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ZipVitals

ZIP code

29904

in Beaufort, South CarolinaPopulation 1,600

58.80/ 100

Ranked #5,747 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 18%)

Ranked #47 of 417 South Carolina ZIPs (top 11.3%)

Ranked #8 of 19 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC ZIPs (top 42%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

High cholesterol

14.3%

in the bottom 0.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

29.1%

in the top 0.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & 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 ›

High blood pressure

13.5%

in the bottom 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.

Full methodology ›

Diabetes

2.2%

in the bottom 0.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Full methodology ›

Coronary heart disease

1.2%

in the bottom 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

100%

at the national maximum

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

100%

at the national maximum

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Stroke

0.70%

in the bottom 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

Slow internet speeds

100%

at the national maximum

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

0.00%

at the national minimum

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

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

  • People without health insurance
  • People living in poverty
  • Food insecurity

Barriers to reaching care

  • Thin local supply of doctors
  • Thin local supply of pharmacies
  • Limited home internet for telehealth

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

On the composite measure, ZIP 29904, one of several in Beaufort, South Carolina stands in the top 18% healthiest ZIPs nationally (5,747th) and the top 11.3% of South Carolina (47th).

continue reading

Plainly, the numbers point to a handful of defining readings: modeled binge drinking registers in the top 0.2% nationally, and poverty lies at the national maximum. Slow internet speeds is at the national maximum, and homeownership registers at the national minimum. On the brighter side, modeled high cholesterol lies in the bottom 0.5% nationally, high blood pressure is in the bottom 0.6% nationally, and diabetes registers in the bottom 0.5% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease lies in the bottom 0.6% nationally, stroke is in the bottom 0.6% nationally, and mobility disability registers in the bottom 0.4% nationally.

Set beside the wider area around it, poverty runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. ZIP 29907, about 0.8 miles away, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby. Beyond the headline readings, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

in the top 0.2%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 65%

11%

Disability

healthier than 74%

7%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 56%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 55%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 12%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 4%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 23%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 35%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

in the top 0.5%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 79%

11%

Disability

healthier than 88%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 62%

5%

About typical

Healthcare Access

healthier than 51%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 25%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 38%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 2%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 12%

8%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 94%

21%

Disability

healthier than 72%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 94%

5%

About typical

Healthcare Access

healthier than 44%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 11%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 28%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 6%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 39%

11%

Mental Health

in the bottom 0.00%

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 ›

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults4.0%3.4–4.7
High blood pressure among adults13.5%11.6–15.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults0.7%0.6–0.9
Current asthma among adults7.5%6.5–8.5
Coronary heart disease among adults1.2%1.0–1.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults2.3%1.8–2.7
Depression among adults20.3%17.5–23.2
Diagnosed diabetes among adults2.2%1.8–2.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened14.3%12.4–16.4
Obesity among adults25.3%21.4–29.5
Stroke among adults0.7%0.6–0.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years7.8%6.1–9.6
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years21.4%16.9–26.0
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure22.7%18.9–26.8
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults65.1%60.6–69.4
Cholesterol screening among adults56.6%51.2–61.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years63.2%58.2–67.9
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults67.5%64.1–70.5
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.9%75.3–85.6
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults29.1%25.1–33.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults8.7%6.7–10.6
No leisure-time physical activity among adults18.7%14.7–22.8
Short sleep duration among adults30.1%25.9–34.1
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults15.3%12.5–17.9
Frequent mental distress among adults22.2%19.4–24.9
Frequent physical distress among adults8.9%7.6–10.2
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults23.2%19.8–26.2
Any disability among adults31.1%26.6–35.2
Hearing disability among adults3.4%2.9–3.9
Independent living disability among adults9.7%8.2–11.1
Mobility disability among adults3.4%2.8–4.0
Self-care disability among adults1.8%1.5–2.0
Vision disability among adults5.8%4.8–6.6
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults26.7%22.3–30.8
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults26.7%21.1–31.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults11.5%8.7–14.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults16.1%13.1–18.8
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults16.4%13.6–18.8
Loneliness among adults39.0%34.0–43.4
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.7%8.0–11.2
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)SC median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate100.0%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36415.5% (6.2–28.7%) n=410
Uninsured 18–640.0%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.1% (5.9–25.5%) n=412
No HS diploma (25+)0.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.6% (3.4–21.1%) n=417
Bachelor's or higher (25+)27.7%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.1% (9.1–48.9%) n=417
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.6% (0.2–11.1%) n=414
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.8% (0.0–13.6%) n=410
Broadband subscription100.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32286.1% (71.4–95.1%) n=410
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)100.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32223.3% (12.8–35.0%) n=410
Homeownership rate0.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.3% (54.9–91.8%) n=410
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–4.6%) n=410
Foreign-born population2.5%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5532.7% (0.0–9.0%) n=419
Single-parent households0.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08750.9% (37.6–69.9%) n=404
Population 65+0.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.6% (10.9–31.7%) n=419
Median age21.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.4 yr (33.8–54.1) n=415
Median household income$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$58,990 ($40,800–$90,964) n=384
Median home value$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)SC median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled.
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