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ZipVitals

ZIP code

37914

in Knoxville, TennesseePopulation 21,478

38.91/ 100

Ranked #27,464 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 14.4%)

Ranked #379 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (bottom 38%)

Ranked #48 of 72 Knoxville, TN ZIPs (bottom 33%)

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.

Transit access

5.1 per 1,000 residents

in the top 4.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST94th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The number of public-transit stops 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 ›

Diabetes

18.2%

in the top 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST89th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

39 per million

in the top 7.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST88th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

46.6%

in the top 8.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST84th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Outer-floodplain exposure

3.5%

in the top 9.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US90th
Definition & 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 ›

PFAS in drinking water

52.3%

in the top 12.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US88th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.

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

115.3 days/year

in the top 15% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US85th
Definition & 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

Overall, ZIP 37914, one of several in Knoxville, Tennessee places in the bottom 14.4% nationally (27,464th) and the bottom 38% of Tennessee (379th).

continue reading

The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: transit is in the top 4.8% nationally, and mental-health providers lands in the top 11.2% nationally. Grocery stands in the top 12.2% nationally. Pulling the other way, modeled diabetes registers in the top 7.5% nationally, air-toxics cancer risk settles in the top 7.4% nationally, and high blood pressure sits in the top 8.5% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure lies in the top 9.9% nationally, modeled mobility disability rests in the top 11.4% nationally, and modeled cognitive disability resides in the top 11.6% nationally. Modeled pfas is in the top 12.0% nationally.

Beside the areas that surround it, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 37764, 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 Knoxville, TN metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Healthcare Access

healthier than 80%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 44%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 46%

13%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 40%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 14%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 12%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 23%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 7%

8%

Disability

healthier than 13%

7%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 76%

13%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 82%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 40%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 45%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 56%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 42%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 36%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 10%

14%

Disability

healthier than 28%

7%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 63%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 62%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 83%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 30%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 23%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 8%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 38%

11%

Disability

healthier than 23%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 21%

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

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 72.3 ± 1.2 years. A median household income of $59,856 predicts 78.1 years — 5.7 years below.

    Ranked #5,701 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 72.3 ± 1.2 years. The 42 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 76.1 years — 3.8 years below them.

    Ranked #2,899 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.

  • Highest-risk tenth

    Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale

    Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 39.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 72.3 ± 1.2 years.

    Ranked #1,617 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, 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 adults34.9%31.9–37.9
High blood pressure among adults46.6%43.2–50.0
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.4%7.6–9.2
Current asthma among adults11.8%10.5–13.2
Coronary heart disease among adults8.4%7.6–9.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults10.5%9.4–11.7
Depression among adults28.9%25.7–32.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults18.2%16.2–20.3
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.4%35.9–42.9
Obesity among adults40.1%35.3–45.0
Stroke among adults5.1%4.7–5.5
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years21.7%18.1–25.5
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years13.3%11.6–15.1
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.3%76.8–81.6
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.6%77.7–83.1
Cholesterol screening among adults87.3%85.5–88.7
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years65.8%61.0–70.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults53.4%49.9–56.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years76.8%69.6–82.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults12.9%10.8–15.2
Current cigarette smoking among adults20.1%17.7–22.6
No leisure-time physical activity among adults31.9%28.3–35.7
Short sleep duration among adults39.5%34.7–44.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults27.7%24.9–30.6
Frequent mental distress among adults20.1%18.1–22.3
Frequent physical distress among adults16.9%15.1–18.8
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults19.5%17.5–21.6
Any disability among adults40.4%36.7–44.1
Hearing disability among adults8.3%7.4–9.2
Independent living disability among adults11.9%10.8–13.3
Mobility disability among adults21.5%19.3–23.8
Self-care disability among adults5.9%5.4–6.5
Vision disability among adults7.8%7.2–8.6
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TN median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate13.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609
Uninsured 18–6419.0%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615
No HS diploma (25+)11.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613
Bachelor's or higher (25+)25.8%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50519.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613
Unemployment rate (16+)3.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613
Households without a vehicle7.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608
Broadband subscription85.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32286.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)29.1%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608
Homeownership rate66.4%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.5%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608
Foreign-born population4.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617
Single-parent households45.6%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08752.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608
Population 65+19.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617
Median age40.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615
Median household income$59,856$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594
Median home value$218,300$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593
Median gross rent$1,108$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 birth72.3 yr ± 0.5978.9 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 0.59 years of 72.3, 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