ZIP code
28436
in Delco, North CarolinaPopulation 1,922
44.43/ 100
Ranked #22,987 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 28%)
Ranked #595 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 25%)
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.
Mental-health provider access
0.55 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
43%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a Superfund site
0.7 mi
in the bottom 6.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS6thDefinition & 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 ›Outpatient-care access
0.55 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Radon
0.6 pCi/L
in the bottom 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a nursing home
10.6 mi
in the top 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
94.7%
in the top 10.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
121.1 days/year
in the top 13.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS87thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
4.1%
in the bottom 14.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS14thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›The read
On the composite measure, Delco, North Carolina (ZIP 28436) stands in the bottom 28% nationally (22,987th) and the bottom 25% of North Carolina (595th).
The weightiest signals in the profile are worth naming up front: floodplain exposure sits in the top 5.5% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site resides in the bottom 6.1% nationally. Distance to a nursing home stands in the top 9.9% nationally, and modeled humid heat sits in the top 13.1% nationally. Distance to an emergency room resides in the top 13.4% nationally. More positively, mental-health providers stands in the top 0.8% nationally, and outpatient sits in the top 6.6% nationally. Households without a vehicle resides at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled radon stands in the bottom 1.3% nationally, and fiber broadband sits in the top 10.8% nationally.
Set beside the wider area around it, mental-health providers runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For clarity, 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. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". ZIP 28420, 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 43%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 32%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 22%
8%
Disability
healthier than 29%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 23%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 84%
14%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Disability
healthier than 41%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 31%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 24%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
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 ›
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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 93.5 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 29.0 — 65 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,421 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
28420
North Carolinashares a border
Score 46.31
Closest healthier
28422
North Carolinashares a border
Score 51.55
Similar health profile
72456
Arkansas98% similar profile
Score 38.85
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 | 31.2% | 27.7–34.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.2% | 36.9–45.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.9% | 8.0–9.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.1–8.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.5% | 8.4–10.7 |
| Depression among adults | 25.8% | 22.2–29.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.5% | 11.8–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.6% | 34.2–43.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.1% | 30.3–46.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.1% | 16.4–24.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.2% | 9.4–13.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.5% | 74.5–80.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.6% | 75.9–82.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.5% | 84.5–88.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.4% | 60.1–70.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.0% | 52.0–60.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.1% | 68.3–82.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.4% | 11.7–17.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.6% | 15.2–20.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 28.2% | 23.8–32.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.1% | 29.5–43.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.3% | 19.5–25.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.3% | 16.2–20.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.4–17.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.3% | 15.4–19.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.6% | 32.1–41.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.9% | 7.9–9.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.8–11.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.2% | 15.0–19.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.3–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.7% | 20.2–27.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.5% | 14.0–19.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.8% | 11.8–16.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.5% | 10.6–14.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–10.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.8% | 28.7–39.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.3% | 7.2–9.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 19.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 26.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 9.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 89.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 16.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 54.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 7.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 36.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $64,297 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $184,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,154 | $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 | 75.1 yr ± 1.54 | 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 1.54 years of 75.1, 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