ZIP code
31721
in Albany, GeorgiaPopulation 19,435
55.07/ 100
Ranked #9,370 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 29%)
Ranked #152 of 711 Georgia ZIPs (top 21%)
Ranked #1 of 15 Albany, GA ZIPs (top 6.7%)
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
1.0%
in the bottom 2.5% 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 ›Humid extreme heat
142.3 days/year
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Mammography
81.3%
in the top 5.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
30.3%
in the top 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS90thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a Superfund site
2.5 mi
in the bottom 13.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST6thUS13thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
71.6%
in the top 12.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS16thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
0.51%
in the top 20% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS80thDefinition & source ›
The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
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
In its overall standing, ZIP 31721, one of several in Albany, Georgia lands in the top 29% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,370th) and the top 21% of Georgia (152nd).
Taken together, the data gives a genuinely mixed reading: modeled arsenic resides in the bottom 2.5% nationally, and mammography settles in the top 5.8% nationally. Distance to a community health center is at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Modeled binge drinking sits in the bottom 10.6% nationally, and colon screening lands in the top 12.3% nationally. On the other side, modeled humid heat lies in the top 6.7% nationally, and floodplain exposure stands in the top 9.9% nationally. Distance to a Superfund site rests in the bottom 13.0% nationally, and PFOS in drinking water registers in the top 13.9% nationally. Modeled loneliness resides in the top 15% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. PFOS in drinking water is a common one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. No nearby ZIP ranks healthier overall than this one.
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 Albany, GA metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 90%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 70%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 88%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 49%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 48%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 50%
14%
Disability
healthier than 55%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 10%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 84%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 91%
8%
Disability
healthier than 71%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 59%
21%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 37%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 93%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 93%
16%
Preventive Care
in the top 0.00%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the top 0.00%
11%
Mental Health
in the top 0.00%
8%
Disability
healthier than 93%
7%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 29%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
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.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 78.4 ± 1.3 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 75.4 years — 3.0 years above them.
Ranked #819 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
31701
Georgiashares a border
Score 30.61
Similar health profile
12471
New York99% similar profile
Score 53.50
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 | 28.8% | 25.9–31.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.9% | 39.1–46.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.3% | 7.6–9.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.4–11.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.4 |
| Depression among adults | 17.6% | 15.1–20.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.1% | 13.4–17.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.9% | 34.2–41.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.9% | 30.1–42.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.2% | 3.9–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.4% | 10.4–14.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.1% | 8.7–11.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.3% | 78.9–83.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.7% | 79.9–85.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 89.8% | 88.5–91.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 71.6% | 67.6–75.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.1% | 60.9–67.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 81.3% | 75.8–86.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.6% | 10.4–15.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.2% | 10.6–13.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.0% | 21.5–28.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.7% | 34.4–45.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.3% | 18.1–22.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.4% | 13.8–17.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.4% | 12.0–15.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.9% | 11.5–14.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.8% | 26.4–33.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.7–7.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.8–9.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.3% | 13.6–17.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–4.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.2–6.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.2% | 20.9–27.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.9% | 14.8–19.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.4% | 12.7–16.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.5% | 12.7–16.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 8.2–10.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.4% | 31.5–41.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–11.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | GA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.8% (5.6–27.5%) n=709 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 18.3% (8.4–29.7%) n=713 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.1% (3.9–22.9%) n=720 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 35.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.3% (9.1–49.2%) n=720 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.1% (0.6–9.6%) n=714 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.4% (0.3–12.3%) n=707 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.3% (72.5–96.4%) n=707 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 25.1% (13.6–38.3%) n=707 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 73.7% (48.8–89.0%) n=707 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.7% (0.0–5.0%) n=707 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 3.8% (0.0–15.8%) n=720 |
| Single-parent households | 46.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 48.8% (36.1–66.7%) n=705 |
| Population 65+ | 20.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.0% (10.0–28.3%) n=720 |
| Median age | 44.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 39.8 yr (33.1–51.4) n=715 |
| Median household income | $77,177 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,254 ($44,032–$106,158) n=677 |
| Median home value | $216,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $215,200 ($91,000–$413,150) n=666 |
| Median gross rent | $1,206 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $993 ($694–$1,769) n=627 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | GA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.4 yr ± 0.66 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 76.1 yr (73.3–79.7) n=668 |
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 0.66 years of 78.4, 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