ZIP code
29691
in Walhalla, South CarolinaPopulation 12,084
45.45/ 100
Ranked #21,938 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 32%)
Ranked #238 of 417 South Carolina ZIPs (bottom 43%)
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
0.98%
in the bottom 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
26.7%
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
101.3 days/year
in the top 22% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS78thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
2.7%
in the bottom 23% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS23rdDefinition & 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 ›Dry extreme heat
0.7 days/year
in the bottom 32% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS32ndDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Walhalla, South Carolina (ZIP 29691) places in the bottom 32% nationally (21,938th) and the bottom 43% of South Carolina (238th).
The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: modeled arsenic lands in the bottom 1.8% nationally, and tree cover stands in the top 13.2% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure registers at the national minimum, shared with about 36% of ZIPs. Subsidized affordable housing settles in the top 18% nationally, and modeled transportation noise sits in the bottom 19% nationally. On the other side, poverty lies in the top 9.2% nationally, modeled expected annual loss rests in the top 11.9% nationally, and home broadband subscription resides in the bottom 12.9% nationally. Modeled disaster risk is in the top 13.3% nationally, and uninsured lands in the top 10.7% nationally.
For readers new to these terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 29664, 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
Healthcare Access
healthier than 70%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 40%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 44%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 56%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 35%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 33%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 26%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 26%
8%
Disability
healthier than 26%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 99%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 69%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 56%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 56%
16%
Disability
healthier than 45%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 29%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 31%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
“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 75.6 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $49,639 predicts 77.3 years — 1.7 years below.
Ranked #2,145 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 75.6 ± 1.3 years. The 48 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 78.2 years — 2.6 years below them.
Ranked #2,005 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
29664
South Carolinashares a border
Score 47.43
Closest healthier
29672
South Carolinashares a border
Score 52.60
Similar health profile
35968
Alabama97% similar profile
Score 44.94
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 | 31.9% | 28.7–35.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.2% | 33.4–41.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.4% | 8.6–10.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.2–8.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.9% | 8.8–11.0 |
| Depression among adults | 26.4% | 22.9–30.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.7% | 12.9–16.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.9% | 35.8–43.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.1% | 32.9–45.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.3% | 4.0–4.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.3% | 12.7–18.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 15.3% | 13.4–17.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.1% | 77.4–82.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.6% | 76.2–82.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.1% | 83.2–86.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.9% | 60.2–69.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 60.3% | 56.9–63.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.7% | 65.2–79.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.0% | 14.1–20.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.3% | 14.1–18.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.4% | 26.2–34.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.7% | 31.4–42.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.2% | 21.5–27.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.4% | 15.5–19.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.8% | 14.9–18.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.6% | 14.8–18.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.9% | 30.9–39.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.7–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.5% | 9.4–11.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.8% | 15.7–20.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.6–5.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.1–7.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.5% | 19.3–25.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 19.5% | 16.9–22.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 12.1% | 10.4–14.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.5% | 11.7–15.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.3% | 8.1–10.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.1% | 26.7–35.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.8–10.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 26.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.5% (6.2–28.7%) n=410 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 27.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.1% (5.9–25.5%) n=412 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 16.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (3.4–21.1%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.1% (9.1–48.9%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (0.2–11.1%) n=414 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–13.6%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 77.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.1% (71.4–95.1%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 18.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.3% (12.8–35.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.3% (54.9–91.8%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.6%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 9.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.7% (0.0–9.0%) n=419 |
| Single-parent households | 53.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (37.6–69.9%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 22.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.6% (10.9–31.7%) n=419 |
| Median age | 44.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.4 yr (33.8–54.1) n=415 |
| Median household income | $49,639 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $58,990 ($40,800–$90,964) n=384 |
| Median home value | $190,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,400 ($88,260–$384,940) n=383 |
| Median gross rent | $820 | $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 | 75.6 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 75.6, 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