28209, one of several in Charlotte, North Carolina, by its overall standing, sits in the top 3.7% healthiest ZIPs nationally (1,157th) and the top 2.8% of North Carolina (22nd).
The profile opens balanced, with readings on either hand: modeled high cholesterol rests in the bottom 2.4% nationally, high blood pressure lies in the bottom 2.2% nationally, and diabetes sits in the bottom 1.7% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease settles in the bottom 2.3% nationally, mobility disability registers in the bottom 2.0% nationally, and stroke stands in the bottom 2.0% nationally. Modeled obesity lands in the bottom 5.6% nationally, and energy burden is in the bottom 1.0% nationally. Modeled fair or poor health resides in the bottom 1.4% nationally. By contrast, modeled air-toxics cancer risk rests in the top 4.5% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 28203, just across the boundary. Looking wider, the ZIP also sits on the healthier half of the national range on at least seven of the ten good-life measures tracked here, from quiet and green space to nearby care, a combination reached by about one in twenty-five US ZIP codes.
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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 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 98%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 98%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 60%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 87%
11%
Disability
healthier than 97%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 85%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 54%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 30%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 98%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 98%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 83%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
Disability
healthier than 99%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 83%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 47%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 15%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 96%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 95%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 76%
8%
Disability
healthier than 97%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 61%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 59%
13%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
“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
3 of our published findings list 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 78.9 ± 1.0 years. A median household income of $101,873 predicts 80.2 years — 1.3 years below.
Ranked #1,602 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 30.1; chronic-disease standing 97.8 (top 10%) — 68 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #16,174 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 40.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 78.9 ± 1.0 years.
Ranked #504 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
28203
North Carolinashares a border
Score 68.30
Closest healthier
28207
North Carolinashares a border
Score 72.78
Similar health profile
94123
California100% similar profile
Score 71.76
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 | 18.3% | 15.9–20.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 23.7% | 20.7–26.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.4% | 5.8–7.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.8% | 8.6–11.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 3.6% | 3.2–4.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–4.0 |
| Depression among adults | 25.1% | 21.6–28.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 6.3% | 5.4–7.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 28.7% | 25.2–32.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 25.0% | 20.4–29.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 1.9% | 1.7–2.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 5.9% | 4.6–7.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.1% | 5.9–8.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 68.9% | 65.4–72.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.1% | 72.3–79.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.6% | 85.9–89.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.1% | 62.4–71.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.9% | 67.7–73.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.6% | 74.1–85.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.1% | 15.9–22.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 7.9% | 6.6–9.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 14.5% | 12.0–17.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.2% | 28.7–37.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 10.6% | 9.1–12.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.9% | 13.1–16.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 8.4% | 7.3–9.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.3% | 9.9–12.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 21.9% | 18.8–25.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.1–5.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.5–5.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.1–8.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.0% | 1.8–2.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 2.8% | 2.6–3.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 18.9% | 16.2–22.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.1% | 6.9–9.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 5.5% | 4.6–6.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.5–8.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.2% | 4.6–6.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.3% | 26.1–34.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.0% | 4.3–5.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 2.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 70.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 96.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 30.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 48.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 8.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 49.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 9.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 33.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $101,873 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $623,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,710 | $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 | 78.9 yr ± 0.50 | 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 0.50 years of 78.9, 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