ZIP code
28531
in Harkers Island, North CarolinaPopulation 1,060
51.69/ 100
Ranked #13,844 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 43%)
Ranked #321 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 40%)
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.
Fatal road crashes
0 per 100,000 residents per year
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
65.6%
in the top 2.1% 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 ›Colon-cancer screening
77%
in the top 1.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
14.1%
in the top 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
21.8 mi
in the top 4.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Hearing disability
11.6%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
45.2%
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
10.5%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
7.1%
in the bottom 8.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
12.1%
in the bottom 7.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Harkers Island, North Carolina (ZIP 28531) places in the top 43% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,844th) and the top 40% of North Carolina (321st).
The measures land in both directions, and neither dominates: fatal road crashes lies at the national minimum, and modeled colon screening rests in the top 1.1% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility resides in the top 4.0% nationally. Unemployment is at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle lands at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Pulling the other way, floodplain exposure stands in the top 2.1% nationally, outer-floodplain exposure registers in the top 2.8% nationally, and modeled hearing disability settles in the top 6.0% nationally. Modeled high cholesterol sits in the top 4.0% nationally, and coronary heart disease lies in the top 6.5% nationally.
Beside the areas that surround it, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, 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. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 28516, 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.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 88%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 69%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 12%
21%
Disability
healthier than 31%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 22%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 97%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 6%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 9%
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 98.4 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 12.4 — 86 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #239 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
28516
North Carolinashares a border
Score 52.26
Closest healthier
28579
North Carolinaabout 2.5 mi away
Score 52.60
Similar health profile
23130
Virginia98% similar profile
Score 50.57
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 | 38.8% | 34.4–43.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.3% | 41.3–51.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.9% | 12.4–15.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.3–12.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.5% | 8.9–12.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 8.3–13.2 |
| Depression among adults | 23.8% | 20.3–27.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.8% | 12.3–17.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 45.2% | 40.3–50.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.8% | 26.3–41.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.0% | 4.2–5.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.0% | 8.8–13.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.0% | 5.6–11.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 84.4% | 81.5–87.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 84.5% | 81.4–87.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 91.8% | 90.1–93.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 77.0% | 72.5–81.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.2% | 62.5–69.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.7% | 73.8–86.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.1% | 9.8–14.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.1% | 10.6–17.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.0% | 19.2–30.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.8% | 24.9–37.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.8% | 16.3–25.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.1% | 12.1–16.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.4% | 12.7–18.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.5% | 11.0–16.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.4% | 30.4–42.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.6% | 9.9–13.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.6% | 6.9–10.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.2% | 15.2–23.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.5% | 3.6–5.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.4–6.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.2% | 15.5–23.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 7.4–13.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.0% | 5.7–10.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 5.5–8.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.6% | 4.5–6.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.7% | 23.6–34.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.7% | 3.8–5.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 12.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 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 | 90.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 13.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 89.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 73.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 35.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 61.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $313,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,125 | $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 | 79.3 yr ± 2.73 | 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 2.73 years of 79.3, 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