ZIP code
28705
in Bakersville, North CarolinaPopulation 6,732
51.58/ 100
Ranked #14,014 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 44%)
Ranked #324 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 41%)
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.
Tree cover
84%
in the top 3.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Elder-services access
0.16 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 9.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS90thDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
1.4%
in the bottom 15.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS15thDefinition & 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 ›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 ›The read
Bakersville, North Carolina (ZIP 28705), by its composite score, sits in the top 44% healthiest ZIPs nationally (14,014th) and the top 41% of North Carolina (324th).
Where the data is kindest to this area, a few readings lead the way: modeled tree cover sits in the top 3.4% nationally, and elder services lies in the top 9.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat rests at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Distance to a community health center resides at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Modeled short sleep is in the bottom 11.5% nationally, and floodplain exposure lands in the bottom 15.0% nationally. On the other hand, modeled industrial-pollution burden stands in the top 9.8% nationally, and unemployment registers in the top 17% nationally. Recreation settles at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs. Modeled disaster risk sits in the top 18% nationally.
For anyone unfamiliar, industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 28657, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 84%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 85%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 72%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 25%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 34%
8%
Disability
healthier than 35%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 72%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 72%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 73%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 97%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 56%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 46%
8%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
“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 84.3; chronic-disease standing 24.9 — 59 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,781 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
28657
North Carolinashares a border
Score 52.20
Closest healthier
28777
North Carolinashares a border
Score 53.82
Similar health profile
92561
California98% similar profile
Score 51.16
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 | 34.2% | 30.4–38.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.5% | 37.0–46.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.1% | 10.1–12.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 9.6–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.7% | 8.4–11.3 |
| Depression among adults | 26.0% | 22.3–30.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.4% | 11.4–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.8% | 36.0–45.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.5% | 29.4–46.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.1% | 12.2–18.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.0% | 7.4–11.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.5% | 77.5–83.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.3% | 77.9–84.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.9% | 87.2–90.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.6% | 64.5–74.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.9% | 60.2–67.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.8% | 68.8–83.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.0% | 11.4–17.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.5% | 13.0–18.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.6% | 21.1–30.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.4% | 23.9–37.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.3% | 17.3–23.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.5% | 14.5–18.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.9% | 12.9–17.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 13.3–17.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.6% | 30.9–40.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.0% | 8.8–11.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.0% | 7.8–10.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.2% | 14.7–20.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–5.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.8–6.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.5% | 17.1–24.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 9.8–14.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 8.0–11.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.5–10.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.8% | 5.9–7.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.7% | 25.4–35.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 5.2–7.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 26.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 86.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 22.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 54.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 25.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 44.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $54,858 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $220,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $864 | $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 | 78.6 yr ± 0.98 | 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 0.98 years of 78.6, 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