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ZIP code

28697

in Wilkesboro, North CarolinaPopulation 13,412

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

48.30/ 100

Ranked #18,558 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 42%)

Ranked #456 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 42%)

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.

Industrial-pollution burden

in the top 1.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & 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 ›

The read

In overall standing, Wilkesboro, North Carolina (ZIP 28697) comes out in the bottom 42% nationally (18,558th) and the bottom 42% of North Carolina (456th).

continue reading

The profile opens on the burdens that define it most: modeled industrial-pollution burden stands in the top 1.3% nationally, and pfas lands in the top 12.9% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Fatal road crashes resides in the top 19% nationally. More positively, distance to a community health center rests at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home lies at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Distance to an emergency room sits in the bottom 14.4% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing settles in the top 18% nationally. Modeled tree cover registers in the top 18% nationally, and elder services stands in the top 19% nationally.

Relative to the ZIPs around it, industrial-pollution burden runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain terms, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. 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. 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. The nearest healthier ZIP overall is ZIP 28654, 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

Risk Behavior

healthier than 71%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 93%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 58%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 56%

13%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 42%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 32%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 12%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 34%

8%

Disability

healthier than 34%

7%

Lifting this score

Healthcare Access

healthier than 90%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 45%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 57%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 41%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 59%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 45%

8%

Disability

healthier than 48%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 52%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 3%

14%

“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.

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 adults31.8%28.2–35.3
High blood pressure among adults40.2%35.9–44.5
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.1%9.2–11.0
Current asthma among adults10.8%9.5–12.2
Coronary heart disease among adults8.3%7.4–9.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults9.3%8.2–10.5
Depression among adults25.9%22.1–29.8
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.1%11.3–15.0
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.8%35.3–44.2
Obesity among adults36.7%28.8–44.8
Stroke among adults4.3%3.9–4.7
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years16.2%13.3–19.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years11.2%9.6–12.8
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.3%76.3–81.9
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.5%77.0–83.6
Cholesterol screening among adults87.7%86.1–89.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years66.5%61.5–71.1
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults60.2%56.5–63.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years75.5%67.9–82.1
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.2%11.6–17.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.5%13.3–17.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults26.0%21.7–30.5
Short sleep duration among adults32.7%26.5–39.2
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults21.1%18.4–23.9
Frequent mental distress among adults16.6%14.7–18.7
Frequent physical distress among adults14.7%12.9–16.6
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.8%14.0–17.7
Any disability among adults35.6%31.1–40.2
Hearing disability among adults9.4%8.3–10.5
Independent living disability among adults9.3%8.3–10.4
Mobility disability among adults17.0%14.8–19.2
Self-care disability among adults4.5%4.1–5.0
Vision disability among adults5.8%5.3–6.4
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.2%18.9–26.0
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults14.6%12.6–16.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults11.9%10.2–13.8
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.8%9.3–12.6
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults7.8%6.9–8.9
Loneliness among adults32.8%27.9–38.5
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults7.2%6.2–8.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NC median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate14.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793
Uninsured 18–6412.4%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794
No HS diploma (25+)12.3%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50510.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798
Bachelor's or higher (25+)23.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50522.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798
Unemployment rate (16+)3.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796
Households without a vehicle6.2%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793
Broadband subscription89.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)26.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32224.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793
Homeownership rate66.7%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32275.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793
Foreign-born population4.4%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5534.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799
Single-parent households41.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08751.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790
Population 65+22.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799
Median age43.4 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797
Median household income$52,988$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749
Median home value$218,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758
Median gross rent$768$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 birth77.7 yr ± 0.9778.9 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 0.97 years of 77.7, 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