ZIP code
29440
in Georgetown, South CarolinaPopulation 27,319
49.47/ 100
Ranked #16,985 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 47%)
Ranked #161 of 417 South Carolina ZIPs (top 39%)
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.
Natural-disaster risk
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
43.8%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.2%
in the bottom 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST28thUS6thDefinition & 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
18.3%
in the top 7.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST69thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Elder-services access
0.18 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›Lead in tap water
5.6 ppb
in the top 8.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
US92ndDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
3.9%
in the top 9.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Radon
0.6 pCi/L
in the bottom 1.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Mental-health provider access
0.11 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics located 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 ›The read
Georgetown, South Carolina (ZIP 29440), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 47% nationally (16,985th) and the top 39% of South Carolina (161st).
The data is direct about where this area carries real strain: modeled disaster risk lies in the top 1.0% nationally, modeled expected annual loss sits in the top 4.8% nationally, and floodplain exposure settles in the top 5.3% nationally. Modeled diabetes registers in the top 7.2% nationally, lead in tap water stands in the top 8.4% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure lands in the top 9.1% nationally. More encouragingly, distance to an emergency room is at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled arsenic resides in the bottom 6.2% nationally, and elder services rests in the top 7.9% nationally. Modeled radon lies in the bottom 1.7% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 29458, 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 84%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 76%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 54%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 30%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 30%
16%
Disability
healthier than 29%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 72%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 67%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 85%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 51%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 45%
16%
Disability
healthier than 51%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 11%
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
2 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 75.8 ± 1.2 years. A median household income of $56,124 predicts 77.8 years — 2.0 years below.
Ranked #2,601 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 84.0; chronic-disease standing 29.8 — 54 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,168 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
29453
South Carolinashares a border
Score 35.13
Closest healthier
29458
South Carolinashares a border
Score 52.16
Similar health profile
29449
South Carolina99% similar profile
Score 49.20
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 | 30.6% | 27.5–33.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.7% | 40.8–48.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.0% | 8.2–9.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.3–8.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.9% | 8.0–9.8 |
| Depression among adults | 20.0% | 17.1–23.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 18.3% | 16.3–20.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.8% | 33.0–40.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.7% | 29.9–41.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.8–5.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.0% | 14.3–20.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.2% | 10.6–14.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.3% | 80.9–85.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.2% | 80.4–85.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.5% | 87.0–89.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.4% | 66.2–74.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.4% | 55.1–61.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.0% | 73.1–84.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.3% | 11.0–15.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.5% | 12.7–16.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 28.6% | 24.8–32.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.4% | 33.3–43.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.2% | 20.7–25.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.0% | 14.2–17.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.2% | 13.6–17.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.6% | 13.0–16.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.9% | 30.2–37.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.6–8.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.9% | 16.9–21.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.6% | 5.1–6.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.4–7.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 25.3% | 22.1–28.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.4% | 18.9–24.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.7% | 12.9–16.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.4% | 14.4–18.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 10.2% | 9.1–11.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.5% | 26.3–35.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.5% (6.2–28.7%) n=410 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 19.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.1% (5.9–25.5%) n=412 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 11.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (3.4–21.1%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.1% (9.1–48.9%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (0.2–11.1%) n=414 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–13.6%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.1% (71.4–95.1%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.3% (12.8–35.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.3% (54.9–91.8%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.6%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.7% (0.0–9.0%) n=419 |
| Single-parent households | 52.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (37.6–69.9%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 25.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.6% (10.9–31.7%) n=419 |
| Median age | 46.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.4 yr (33.8–54.1) n=415 |
| Median household income | $56,124 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $58,990 ($40,800–$90,964) n=384 |
| Median home value | $172,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,400 ($88,260–$384,940) n=383 |
| Median gross rent | $912 | $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 | 75.8 yr ± 0.60 | 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 0.60 years of 75.8, 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