ZIP code
28783
in Tuckasegee, North CarolinaPopulation 1,785
52.57/ 100
Ranked #12,670 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)
Ranked #287 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 36%)
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
5.1%
in the bottom 1.1% 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
90%
in the top 1.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
14.3%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
11.0%
in the bottom 10.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS18thDefinition & 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 ›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
In overall standing, Tuckasegee, North Carolina (ZIP 28783) comes out in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,670th) and the top 36% of North Carolina (287th).
The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: modeled pfas lies in the bottom 1.1% nationally, and tree cover sits in the top 1.4% nationally. Unemployment settles at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled extreme heat registers at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Housing-cost burden stands in the bottom 10.8% nationally, and modeled short sleep lands in the bottom 17% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden is in the bottom 18% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility resides in the top 18% nationally. Set against that, crowded housing rests in the top 2.4% nationally, and fatal road crashes lies in the top 15% nationally.
In plain 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. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. 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 28736, 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 93%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 66%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 71%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
16%
Disability
healthier than 40%
7%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 40%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 36%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 82%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 70%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 93%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 54%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 57%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 56%
8%
Disability
healthier than 56%
7%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 21%
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 ›
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 92.7 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 40.4 — 52 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,322 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
28708
North Carolinashares a border
Score 45.67
Closest healthier
28736
North Carolinashares a border
Score 55.70
Similar health profile
49628
Michigan95% similar profile
Score 52.80
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% | 28.0–35.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.2% | 34.9–43.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.1% | 7.2–9.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.5–10.3 |
| Depression among adults | 25.4% | 21.7–29.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.3% | 11.4–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.5% | 35.1–44.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.1% | 28.6–43.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.6–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.3% | 9.9–14.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.2% | 9.3–13.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.7% | 75.6–81.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.2% | 76.4–83.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.9% | 86.0–89.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.3% | 62.2–71.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.7% | 60.0–67.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.4% | 70.8–84.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.7% | 11.9–17.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.4% | 11.9–17.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.2% | 20.6–29.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.4% | 25.0–38.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.0% | 17.0–23.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.3% | 14.3–18.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.2% | 12.3–16.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.1% | 13.1–17.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.9% | 30.3–40.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.1–10.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.4–9.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.1% | 13.7–18.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.7–4.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.9–6.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.3% | 17.0–23.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.5% | 11.1–16.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 8.8–13.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 8.8–12.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.6–8.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.7% | 26.6–36.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.0% | 6.0–8.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 32.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 26.4% | 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 | 5.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 83.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 11.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 14.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 6.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 66.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 24.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 45.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $51,350 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $290,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $988 | $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 | 78.5 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 78.5, 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