ZIP code
38255
in Sharon, TennesseePopulation 2,271
38.96/ 100
Ranked #27,427 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 14.5%)
Ranked #378 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (bottom 39%)
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.
Elder-services access
0.47 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›Floodplain exposure
27.1%
in the top 11.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS88thDefinition & 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 community health center
12.4 mi
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS84thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$45,990
in the bottom 10.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST14thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›The read
By its overall health score, Sharon, Tennessee (ZIP 38255) lands in the bottom 14.5% nationally (27,427th) and the bottom 39% of Tennessee (378th).
Strengths and concerns sit side by side across the measures here: elder services sits in the top 2.6% nationally, and housing-cost burden rests in the bottom 14.0% nationally. On the other hand, floodplain exposure is in the top 11.7% nationally, and modeled cognitive disability stands in the top 15% nationally. Distance to a community health center settles in the top 16% nationally, home broadband subscription lies in the bottom 16% nationally, and modeled tooth loss resides in the top 14.4% nationally. Household income lands in the bottom 10.0% nationally, modeled mobility disability registers in the top 16% nationally, and fatal road crashes sits in the top 17% nationally.
To translate a couple of terms, floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. Overall, the nearest healthier neighbor is ZIP 38237, 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.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 77%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 14%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 31%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 34%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 25%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 9%
8%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 17%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 18%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 80%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 67%
8%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 60%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 50%
11%
Disability
healthier than 41%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 37%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 22%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 77.1; chronic-disease standing 14.1 — 63 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,527 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
38225
Tennesseeshares a border
Score 37.63
Closest healthier
38237
Tennesseeshares a border
Score 40.52
Similar health profile
38371
Tennessee99% similar profile
Score 38.86
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 | 36.0% | 32.4–39.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.1% | 38.9–47.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.4% | 9.3–11.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.7–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.4% | 9.8–13.1 |
| Depression among adults | 28.7% | 24.9–33.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.7% | 13.6–17.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.8% | 37.5–46.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.4% | 32.0–47.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 21.2% | 17.3–24.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.0% | 9.7–14.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.8% | 77.0–82.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.8% | 75.3–82.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.8% | 84.9–88.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.6% | 56.8–67.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 55.1% | 50.8–58.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 73.7% | 64.4–80.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.3% | 10.9–16.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.8% | 16.6–23.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.2% | 25.3–35.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 39.8% | 32.1–46.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.6% | 22.0–29.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.5% | 17.2–22.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.3% | 15.1–19.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.8% | 16.5–21.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.9% | 35.9–46.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.2% | 9.0–11.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.7–12.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.3% | 17.6–23.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.6 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.7–7.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 14.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 15.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 22.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608 |
| Broadband subscription | 79.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 12.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617 |
| Single-parent households | 48.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608 |
| Population 65+ | 20.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617 |
| Median age | 43.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615 |
| Median household income | $45,990 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594 |
| Median home value | $110,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593 |
| Median gross rent | $617 | $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 ± 1.51 | 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 1.51 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