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Overall Health Score
Critical shortage of healthcare services in the 00717 area.
Data sources: CMS NPPES, Hospital Compare, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Scores recomputed monthly.
23/100
Healthcare Desert
Comparisons
How the 23/100 overall health score for 00717 is calculated
Family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and general practice (~25%)
Emergency rooms and trauma centers within critical travel time (~20%)
Hospital beds, ICU capacity, and inpatient quality metrics (~15%)
Cardiologists, oncologists, orthopedic surgeons, and other specialists (~15%)
Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and substance abuse treatment (~10%)
Mammography, colonoscopy, immunization sites, and screening facilities (~10%)
Dentists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, and dental clinics (~5%)
Broadband availability and telehealth-capable providers. Boosts primary care, specialist, mental health, and dental scores.
Health insurance coverage and social determinants of health
The Insurance Index reflects the demographic and social determinants of health in 00717. It factors in insurance coverage, poverty rates, age distribution, and population vulnerability to provide a composite view of community health readiness.
Physician density, specialist availability, and telehealth access
The Provider Density metric measures the availability of healthcare professionals near 00717. This includes primary care physicians, specialists, dentists, mental health professionals, and telehealth availability. A higher score means more providers per capita within a reasonable driving distance.
Hospital proximity, bed count, ER access, and facility quality
The Hospital Proximity metric evaluates distance to hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and inpatient facilities near 00717. It factors in hospital quality ratings, bed availability, trauma center level, and average travel time to the nearest emergency department.
Commute infrastructure, public transit access, and vehicle availability
The Transit Access metric captures how easily residents can physically reach healthcare facilities. It combines commute patterns, public transit access, vehicle ownership rates, and walk/bike infrastructure to assess transportation barriers to care.
ZIP code 00717 on the map
Health scores for ZIP codes near 00717
Scores can vary dramatically between neighboring ZIP codes. A 20-point difference often means the boundary between having a hospital within 15 minutes versus needing to drive 45 minutes.
Active physicians sorted by proximity to Ponce, Puerto Rico
Showing 15 physicians
View on MapProvider density is one of the strongest predictors of healthcare access. ZIPs with fewer than 1 provider per 1,000 residents are classified as Health Professional Shortage Areas by HRSA.
Hospitals, clinics, and care centers near Puerto Rico
HOSPITAL DAMAS INC
Acute Care Hospitals
0 mi away
HOSPITAL METROPOLITANO DR PILA
Acute Care Hospitals
0 mi away
Healthcare Facility
Healthcare Facility
0.59 mi away
HOSPITAL DAMAS INC
Healthcare Facility
0.63 mi away
Healthcare Facility
Healthcare Facility
0.63 mi away
Healthcare Facility
Healthcare Facility
0.63 mi away
Emergency services access is measured by drive time. The national standard is 30 minutes to the nearest ER. Rural ZIPs often exceed 60 minutes.
Telehealth access and commute patterns affecting healthcare delivery
Telehealth Boost reflects broadband availability and telehealth-capable providers. A higher percentage indicates greater virtual care access, reducing reliance on physical travel.
How transportation barriers affect healthcare access
77/100
High Transportation Vulnerability
Higher scores = more vulnerable to transportation barriers
22.8%
Zero-Vehicle Households
0 mi
Nearest Hospital
14,651
Population
Transportation is the #1 non-medical barrier to healthcare access. Patients who lack reliable transportation miss 3x more appointments and have worse outcomes across every chronic condition.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
82.6% of the population in 00717 drive to work alone. 0.6% take public transportation. Approximately 74.2% of residents get to work in less than 30 minutes. The average household size is approximately 2.16 members with about 1.05 cars per household. About 22.8% of households have no vehicle, which can significantly impact access to healthcare facilities.
An estimated 94.8% of residents has some form of health insurance. N/A have public health insurance like Medicare, Medicaid, VA, or TRICARE. About N/A have private health insurance. The uninsured rate of 5.2% is below the national average, suggesting relatively good insurance coverage in this area.
ZIP code 00717 has a total population of 14,651 with a median age of 47.4. The area is 43.5% White, 4.1% Black, 0.1% Asian, and 98.9% Hispanic or Latino. The male-to-female ratio is 0.73. There are 2,219 residents under 18 and 4,151 residents over 65.
The median household income in 00717 is $13,282. 66.9% of households earn under $25,000 per year. 0.2% earn $200,000 or more. Lower income levels can create significant barriers to healthcare access, including inability to afford copays, medications, and transportation to medical appointments.
There are 8,946 housing units in 00717, with 3,252 owner-occupied and 3,386 renter-occupied. The median monthly housing cost is $492. Approximately 2,308 units are vacant.
Key demographic data for ZIP code 00717
Population density, median age, and income directly affect healthcare infrastructure. Older, wealthier communities attract more specialists. Younger, lower-income areas often have higher uninsured rates and fewer providers.
Population diversity in ZIP 00717
Healthcare access disparities correlate with racial composition. Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately located in Health Professional Shortage Areas, and Asian communities often face language access barriers. Source: HRSA, Health Workforce Analysis
Median: $13,282
Median household income is the strongest single predictor of health insurance coverage. ZIPs below $35,000 median income have uninsured rates 3–4x higher than ZIPs above $100,000.
40.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher
Education level correlates with health literacy — the ability to understand medical information and navigate the healthcare system. Areas with higher bachelor's degree rates typically have better preventive care utilization.
Community reviews for ZIP 00717
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0 reviews
See how 00717 stacks up against nearby ZIP codes in healthcare access.
The CartoChrome Health Score uses an Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) algorithm combining 21 public data sources across 8 components. Each ZIP code receives a composite 0-100 score based on provider density, facility access, transportation infrastructure, and social determinants of health.
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