ZIP code
28604
in Beech Mountain, North CarolinaPopulation 7,869
55.75/ 100
Ranked #8,580 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 27%)
Ranked #195 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 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.
Recreation access
1.8 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›Grocery access
0.28 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
19.5 mi
in the top 5.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.2%
in the bottom 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
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 ›Tree cover
76.4%
in the top 6.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
29.5%
in the bottom 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS91stDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
90.4%
in the top 15% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS85thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & 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 ›Humid extreme heat
28.8 days/year
in the bottom 27% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS27thDefinition & 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 ›The read
By the composite health measure, Beech Mountain, North Carolina (ZIP 28604) ranks in the top 27% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,580th) and the top 25% of North Carolina (195th).
The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: recreation resides in the top 2.0% nationally, and grocery registers in the top 4.0% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility rests in the top 5.1% nationally, and modeled arsenic stands in the bottom 5.1% nationally. Modeled tree cover lies in the top 6.4% nationally, and short sleep lands in the bottom 7.5% nationally. Modeled extreme heat sits at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home is at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Fiber broadband settles in the top 15% nationally. Set against that, modeled disaster risk resides in the top 8.9% nationally.
To spell things out, 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. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Close by, ZIP 28605, just across the boundary, ranks 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 75%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 79%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 87%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 91%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 75%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 64%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 76%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 84%
11%
Disability
healthier than 66%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.8%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 57%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 49%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 58%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
“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.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 79.8 ± 1.8 years. The 47 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.2 years — 2.7 years above them.
Ranked #1,025 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
28605
North Carolinashares a border
Score 61.11
Closest healthier
28684
North Carolinaabout 7.4 mi away
Score 57.64
Similar health profile
28754
North Carolina97% similar profile
Score 56.47
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 | 31.5% | 28.9–34.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.3% | 35.1–41.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.6% | 9.9–11.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.8–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.9% | 7.3–8.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.5–9.3 |
| Depression among adults | 26.1% | 23.3–29.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.0% | 10.7–13.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.1% | 35.8–42.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.5% | 29.1–40.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.6–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.9% | 10.1–13.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.5% | 7.2–10.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.6% | 77.4–81.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.1% | 78.5–83.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.0% | 86.4–89.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.6% | 66.8–74.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.7% | 63.9–69.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.0% | 72.3–82.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.9% | 12.8–17.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.9% | 11.4–14.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.5% | 19.5–25.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.5% | 25.0–34.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.3% | 16.4–20.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.3% | 14.8–17.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.4% | 12.1–14.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.7% | 13.2–16.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.4% | 30.1–36.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.3% | 7.6–9.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.0% | 13.4–16.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.5–4.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.6–5.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 18.9% | 16.6–21.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.4% | 9.8–13.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.1% | 7.7–10.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.5% | 7.4–9.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.8% | 6.1–7.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.3% | 26.6–34.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.8% | 5.1–6.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 46.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 26.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 64.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 25.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 45.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $76,319 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $383,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $991 | $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 | 79.8 yr ± 0.93 | 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 0.93 years of 79.8, 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