ZIP code
28781
in Topton, North CarolinaPopulation 881
48.66/ 100
Ranked #18,124 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 43%)
Ranked #448 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (bottom 44%)
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.
PFAS in drinking water
3.8%
in the bottom 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Tree cover
92.4%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
0.97%
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Hearing disability
12.1%
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 4.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Coronary heart disease
10.8%
in the top 5.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & 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-cost burden
5.3%
in the bottom 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS5thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
12.0%
in the bottom 6.8% 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 ›High blood pressure
46.9%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Topton, North Carolina (ZIP 28781) places in the bottom 43% nationally (18,124th) and the bottom 44% of North Carolina (448th).
The measures that define this area's challenges come through directly: modeled hearing disability stands in the top 4.2% nationally, and disaster risk registers in the top 4.9% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease settles in the top 5.1% nationally, and high blood pressure sits in the top 7.9% nationally. On the stronger side, modeled pfas lies in the bottom 0.4% nationally, tree cover rests in the top 0.7% nationally, and arsenic resides in the bottom 1.7% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden is in the bottom 3.0% nationally, housing-cost burden lands in the bottom 5.3% nationally, and modeled binge drinking stands in the bottom 6.8% nationally.
For readers new to these terms, 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. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 28734, 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 63%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 81%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Disability
healthier than 21%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 24%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 63%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 89%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 76%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 73%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 70%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 92%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Disability
healthier than 28%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
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
28713
North Carolinashares a border
Score 46.77
Closest healthier
28734
North Carolinashares a border
Score 50.55
Similar health profile
97369
Oregon99% similar profile
Score 45.48
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 | 37.9% | 33.1–42.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 46.9% | 41.5–51.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.7% | 11.2–14.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.8% | 9.3–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.8% | 9.3–12.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.4% | 9.3–13.7 |
| Depression among adults | 25.2% | 20.9–29.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.5% | 12.9–18.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 44.2% | 38.8–49.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.5% | 26.7–43.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.3% | 4.5–6.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.4% | 13.2–19.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.3% | 7.1–11.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.3% | 80.1–85.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.3% | 79.9–86.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.1% | 88.3–91.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.2% | 63.9–74.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 59.0% | 55.2–62.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.6% | 67.5–82.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.0% | 9.5–14.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.8% | 12.5–19.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.9% | 22.3–33.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.7% | 25.3–38.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.5% | 18.5–26.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.5% | 13.2–17.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.1% | 13.5–18.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 12.8–17.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.3% | 33.4–45.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 12.1% | 10.4–13.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.1–11.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.1% | 16.5–23.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.2–6.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.3–7.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.7% | 16.4–23.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 10.2–16.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 8.5–13.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.4–10.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.0% | 5.9–8.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.9% | 23.9–34.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.3% | 5.2–7.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 22.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 35.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 81.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 5.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 65.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 39.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 59.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $62,045 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $276,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $823 | $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 | 76.0 yr ± 1.21 | 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 1.21 years of 76.0, 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