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ZIP code

37683

in Mountain City, TennesseePopulation 12,943

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

34.53/ 100

Ranked #29,548 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 7.9%)

Ranked #516 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (bottom 16%)

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.

Cognitive disability

21.1%

in the top 5.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST84th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Full methodology ›

Fair or poor health

30.9%

in the top 6.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST90th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

23.2%

in the top 6.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST88th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

Independent-living disability

12.8%

in the top 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST86th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Full methodology ›

Diabetes

18%

in the top 8.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST87th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

47.1%

in the top 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST87th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Coronary heart disease

10.3%

in the top 7.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST89th
US92nd
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 ›

Hearing disability

11.1%

in the top 8.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST90th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

70.5%

in the top 8.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST83rd
US91st
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.

Full methodology ›

Tooth loss

23.3%

in the top 9.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST85th
US90th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.

Full methodology ›

The read

Mountain City, Tennessee (ZIP 37683), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 7.9% nationally (29,548th) and the bottom 16% of Tennessee (516th).

continue reading

Where the data leans one way, another reading answers it: distance to an emergency room sits at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled tree cover registers in the top 8.9% nationally. On the other hand, modeled cognitive disability lands in the top 5.8% nationally, and fair or poor health resides in the top 6.8% nationally. Modeled mobility disability lies in the top 6.4% nationally, and independent living disability settles in the top 7.5% nationally. Modeled diabetes stands in the top 8.1% nationally, and high blood pressure is in the top 7.5% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease rests in the top 7.7% nationally, and hearing disability sits in the top 8.7% nationally.

Set against the neighboring ZIPs, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 28615, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 73%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 84%

5%

Healthcare Access

in the top 0.00%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 6%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 39%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 15%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 8%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 5%

8%

Disability

healthier than 6%

7%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 74%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

in the top 0.7%

5%

Healthcare Access

in the top 0.00%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 14%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 33%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 13%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 10%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 35%

8%

Disability

healthier than 11%

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

3 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 73.5 ± 1.5 years. A median household income of $55,979 predicts 77.8 years — 4.3 years below.

    Ranked #5,253 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 73.5 ± 1.5 years. The 46 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.3 years — 3.9 years below them.

    Ranked #2,957 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.

  • Clean environment, heavy chronic burden

    Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions

    Environmental-hazard standing 73.0; chronic-disease standing 6.0 (bottom 10%) — 67 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #1,259 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.

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 adults37.8%34.0–41.6
High blood pressure among adults47.1%42.5–51.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.8%8.8–10.8
Current asthma among adults11.3%10.0–12.8
Coronary heart disease among adults10.3%9.3–11.5
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults13.7%12.2–15.4
Depression among adults29.8%25.7–34.1
Diagnosed diabetes among adults18.0%15.7–20.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened43.1%38.4–47.8
Obesity among adults41.1%32.7–49.9
Stroke among adults5.3%4.8–5.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years23.3%19.6–28.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years15.3%12.8–17.8
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure78.2%75.3–80.9
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.3%74.6–81.7
Cholesterol screening among adults84.8%82.9–86.8
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years58.8%53.5–65.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults50.4%46.6–54.9
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years70.5%62.3–79.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.3%10.8–16.2
Current cigarette smoking among adults24.4%21.2–27.9
No leisure-time physical activity among adults34.8%29.7–40.5
Short sleep duration among adults39.9%33.3–48.9
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults30.9%27.4–34.9
Frequent mental distress among adults20.8%18.5–23.3
Frequent physical distress among adults19.6%17.3–22.1
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults21.1%18.8–23.7
Any disability among adults44.6%39.6–49.8
Hearing disability among adults11.1%9.9–12.5
Independent living disability among adults12.8%11.4–14.4
Mobility disability among adults23.2%20.6–26.3
Self-care disability among adults6.2%5.6–6.9
Vision disability among adults7.9%7.2–8.8
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TN median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate21.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609
Uninsured 18–6423.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615
No HS diploma (25+)20.1%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613
Bachelor's or higher (25+)14.7%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50519.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613
Unemployment rate (16+)3.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613
Households without a vehicle4.1%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608
Broadband subscription84.2%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32286.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)15.4%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608
Homeownership rate76.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608
Crowded housing (>1 per room)6.3%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608
Foreign-born population2.3%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617
Single-parent households54.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08752.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608
Population 65+22.3%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617
Median age45.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615
Median household income$55,979$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594
Median home value$177,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593
Median gross rent$671$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$908 ($659–$1,523) n=516
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TN median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth73.5 yr ± 0.7778.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30875.1 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 0.77 years of 73.5, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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