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ZIP code

28521

in Chinquapin, North CarolinaPopulation 1,593

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

41.48/ 100

Ranked #25,679 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 20%)

Ranked #686 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 13.5%)

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.

Homeownership rate

97.5%

in the top 6.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST97th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

11.2 mi

in the top 9.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US91st
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Transportation noise

9.1%

in the top 10.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US90th
Definition & source ›

The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.

Full methodology ›

Radon

0.7 pCi/L

in the bottom 2.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST10th
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 ›

Humid extreme heat

115.1 days/year

in the top 16% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US84th
Definition & 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 ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

20 per million

in the bottom 25% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US25th
Definition & 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

Chinquapin, North Carolina (ZIP 28521) ranks in the bottom 20% nationally (25,679th) and the bottom 13.5% of North Carolina (686th).

continue reading

Several signals sit on each side of the ledger here: homeownership settles in the top 6.1% nationally, and modeled radon rests in the bottom 2.9% nationally. Working the other way, distance to a nursing home lands in the top 9.1% nationally. Fiber broadband settles at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise rests in the top 10.1% nationally, fatal road crashes lands in the top 12.2% nationally, and modeled self-care disability settles in the top 11.4% nationally. Modeled stroke rests in the top 11.3% nationally, independent living disability lands in the top 13.2% nationally, and mobility disability settles in the top 14.3% nationally.

For context, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 28466, just across the boundary.

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 94%

14%

About typical

Risk Behavior

healthier than 51%

11%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 15%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 21%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 39%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 16%

8%

Disability

healthier than 12%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 30%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 26%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 84%

14%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 20%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 21%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 19%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 31%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 10%

8%

Disability

healthier than 13%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 27%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 12%

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 94.2 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 14.8 — 79 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #519 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 adults33.5%30.2–37.1
High blood pressure among adults43.4%39.4–47.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.3%8.4–10.2
Current asthma among adults11.8%10.5–13.3
Coronary heart disease among adults9.4%8.4–10.5
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.5%10.0–13.2
Depression among adults26.7%23.1–30.5
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.5%13.6–17.6
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.8%35.7–44.1
Obesity among adults38.7%31.2–46.7
Stroke among adults5.2%4.7–5.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years20.1%16.6–23.8
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years12.4%10.2–14.9
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.9%77.4–82.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.4%77.3–83.4
Cholesterol screening among adults86.0%84.0–87.8
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years63.4%58.1–68.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults57.1%53.4–60.7
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years74.2%66.6–80.7
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.4%11.1–16.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults19.1%16.2–22.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults30.1%25.4–35.1
Short sleep duration among adults33.4%27.6–39.6
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults26.3%22.9–29.9
Frequent mental distress among adults18.9%16.7–21.2
Frequent physical distress among adults16.8%14.8–19.1
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults18.8%16.5–21.4
Any disability among adults41.0%36.2–46.0
Hearing disability among adults10.2%9.1–11.4
Independent living disability among adults11.7%10.3–13.3
Mobility disability among adults20.7%18.1–23.7
Self-care disability among adults6.1%5.4–6.8
Vision disability among adults7.7%6.8–8.6
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.0%19.6–26.7
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults19.8%16.5–23.1
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults18.2%15.1–21.5
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults13.9%11.8–16.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults10.4%8.9–11.8
Loneliness among adults33.3%28.3–38.5
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.8%8.4–11.2
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate7.7%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793
Uninsured 18–6419.4%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794
No HS diploma (25+)10.1%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50510.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798
Bachelor's or higher (25+)17.3%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50522.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798
Unemployment rate (16+)2.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796
Households without a vehicle2.5%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793
Broadband subscription82.3%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)27.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32224.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793
Homeownership rate97.5%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32275.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.8%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793
Foreign-born population2.3%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5534.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799
Single-parent households63.1%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08751.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790
Population 65+22.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799
Median age44.9 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797
Median household income$47,813$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749
Median home value$128,800$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth78.3 yr ± 1.8178.9 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 1.81 years of 78.3, 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