Structurally Deficient Bridges by ZIP Code
Data current as of March 2026 — recomputed by ZipCheckup from federal data each build.
For the median U.S. ZIP code, 5.4% of nearby bridges are structurally deficient; 23.6% of 42,675 ZIP codes are at or above 10%, as of March 2026.
In the typical U.S. ZIP code, 5.4% of nearby bridges are rated structurally deficient; 23.6% of 42,675 ZIP codes sit at or above 10%, as of March 2026.
By state
| risk level | count | pct |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 13,206 | 30.9% |
| Moderate | 15,321 | 35.9% |
| Elevated | 10,088 | 23.6% |
| High | 4,029 | 9.4% |
| no_data | 31 | 0.1% |
Open data, licensed CC BY 4.0 · DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19427201
How we compute this
We use the FHWA National Bridge Inventory structurally-deficient rating as a per-ZIP share: of the bridges near a ZIP code, what percentage carry that rating. We report the median across ZIP codes and the share of ZIP codes at or above a 10% threshold.
We deliberately do NOT sum a national bridge count. The per-ZIP bridge tally is a proximity count — a bridge near two ZIP codes is counted under both — so only the per-ZIP deficient-share distribution is sound. The code throws if anyone attempts a national bridge-count sum.
ZIP codes are grouped into risk levels by their deficient share. Figures recompute each build, and each ZIP code links to its per-ZIP report.
Frequently asked questions
What share of bridges are structurally deficient?
In the typical U.S. ZIP code, 5.4% of nearby bridges carry a structurally-deficient rating from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory, as of March 2026. ZipCheckup reports this as a per-ZIP distribution, not a national bridge count. according to ZipCheckup's reading of federal data as of March 2026.
How many ZIP codes have high structurally-deficient bridge shares?
23.6% of 42,675 U.S. ZIP codes have at least 10% of their nearby bridges rated structurally deficient, as of March 2026. The table breaks ZIP codes into risk levels by that share.