ZIP code
37738
in Gatlinburg, TennesseePopulation 4,952
45.09/ 100
Ranked #22,310 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 30%)
Ranked #187 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (top 30%)
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.
Tree cover
94.6%
in the top 0.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Recreation access
2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
0.8 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 7.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Pharmacy access
0.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies located inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
14.1 mi
in the top 8.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.63%
in the bottom 10.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS10thDefinition & 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 ›High cholesterol
43.6%
in the top 8.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
5.2%
in the top 13.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS87thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
85 days/year
in the top 30% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS70thDefinition & 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 ›The read
By the composite health measure, Gatlinburg, Tennessee (ZIP 37738) ranks in the bottom 30% nationally (22,310th) and the top 30% of Tennessee (187th).
Several measures weigh most on this area's profile, and they come first: modeled high cholesterol sits in the top 8.2% nationally. On the better side, modeled tree cover is in the top 0.3% nationally, and recreation settles in the top 1.6% nationally. Civic resides in the top 6.2% nationally, grocery registers in the top 7.3% nationally, and pharmacy rests in the top 8.2% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility stands in the top 8.7% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lies at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Floodplain exposure lands in the bottom 10.3% nationally. Distance to a community health center sits at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs.
To spell things out, distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Close by, ZIP 28785, just across the boundary, ranks healthier overall.
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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 63%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 74%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 68%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 43%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 15%
8%
Disability
healthier than 26%
7%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 70%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 76%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 73%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 72%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 97%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 66%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 45%
21%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
“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 74.3; chronic-disease standing 17.4 — 57 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,959 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
28719
North Carolinashares a border
Score 35.14
Closest healthier
28785
North Carolinashares a border
Score 53.46
Similar health profile
38571
Tennessee98% similar profile
Score 39.55
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 | 36.2% | 32.6–40.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.0% | 38.6–47.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.7% | 9.7–11.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.3–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.1% | 8.1–10.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.4–12.1 |
| Depression among adults | 28.0% | 24.1–32.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.7% | 13.6–18.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 43.6% | 39.1–48.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.3% | 31.0–46.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.3% | 14.2–20.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.5% | 10.6–14.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.9–82.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.9% | 76.5–82.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.6% | 87.1–90.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.5% | 58.3–68.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 56.1% | 52.1–59.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.2% | 66.1–81.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.8% | 10.4–15.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.8% | 15.4–20.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.2% | 22.9–32.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.8% | 33.3–46.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.4% | 21.3–27.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.1% | 16.0–20.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.0% | 15.0–19.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.8% | 14.9–18.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 38.1% | 33.5–42.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.6–10.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.7–11.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.1% | 16.7–21.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.3–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 33.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 28.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.9% | 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) | 29.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608 |
| Foreign-born population | 16.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617 |
| Single-parent households | 57.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608 |
| Population 65+ | 22.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617 |
| Median age | 42.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615 |
| Median household income | $57,330 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594 |
| Median home value | $334,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593 |
| Median gross rent | $1,133 | $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 | 77.5 yr ± 1.01 | 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 1.01 years of 77.5, 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