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ZIP code

28444

in Harrells, North CarolinaPopulation 2,479

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

48.80/ 100

Ranked #17,931 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 44%)

Ranked #443 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 44%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Walkability

1.6 intersections/sq mi

in the bottom 5.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US5th
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Fatal road crashes

40.3 per 100,000 residents per year

in the top 6.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.

A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.

Full methodology ›

Radon

0.7 pCi/L

in the bottom 3.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST14th
US3rd
Definition & 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

93.8%

in the top 11.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST94th
US88th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

12.5%

in the bottom 13.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST7th
US13th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$44,330

in the bottom 8.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST10th
US9th
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

8.1 mi

in the top 16% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST92nd
US84th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

The read

Harrells, North Carolina (ZIP 28444), in overall standing, comes out in the bottom 44% nationally (17,931st) and the bottom 44% of North Carolina (443rd).

continue reading

A few readings each way define this mixed profile: childcare is in the top 10.1% nationally, and modeled radon lies in the bottom 3.5% nationally. Distance to a community health center registers at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Fiber broadband is in the top 11.8% nationally, and housing-cost burden lies in the bottom 13.3% nationally. Modeled binge drinking registers in the bottom 12.2% nationally. Pulling the other way, walkability is in the bottom 5.3% nationally, and fatal road crashes lies in the top 6.8% nationally. Modeled high blood pressure registers in the top 12.4% nationally, and household income is in the bottom 8.7% nationally.

Defined simply, for reference, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. The closest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 28425, about 7.0 miles away.

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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 99%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 72%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 64%

11%

About typical

Mental Health

healthier than 51%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 49%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 21%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 20%

16%

Disability

healthier than 29%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 38%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 97%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 62%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 74%

8%

About typical

Risk Behavior

healthier than 47%

11%

Disability

healthier than 42%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 44%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 31%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 21%

16%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 37%

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 98.7 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 21.2 — 78 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #625 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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults32.4%29.8–35.2
High blood pressure among adults45.0%41.8–48.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.8%8.2–9.5
Current asthma among adults11.3%10.2–12.5
Coronary heart disease among adults8.2%7.4–8.9
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.8%7.9–9.8
Depression among adults23.2%20.6–26.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.6%14.0–17.4
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.7%36.4–43.1
Obesity among adults40.1%34.2–46.1
Stroke among adults4.9%4.5–5.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years20.4%17.7–23.4
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years11.4%9.9–12.9
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure81.3%79.3–83.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults82.3%80.0–84.5
Cholesterol screening among adults88.9%87.6–90.1
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.0%63.4–70.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults57.5%54.5–60.5
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years78.7%73.6–83.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults12.8%11.0–14.7
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.3%13.5–17.4
No leisure-time physical activity among adults28.7%25.1–32.7
Short sleep duration among adults35.6%31.0–40.6
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults23.0%20.7–25.5
Frequent mental distress among adults16.6%15.1–18.2
Frequent physical distress among adults14.7%13.3–16.2
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.7%14.2–17.3
Any disability among adults37.1%33.5–40.8
Hearing disability among adults8.3%7.5–9.2
Independent living disability among adults9.6%8.7–10.5
Mobility disability among adults18.6%16.7–20.6
Self-care disability among adults5.1%4.7–5.6
Vision disability among adults6.6%6.1–7.2
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults24.7%21.9–27.6
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults18.0%16.0–20.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults15.1%13.2–17.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.9%12.4–15.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.4%8.4–10.4
Loneliness among adults34.1%30.3–38.1
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.4%8.3–10.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate21.5%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793
Uninsured 18–6416.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794
No HS diploma (25+)17.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50510.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798
Bachelor's or higher (25+)12.3%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50522.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798
Unemployment rate (16+)5.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796
Households without a vehicle3.2%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793
Broadband subscription80.7%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)12.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32224.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793
Homeownership rate71.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32275.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.4%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793
Foreign-born population6.5%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5534.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799
Single-parent households67.9%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08751.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790
Population 65+15.3%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799
Median age40.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797
Median household income$44,330$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749
Median home value$206,700$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758
Median gross rent$619$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$957 ($715–$1,575) n=687
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth75.9 yr ± 1.0278.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30877.3 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 1.02 years of 75.9, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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