ur auto insurance rates aren’t just about your driving record. Insurance companies also use your ZIP code to assess various risks like crash rates, theft, vandalism, and weather. This issue isn’t limited to drivers; it poses significant concerns for homeowners too.
Cheryl Dougherty is one of those concerned homeowners. Ask her where she lives and the answer is not very simple.
Cheryl Dougherty attends WINK Listens, Lehigh Acres
“That’s the dispute. I’ve lived in Lee County for just over four years,” said Dougherty. “The ZIP code that we have is a Lehigh Acres ZIP code, but geographically, we live in Fort Myers.”
This confusion has financial implications for Dougherty and others in her community.
“We pay a higher rate of insurance because we are ZIP code as Lehigh versus Fort Myers. So it’s not just a minor change, it’s a monetary change for us,” said Dougherty.
U.S. Postal Service statement:
“The Postal Service established ZIP Codes and delivery boundaries to ensure efficient mail delivery and good service. They are not intended to determine town, city, municipal or other identities.”
This issue extends beyond Dougherty’s neighborhood. She told us it also impacts parts of Sherwood and Asher Park.
“All of those have been labeled as Lehigh Acres also,” added Dougherty.
Dougherty approached WINK Listens to address the issue on behalf of her community.
“A lot of people talk about it, but I like to try to do something about it, so that’s why I’m here today, and I thought it would be a great topic for WINK News to tackle,” she said.
How to request a change:
This problem is not new to the U.S. Postal Service, which has participated in congressional hearings on the matter. A 12-page document outlines the process to request a ZIP code change.
In summary, residents must submit a written request to the postal district manager, which goes through an internal approval process. If denied, the Postal Service provides reasons and steps for appeal. If approved, a survey of all area customers is conducted, requiring a majority for approval.
WINK News
“We have 437 in our community. There’s at least that many across the street in Sherwood,” said Dougherty.
Dougherty’s efforts gained support from the city of Fort Myers. Just three days after contacting WINK Listens, she received a letter from the city indicating it would submit a request to the U.S. Postal Service. This could change her ZIP code from 33971 to 33905.
City of Fort Myers statement:
(The city) is still working with our federal lobbyist on this. There is a federal bill moving through various committees to amend zip code boundaries. The Community Development Department will be sending a letter from the Mayor to Sen. Scott to include the zip code boundary modification we are requesting in the bill. Timeline TBD.
ZIP code facts from USPS:The ZIP Code system for identifying address locations was devised in the 1960s.
The term ZIP Code, originally trademarked and always capitalized, was an acronym for “Zoning Improvement Plan.”
ZIP Codes have expanded to 9 digits (ZIP+4) in 1983 and to 11 digits in 1991.
The first number in the ZIP Code represents a general geographic area of the nation—moving from a “0” for places in the east to a “9” for
locations in the west.
The second and third numbers indicate regions of the United States, while the fourth and fifth digits route the mail to specific post offices.
As of March 2023, there are 41,683 ZIP codes in the country.