ZIP code
29042
in Denmark, South CarolinaPopulation 4,904
42.15/ 100
Ranked #25,083 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 22%)
Ranked #301 of 417 South Carolina ZIPs (bottom 28%)
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.
Grocery access
0.43 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Unemployment rate
16.2%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
19.1%
in the top 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST76thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
5.7%
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Food insecurity
32.4%
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
23.4%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
16.2%
in the top 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
15.6%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Loneliness
39.1%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
19.2 mi
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Cross-source signals
Health need and barriers to care documented here
On our reading, this ZIP code carries the overlap at its acute level: acute means at least three of the six health-need readings and at least three of the six access barriers apply to the same place.
These are two separate readings of public data that both apply to this place — never a claim that one causes the other, never a severity score, and never a statement about any person who lives here.
Health need documented here
- Food insecurity
- Housing insecurity
- Chronic conditions
Barriers to reaching care
- Distance to the nearest emergency room
- Thin local supply of doctors
- Households with no vehicle
A reading appears below only where this ZIP code is among the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on it — one national bar, the same for every ZIP in the country.
See the full care-deserts analysis →The read
By its overall health score, Denmark, South Carolina (ZIP 29042) lands in the bottom 22% nationally (25,083rd) and the bottom 28% of South Carolina (301st).
The measures that define the ground here come first: unemployment stands in the top 3.2% nationally, and modeled diabetes settles in the top 5.4% nationally. Modeled energy burden lies in the top 4.0% nationally, and food insecurity resides in the top 4.7% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity lands in the top 5.3% nationally, utility shutoff registers in the top 5.4% nationally, and transportation sits in the top 5.5% nationally. Modeled loneliness rests in the top 5.9% nationally, and distance to an emergency room is in the top 6.0% nationally. On the stronger side, grocery stands in the top 2.0% nationally.
To translate a couple of terms, energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 29038, just across the boundary. On a broader view, the area also shows documented health need overlapping with barriers to reaching care, sitting in the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on several need measures and several access barriers.
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 74%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 56%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 52%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 32%
11%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 32%
5%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 56%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 51%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 57%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 56%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 3%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 39%
11%
Disability
healthier than 24%
7%
“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 73.8; chronic-disease standing 19.0 — 55 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,128 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
29003
South Carolinashares a border
Score 39.48
Closest healthier
29038
South Carolinashares a border
Score 43.37
Similar health profile
27874
North Carolina97% similar profile
Score 33.15
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 | 29.8% | 26.7–32.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 45.8% | 41.7–49.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–6.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.7–8.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.6% | 7.5–9.7 |
| Depression among adults | 19.5% | 16.6–22.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 19.1% | 17.0–21.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.9% | 33.0–40.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.4% | 35.8–51.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 24.2% | 20.4–28.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 14.4% | 11.2–18.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.4% | 79.4–83.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.5% | 80.5–86.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.0% | 82.0–87.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.0% | 61.8–71.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 52.8% | 48.9–56.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.8% | 72.9–85.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.8% | 9.7–14.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.7% | 13.3–18.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.7% | 27.5–37.6 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 42.7% | 35.6–49.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 27.5% | 23.6–31.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.1% | 16.7–21.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.9% | 13.8–17.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.3% | 15.4–21.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.2% | 33.8–44.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.4–6.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.6% | 10.7–14.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.7% | 18.1–23.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.7% | 5.9–7.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–9.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 32.5% | 27.9–37.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 32.4% | 27.1–37.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 22.3% | 18.3–26.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 23.4% | 19.8–27.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 15.6% | 13.1–18.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 39.1% | 33.5–44.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 16.2% | 13.9–18.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 24.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.5% (6.2–28.7%) n=410 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 20.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.1% (5.9–25.5%) n=412 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 30.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (3.4–21.1%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.1% (9.1–48.9%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 16.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (0.2–11.1%) n=414 |
| Households without a vehicle | 13.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–13.6%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 74.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.1% (71.4–95.1%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 36.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.3% (12.8–35.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.3% (54.9–91.8%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.6% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.6%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.7% (0.0–9.0%) n=419 |
| Single-parent households | 40.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (37.6–69.9%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 19.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.6% (10.9–31.7%) n=419 |
| Median age | 36.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.4 yr (33.8–54.1) n=415 |
| Median household income | $41,047 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $58,990 ($40,800–$90,964) n=384 |
| Median home value | $88,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,400 ($88,260–$384,940) n=383 |
| Median gross rent | $798 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $950 ($678–$1,545) n=343 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 73.7 yr ± 1.13 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 76.3 yr (73.2–79.9) n=389 |
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 1.13 years of 73.7, 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