ZIP code
29945
in Yemassee, South CarolinaPopulation 3,918
41.87/ 100
Ranked #25,322 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 21%)
Ranked #308 of 417 South Carolina ZIPs (bottom 26%)
Ranked #18 of 19 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC ZIPs (bottom 5.3%)
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.
Fatal road crashes
122.5 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 0.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Diabetes
21.4%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Stroke
6.2%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
50.1%
in the top 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
7.0%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
7.9%
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Arsenic in groundwater
1.2%
in the bottom 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST27thUS6thDefinition & 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 ›Food insecurity
30%
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
11.7%
in the bottom 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS5thDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
38.2%
in the top 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Cross-source signals
Combined exposures in this ZIP
More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.
This area ranks among the highest 10% of US ZIP codes for both humid-heat days and flood exposure.
See the full flooding, evacuation & humid-heat analysis →
The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, Yemassee, South Carolina (ZIP 29945) ranks in the bottom 21% nationally (25,322nd) and the bottom 26% of South Carolina (308th).
The measures that press hardest set the tone here: fatal road crashes rests in the top 0.3% nationally, and modeled diabetes is in the top 2.2% nationally. Modeled stroke stands in the top 3.2% nationally, and high blood pressure settles in the top 3.4% nationally. Modeled self-care disability lies in the top 5.9% nationally, outer-floodplain exposure resides in the top 4.8% nationally, and modeled food insecurity lands in the top 6.1% nationally. Floodplain exposure registers in the top 6.8% nationally. On the stronger side, modeled arsenic sits in the bottom 6.0% nationally, and binge drinking rests in the bottom 5.3% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 29446, 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 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.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 88%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 75%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 74%
8%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 45%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 26%
11%
Disability
healthier than 13%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 80%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 74%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 84%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 32%
11%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 11%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 37%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 67%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 78%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 56%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 44%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 11%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.00%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Disability
healthier than 22%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 22%
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 87.7; chronic-disease standing 10.8 — 77 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #659 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
29446
South Carolinashares a border
Score 46.74
Closest healthier
29475
South Carolinashares a border
Score 42.79
Similar health profile
36435
Alabama99% similar profile
Score 38.49
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 | 33.4% | 31.5–35.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 50.1% | 47.7–52.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.4% | 7.0–7.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 10.2–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 8.2–9.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.9% | 9.1–10.7 |
| Depression among adults | 18.8% | 17.0–20.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 21.4% | 19.9–23.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.0% | 37.6–42.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 42.0% | 38.0–46.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 6.2% | 5.9–6.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.6% | 18.3–23.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 14.1% | 12.6–15.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 84.6% | 83.3–85.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 84.1% | 82.4–85.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.7% | 86.5–88.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.9% | 68.2–73.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.0% | 52.6–57.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.2% | 74.2–81.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.0% | 15.4–18.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.6% | 31.6–37.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.8% | 38.2–45.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 27.9% | 25.7–30.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.1% | 15.8–18.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.7% | 15.4–17.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.4% | 15.1–17.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 37.6% | 34.9–40.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.6–7.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.9% | 11.0–12.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.6% | 20.9–24.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.5–7.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 8.9% | 8.3–9.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 29.7% | 27.3–32.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 30.0% | 27.6–32.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 20.9% | 18.8–23.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 21.4% | 19.6–23.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 13.4% | 12.2–14.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.0% | 31.2–36.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 15.0% | 13.7–16.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 24.1% | 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+) | 12.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (3.4–21.1%) n=417 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 13.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.1% (9.1–48.9%) n=417 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (0.2–11.1%) n=414 |
| Households without a vehicle | 12.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–13.6%) n=410 |
| Broadband subscription | 80.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.1% (71.4–95.1%) n=410 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 18.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 23.3% (12.8–35.0%) n=410 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.3% (54.9–91.8%) n=410 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.6%) n=410 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 2.7% (0.0–9.0%) n=419 |
| Single-parent households | 53.7% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (37.6–69.9%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 18.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.6% (10.9–31.7%) n=419 |
| Median age | 47.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.4 yr (33.8–54.1) n=415 |
| Median household income | $55,449 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $58,990 ($40,800–$90,964) n=384 |
| Median home value | $124,300 | $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 | 76.9 yr ± 0.87 | 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 0.87 years of 76.9, 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