ZIP code
29405
in North Charleston, South CarolinaPopulation 26,254
42.60/ 100
Ranked #24,728 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 23%)
Ranked #297 of 417 South Carolina ZIPs (bottom 29%)
Ranked #40 of 45 Charleston-North Charleston, SC ZIPs (bottom 11.2%)
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.
Expected annual disaster loss
$1
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
46.5 per million
in the top 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
915 units
in the top 1.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
In this ZIP
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
12.8%
in the top 3.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Transit access
6.3 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of public-transit stops 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.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
15.9%
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
48.8%
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›The read
ZIP 29405, one of several in North Charleston, South Carolina ranks in the bottom 23% nationally (24,728th) and the bottom 29% of South Carolina (297th).
The weightiest signals in the profile are worth naming up front: modeled expected annual loss lands in the top 1.0% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk settles in the top 1.3% nationally. Distance to a Superfund site rests at the national minimum, and modeled disaster risk lands in the top 2.7% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure settles in the top 3.0% nationally, modeled transportation noise rests in the top 3.9% nationally, and floodplain exposure lands in the top 4.2% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the top 5.5% nationally. More positively, subsidized affordable housing rests in the top 1.7% nationally, and transit lands in the top 3.2% nationally.
Against its neighbors, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 29403, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 88%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 58%
8%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 23%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 5%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 36%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 13%
11%
Disability
healthier than 22%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 5%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 64%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 87%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 39%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 4%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 21%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Disability
healthier than 40%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 89%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 36%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 18%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 2%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 14%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Disability
healthier than 20%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 20%
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
3 of our published findings list 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.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 73.2 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $56,600 predicts 77.8 years — 4.7 years below.
Ranked #5,412 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 73.2 ± 1.3 years. The 44 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.6 years — 4.5 years below them.
Ranked #3,205 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 46.5 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 73.2 ± 1.3 years.
Ranked #261 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
29403
South Carolinashares a border
Score 55.37
Closest healthier
29406
South Carolinashares a border
Score 44.16
Similar health profile
42451
Kentucky94% similar profile
Score 37.93
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 | 26.6% | 24.2–28.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.1% | 36.1–41.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.2% | 5.6–6.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.2% | 9.0–11.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.7% | 6.1–7.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.4–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 20.8% | 18.2–23.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.6% | 14.9–18.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.5% | 32.5–38.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.8% | 33.3–42.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.9% | 4.5–5.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 23.4% | 20.0–26.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 15.3% | 13.4–17.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.7% | 77.3–81.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.5% | 76.6–81.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.9% | 83.0–86.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.2% | 64.2–72.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.9% | 50.7–56.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.6% | 69.3–81.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.8% | 16.2–21.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.5% | 14.6–18.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.2% | 26.9–33.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.6% | 34.5–42.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.9% | 22.5–27.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.6% | 15.8–19.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.7% | 13.2–16.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.9% | 15.2–18.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.0% | 30.8–37.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.3–6.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.2% | 10.1–12.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.5% | 16.6–20.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.8–6.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.6–8.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 28.4% | 25.3–31.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 28.6% | 25.7–31.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 21.9% | 19.6–24.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.4% | 19.0–23.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 14.0% | 12.5–15.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.5% | 30.9–38.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 15.7% | 14.0–17.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.5% (6.2–28.7%) n=410 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.1% (5.9–25.5%) n=412 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (3.4–21.1%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 29.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.1% (9.1–48.9%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (0.2–11.1%) n=414 |
| Households without a vehicle | 11.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–13.6%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 80.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.1% (71.4–95.1%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 38.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.3% (12.8–35.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.3% (54.9–91.8%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.6%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.7% (0.0–9.0%) n=419 |
| Single-parent households | 38.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (37.6–69.9%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 18.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.6% (10.9–31.7%) n=419 |
| Median age | 40.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.4 yr (33.8–54.1) n=415 |
| Median household income | $56,600 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $58,990 ($40,800–$90,964) n=384 |
| Median home value | $307,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,400 ($88,260–$384,940) n=383 |
| Median gross rent | $1,253 | $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 | 73.2 yr ± 0.65 | 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 0.65 years of 73.2, 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