ZIP code
28511
in Atlantic, North CarolinaPopulation 610
45.12/ 100
Ranked #22,278 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 31%)
Ranked #576 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 27%)
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
69.9%
in the top 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & 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 hazardous-chemical facility
28.8 mi
in the top 2.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
24.2 mi
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
72.4%
in the top 3.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 6.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS6thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
22.9 mi
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
12 mi
in the top 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
10.3%
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
11.1%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
3.4%
in the top 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›The read
Atlantic, North Carolina (ZIP 28511), overall, ranks in the bottom 31% nationally (22,278th) and the bottom 27% of North Carolina (576th).
Reading across the data, the real pressures come first: floodplain exposure stands in the top 1.7% nationally, distance to an emergency room rests in the top 3.3% nationally, and modeled pfas registers in the top 3.8% nationally. Distance to a community health center resides in the top 6.7% nationally, distance to a nursing home settles in the top 8.0% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease is in the top 7.7% nationally. Modeled hearing disability sits in the top 8.7% nationally. Fiber broadband lands at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. More encouragingly, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lies in the top 2.2% nationally, and modeled industrial-pollution burden stands in the bottom 6.4% nationally.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, outer-floodplain exposure runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. 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. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. ZIP 28520, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 88%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 47%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Disability
healthier than 25%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 4%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 4%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 87%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 85%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 69%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 68%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 45%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Disability
healthier than 34%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 3%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.6%
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
28520
North Carolinashares a border
Score 55.41
Closest healthier
28581
North Carolinaabout 1.1 mi away
Score 54.98
Similar health profile
76565
Texas99% similar profile
Score 43.96
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 | 37.9% | 33.6–42.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 45.9% | 41.1–50.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.5% | 11.2–13.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 9.5–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.3% | 8.9–11.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.4% | 9.4–13.6 |
| Depression among adults | 25.4% | 21.5–29.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.5% | 13.1–18.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.8% | 39.1–48.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.0% | 29.0–45.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.4–5.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 19.8% | 16.2–23.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.1% | 7.0–11.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.3% | 80.3–85.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.3% | 80.2–86.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.3% | 88.7–91.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.7% | 63.6–73.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.5% | 60.8–68.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.7% | 70.1–84.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.7% | 10.3–15.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.2% | 13.0–19.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.8% | 21.8–32.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.9% | 25.9–38.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.4% | 18.7–26.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.5% | 13.4–17.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.1% | 13.8–18.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.7% | 12.5–17.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 37.2% | 31.9–42.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.7–12.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.4% | 7.9–11.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.8% | 16.6–23.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.2–5.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.2–7.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.0% | 15.7–22.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.7% | 9.9–16.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 8.4–14.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 7.1–10.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.9% | 5.7–8.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.7% | 23.8–34.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.4% | 5.2–7.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 17.4% | 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 | 11.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 80.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 11.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 69.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 30.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 40.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $55,978 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $156,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 77.0 yr ± 0.96 | 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 0.96 years of 77.0, 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