Fresh Meadows, NY Home Safety: Home Safety 100/100
2 ZIP codes · 1 water system · Updated
ZipCheckup grade for Fresh Meadows: A.
No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.
Water systems serving Fresh Meadows hold a strong EPA compliance record - the city places among the better-performing areas in NY with few health-based violations on file.
How Fresh Meadows Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS
Key Facts for Fresh Meadows Residents
- Average lead level: 0.01 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 90% - older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,600 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 11.03.
Fresh Meadows's Water Providers
Water service in Fresh Meadows, NY is organized around a single utility - one of 1 tracked by regulator, and the one that manages the local distribution network while holding primary responsibility for EPA compliance reporting.
- A
Overview
We track home safety data for 2 ZIP codes in Fresh Meadows, New York (population ~56,225), covering 1 community water system serving approximately 8,271,000 people region-wide. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 2 of 2 ZIP codes.
The available EPA record reports 0 violations for 2 ZIP codes with a reported violation count.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Fresh Meadows: A (100/100)
Model 4.0.0 uses four measured components across three equally weighted domains. If a required domain is unavailable, no score is published:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| PFAS MCL Screen | UCMR 5 testing against the covered federal MCLs |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
| Annual AQI | EPA AirData county-year median with at least 90 observed days |
Water Sources
Fresh Meadows water systems draw from: Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0100 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 of 2 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 2 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11365 | A | New York City System | 8,271,000 |
| 11366 | A | New York City System | 8,271,000 |
All ZIP Codes in Fresh Meadows
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.
Fresh Meadows Community Health Snapshot
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Fresh Meadows Infrastructure Age
With 90% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. The EPA banned lead solder in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
The median home in Fresh Meadows was built in 1956 - a figure that places most of the city's residential stock in the era when lead solder was still standard in copper plumbing. Homes built before 1986 may have lead-soldered joints; those built before 1970 face the additional possibility of lead pipes in the service line itself.
Over half of homes in Fresh Meadows were built before 1986, when lead solder was banned. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
How Remediation Costs Compare in Fresh Meadows
In Fresh Meadows, property wealth outpaces what documented remediation typically demands - the equity burden lands well within the low tier.
Remediation costs in Fresh Meadows are relatively low compared to home values. The $800–$2,600 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 162% above the New York average.
Fresh Meadows: Lead Risk & Vulnerable Populations
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
Older interior plumbing shapes the local picture: 90% of Fresh Meadows homes predate the federal solder ban, and aggregate sampling either approaches or crosses the action benchmark. That mix makes a single-home draw a standard pre-purchase or pre-occupancy step.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Fresh Meadows: NFIP Claim Records and Water-Quality Context
Historical NFIP data for Fresh Meadows contains 238 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $7,178. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 0% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. The <strong>$1,600</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.
Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.
Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Fresh Meadows, NY