ZIP code
28718
in Cedar Mountain, North CarolinaPopulation 654
57.21/ 100
Ranked #7,071 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 22%)
Ranked #154 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 19%)
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.
Arsenic in groundwater
0.75%
in the bottom 0.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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
89%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
6.5%
in the bottom 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
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 ›Poverty rate
1.4%
in the bottom 5.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS6thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
8.3%
in the bottom 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
95.2%
in the top 8.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
29.9%
in the bottom 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
28.6%
in the bottom 10.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
72.4%
in the top 9.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.54%
in the bottom 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS16thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Cedar Mountain, North Carolina (ZIP 28718), by its overall standing, sits in the top 22% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,071st) and the top 19% of North Carolina (154th).
Both sides of the picture show up plainly in this area's numbers: modeled arsenic rests in the bottom 0.2% nationally, tree cover lies in the top 1.6% nationally, and pfas sits in the bottom 2.7% nationally. Poverty settles in the bottom 5.7% nationally. Unemployment registers at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Housing-cost burden stands in the bottom 7.5% nationally, and homeownership lands in the top 8.3% nationally. Modeled short sleep is in the bottom 9.2% nationally. Modeled extreme heat resides at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled loneliness rests in the bottom 10.9% nationally.
Defined in plain terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. 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. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 28739, 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 84%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 91%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 90%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 74%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
8%
Disability
healthier than 52%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 82%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 90%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 87%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 78%
8%
Disability
healthier than 70%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 94%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 47%
21%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 25%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
28712
North Carolinashares a border
Score 57.14
Closest healthier
28739
North Carolinashares a border
Score 59.07
Similar health profile
28775
North Carolina98% similar profile
Score 56.96
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 | 33.6% | 29.5–37.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.4% | 36.5–46.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.4% | 10.2–12.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.1–9.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.5% | 6.9–10.3 |
| Depression among adults | 24.8% | 20.9–28.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.6% | 10.6–14.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.7% | 35.9–45.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.4% | 26.3–42.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.1% | 3.5–4.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.7% | 10.0–15.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.3% | 5.5–9.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.5% | 77.3–83.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.6% | 79.2–85.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.2% | 88.3–91.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.4% | 67.1–77.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.4% | 67.0–73.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.7% | 68.3–83.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.8% | 11.2–16.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.1% | 10.2–16.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.0% | 17.2–27.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.9% | 23.4–36.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.1% | 14.8–21.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.0% | 12.8–17.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.6% | 11.4–15.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.1–15.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.3% | 27.0–37.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.0–10.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.8% | 6.5–9.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.4% | 12.6–18.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.3–4.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.1–5.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 18.8% | 15.2–22.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 7.9–13.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.5% | 6.2–10.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.2–9.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 4.9–7.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.6% | 23.6–34.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.5% | 4.4–6.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 1.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 32.1% | 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 | 2.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 90.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 8.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 95.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 7.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 85.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 24.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 56.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $74,031 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $234,600 | $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
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.7 yr ± 1.30 | 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 1.30 years of 80.7, 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