Data & Methodology
Data & Methodology
Every county, city, and ZIP code page on this site uses factual, publicly sourced data. This page lists every dataset used, what it provides, and where it comes from.
What this data is — and isn't.
- Every figure below comes from a named public source with a direct citation.
- This page and the local-area pages it supports describe places, health conditions, and public resources — not specific insurance plans, carriers, or benefits.
- Nothing here is a recommendation. The numbers are presented so you can draw your own conclusions.
- We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), or any government agency.
Population & Rurality
U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
2019–2023 release · County and City levels
Total population, population age 65 and older, and median household income for every county and most cities. These are pooled 5-year estimates (centered roughly 2021), which describe a place accurately but are not a literal today's headcount.
census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
USDA Economic Research Service — Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC)
2023 release · County level
Classifies every U.S. county by population size and proximity to metro areas (9 categories, from large metro core to fully rural). Used to describe how urban or rural each county is.
ers.usda.gov/data-products/rural-urban-continuum-codes
Health Outcomes
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health
2023 release (BRFSS-based model estimates) · County, City, and ZIP Code levels
Model-based estimates of chronic disease prevalence and health behaviors — including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis — for nearly every county, city, and ZIP code in the country.
cdc.gov/places
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
2025 release · University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute + Robert Wood Johnson Foundation · County level
Life expectancy, the ratio of residents to primary care physicians, the uninsured rate, and the rate of severe housing cost burden, for every U.S. county.
countyhealthrankings.org
CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)
2022 release · County level
A percentile ranking of how socially vulnerable a community is to external stressors, based on socioeconomic status, household composition, and housing/transportation access.
atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi
U.S. Cancer Statistics (USCS)
2019–2023 (5-year), CDC & National Cancer Institute · County level
Age-adjusted cancer incidence rates (all cancer sites combined) and case counts, combining data from the CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries and the NCI's SEER program — together covering nearly 97% of the U.S. population.
cdc.gov/cancer/dataviz
Healthcare Access
CMS Hospital General Information
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · County level
The name, address, and phone number of a hospital serving each county, sourced from CMS's official hospital directory. For the roughly 36 counties with no CMS-listed hospital, the nearest hospital was identified via Google Places instead and is noted as such in that county's citation.
data.cms.gov/provider-data/topics/hospitals
Provider Access
HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA)
Active designations · Health Resources & Services Administration · County level
Whether any part of a county is federally designated as having a shortage of primary care providers, and the severity score of that designation. HPSA designations can cover a whole county, part of a county, or a specific population group.
data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas
Government & Community Resources
NC SHIIP — Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program
North Carolina Department of Insurance · County level
The name, address, and phone number of the local SHIIP counselor site serving each of North Carolina's 100 counties — a free, unbiased Medicare counseling service run by the state, not by this site or any insurance company.
ncdoi.gov/shiip
SC Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)
South Carolina Department on Aging network · Regional level (10 regions covering all 46 counties)
South Carolina's free senior-services and Medicare-counseling contact for each region. Unlike North Carolina, South Carolina organizes this program regionally rather than by individual county, so this data is presented at the regional level and labeled as such.
getcaresc.com/about/area-agencies-aging
NC DHHS — Directory of County Departments of Social Services
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services · County level (last updated 2022-10-05 by NCDHHS)
The address and phone number of each North Carolina county's Department of Social Services (DSS) office, which handles Medicaid and other public assistance programs locally.
ncdhhs.gov/local-dss-director-100522/open
Figures are estimates from the sources cited and are updated as new releases become available. If you notice a discrepancy, we welcome you to verify directly against the original source linked above. This page will be updated as additional datasets are added.
