ZIP code
29436
in Cross, South CarolinaPopulation 4,000
43.97/ 100
Ranked #23,446 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 27%)
Ranked #263 of 417 South Carolina ZIPs (bottom 37%)
Ranked #38 of 45 Charleston-North Charleston, SC ZIPs (bottom 16%)
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.
Arsenic in groundwater
0.81%
in the bottom 0.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Diabetes
20.8%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
49.8%
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
47.5 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 4.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Stroke
5.8%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST82ndUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.24 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Mobility disability
22.8%
in the top 7.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
71%
in the bottom 6.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST9thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
11.8%
in the bottom 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS6thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
16.5 mi
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›The read
Cross, South Carolina (ZIP 29436), overall, ranks in the bottom 27% nationally (23,446th) and the bottom 37% of South Carolina (263rd).
This area's pressures are easy to read across the measures: modeled diabetes settles in the top 2.7% nationally, modeled high blood pressure is in the top 3.6% nationally, and fatal road crashes sits in the top 4.6% nationally. Modeled stroke lands in the top 5.3% nationally, modeled mobility disability lies in the top 7.3% nationally, and home broadband subscription stands in the bottom 6.7% nationally. Distance to an emergency room rests in the top 8.9% nationally. On the brighter side, modeled arsenic registers in the bottom 0.4% nationally, and grocery resides in the top 5.4% nationally. Modeled binge drinking settles in the bottom 5.8% nationally.
Defined simply, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. ZIP 29431, just across the boundary, comes out healthier overall.
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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 90%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 68%
8%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 21%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 29%
11%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 12%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 78%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Disability
healthier than 31%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 16%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 68%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 61%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 61%
8%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 57%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 14%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 27%
11%
Disability
healthier than 14%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 39%
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 89.7; chronic-disease standing 11.4 — 78 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #582 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
29048
South Carolinashares a border
Score 35.05
Closest healthier
29431
South Carolinashares a border
Score 46.67
Similar health profile
29945
South Carolina98% similar profile
Score 41.87
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 | 34.2% | 31.1–37.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 49.8% | 46.4–53.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.4% | 7.6–9.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.3–11.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.7% | 8.6–10.9 |
| Depression among adults | 20.3% | 17.7–23.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 20.8% | 18.6–23.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.4% | 38.8–46.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.8% | 38.7–49.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.8% | 5.3–6.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.7% | 14.1–19.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.9% | 11.0–15.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 84.7% | 82.6–86.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.7% | 81.3–86.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.4% | 86.9–89.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.7% | 66.7–74.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.5% | 54.4–60.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.1% | 71.2–82.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.8% | 9.9–14.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.8% | 14.5–19.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.6% | 30.4–39.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.0% | 36.6–45.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 26.5% | 23.4–29.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.8% | 15.0–18.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.9% | 15.0–19.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.9% | 14.1–17.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.9% | 35.7–44.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.2–9.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.9% | 9.7–12.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.8% | 20.2–25.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.6–7.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.8% | 7.0–8.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 28.3% | 24.9–31.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 25.0% | 22.0–28.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.4% | 13.1–17.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.5% | 15.3–19.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.0% | 9.8–12.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.9% | 28.9–37.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 10.5–13.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.5% (6.2–28.7%) n=410 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.1% (5.9–25.5%) n=412 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 12.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (3.4–21.1%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.1% (9.1–48.9%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (0.2–11.1%) n=414 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–13.6%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 71.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.1% (71.4–95.1%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 14.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.3% (12.8–35.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 90.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.3% (54.9–91.8%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.6%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.7% (0.0–9.0%) n=419 |
| Single-parent households | 49.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (37.6–69.9%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 33.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.6% (10.9–31.7%) n=419 |
| Median age | 54.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.4 yr (33.8–54.1) n=415 |
| Median household income | $58,434 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $58,990 ($40,800–$90,964) n=384 |
| Median home value | $102,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,400 ($88,260–$384,940) n=383 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 76.8 yr ± 1.92 | 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 1.92 years of 76.8, 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