ZIP code
37385
in Tellico Plains, TennesseePopulation 9,015
36.41/ 100
Ranked #28,802 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 10.2%)
Ranked #463 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (bottom 25%)
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.
Park land
57.9%
in the top 1.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
86.6%
in the top 2.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
20.5%
in the top 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST78thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
47.1%
in the top 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
22.3%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
44.3%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
10.2%
in the top 8.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
5.5%
in the top 12.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
12.6 mi
in the top 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS82ndDefinition & 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 ›The read
In its overall standing, Tellico Plains, Tennessee (ZIP 37385) lands in the bottom 10.2% nationally (28,802nd) and the bottom 25% of Tennessee (463rd).
This area's pressures are easy to read across the measures: modeled cognitive disability lands in the top 7.5% nationally, high blood pressure lies in the top 7.5% nationally, and mobility disability stands in the top 8.7% nationally. Modeled high cholesterol rests in the top 6.0% nationally, coronary heart disease registers in the top 8.3% nationally, and fair or poor health resides in the top 11.1% nationally. Modeled independent living disability settles in the top 10.8% nationally, and hearing disability is in the top 10.9% nationally. On the brighter side, park land sits in the top 1.8% nationally, and modeled tree cover lands in the top 2.5% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. On the overall standing, ZIP 28771, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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 66%
14%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 57%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 7%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 26%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 21%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 3%
8%
Disability
healthier than 10%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 63%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 84%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 48%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 40%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 39%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 16%
8%
Disability
healthier than 20%
7%
“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 66.3; chronic-disease standing 7.4 (bottom 10%) — 59 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,818 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
28771
North Carolinashares a border
Score 50.93
Closest healthier
28906
North Carolinashares a border
Score 50.52
Similar health profile
38573
Tennessee100% similar profile
Score 38.06
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 | 37.9% | 34.2–41.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 47.1% | 42.6–51.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.5% | 9.4–11.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.2% | 9.2–11.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 13.4% | 11.9–15.0 |
| Depression among adults | 31.6% | 27.4–36.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.0% | 14.9–19.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 44.3% | 39.5–49.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.9% | 32.1–48.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.7–5.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.5% | 13.4–19.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.4% | 10.5–14.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.2% | 76.2–81.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.9% | 75.2–82.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.5% | 84.7–88.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.0% | 56.9–67.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.3% | 51.4–59.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.4% | 61.1–77.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.0% | 10.5–15.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 23.7% | 20.8–27.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 33.1% | 28.3–38.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.7% | 29.5–42.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 28.7% | 25.5–32.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.9% | 18.7–23.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 19.6% | 17.5–21.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 20.5% | 18.4–22.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.5% | 38.9–48.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.8% | 9.7–12.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.1% | 10.9–13.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 22.3% | 19.8–25.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.2–6.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.1% | 6.4–7.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 18.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 19.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 15.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608 |
| Broadband subscription | 86.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617 |
| Single-parent households | 59.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608 |
| Population 65+ | 19.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617 |
| Median age | 43.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615 |
| Median household income | $60,472 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594 |
| Median home value | $217,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593 |
| Median gross rent | $681 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $908 ($659–$1,523) n=516 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.1 yr ± 1.26 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 75.1 yr (72.6–78.1) n=587 |
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 1.26 years of 76.1, 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