ZIP code
28790
in Zirconia, North CarolinaPopulation 3,241
56.70/ 100
Ranked #7,549 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 24%)
Ranked #175 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 22%)
Ranked #16 of 29 Asheville, NC ZIPs (bottom 45%)
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
85.1%
in the top 3.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
0.9 mi
in the bottom 7.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.3%
in the bottom 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST15thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Loneliness
28.9%
in the bottom 13.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS13thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Obesity
30%
in the bottom 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS17thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
90.4%
in the top 17% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
In its overall standing, Zirconia, North Carolina (ZIP 28790) lands in the top 24% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,549th) and the top 22% of North Carolina (175th).
Reading the numbers as a whole, this area's strong points come through first: modeled tree cover settles in the top 3.0% nationally, and arsenic is in the bottom 8.8% nationally. Modeled extreme heat sits at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled housing insecurity lands in the bottom 13.3% nationally, and loneliness lies in the bottom 13.3% nationally. Modeled utility shutoff stands in the bottom 14.9% nationally, and mammography rests in the top 13.6% nationally. Poverty registers in the bottom 16% nationally. Set against that, distance to a Superfund site resides in the bottom 7.0% nationally, and unemployment settles in the top 13.5% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. On the overall standing, ZIP 28718, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Asheville, NC metro area.
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 82%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 86%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 84%
11%
Disability
healthier than 61%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 67%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 62%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 50%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 45%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 66%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 81%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 83%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 80%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 70%
8%
Disability
healthier than 76%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 91%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 27%
14%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 64%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 61%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 61%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 57%
8%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
28718
North Carolinashares a border
Score 57.21
Closest healthier
28739
North Carolinashares a border
Score 59.07
Similar health profile
24090
Virginia99% similar profile
Score 54.49
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 | 31.6% | 28.0–35.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.8% | 33.4–42.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.9% | 9.7–12.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.3–12.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.6–8.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.9% | 6.6–9.5 |
| Depression among adults | 25.1% | 21.3–29.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.7% | 9.9–13.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.6% | 35.2–44.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 30.0% | 23.5–37.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.3–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.2% | 9.9–14.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.9% | 6.2–10.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.4% | 77.2–83.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.3% | 78.0–84.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.7% | 88.0–91.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.6% | 63.8–73.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.2% | 62.5–69.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.6% | 72.9–85.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.3% | 11.7–17.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.9% | 10.3–15.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.5% | 17.3–26.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.9% | 26.8–39.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.3% | 14.4–20.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.6% | 13.4–17.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.1% | 11.2–15.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.4–15.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.6% | 26.9–36.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.7–10.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.3–8.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.4% | 12.0–17.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 3.0–4.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.4% | 3.8–5.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.1% | 15.9–22.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.5% | 7.5–11.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 7.2% | 5.5–9.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.2–9.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.7% | 4.8–6.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.9% | 24.4–34.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.1% | 4.2–6.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 23.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 86.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 18.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 90.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 62.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 19.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 48.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $97,042 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $455,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $941 | $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 | 79.6 yr ± 1.71 | 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 1.71 years of 79.6, 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