ZIP code
32953
in Merritt Island, FloridaPopulation 24,759
54.45/ 100
Ranked #10,131 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 32%)
Ranked #413 of 974 Florida ZIPs (top 42%)
Ranked #15 of 27 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL ZIPs (bottom 44%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
What defines this ZIP
Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.
Humid extreme heat
170.6 days/year
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST28thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›Elder-services access
0.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
36.8%
in the top 7.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST59thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS91stDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Radon
0.7 pCi/L
in the bottom 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST12thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
1.8%
in the bottom 9.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST24thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›Cross-source signals
Combined exposures in this ZIP
More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.
This area ranks among the highest 10% of US ZIP codes for both humid-heat days and flood exposure.
See the full flooding, evacuation & humid-heat analysis →
The read
ZIP 32953, one of several in Merritt Island, Florida, on the composite measure, lands in the top 32% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,131st) and the top 42% of Florida (413th).
Where the data leans one way, another reading answers it: elder services resides in the top 6.9% nationally, physicians lies in the top 10.1% nationally, and dental providers settles in the top 10.4% nationally. Modeled radon stands in the bottom 4.4% nationally, and energy burden is in the bottom 9.7% nationally. Distance to a nursing home rests at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other hand, modeled humid heat sits in the top 2.2% nationally, and floodplain exposure registers in the top 7.2% nationally. Modeled disaster risk lands in the top 8.8% nationally, and loud transportation noise resides in the top 11.6% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, outer-floodplain exposure runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 32952, just across the boundary.
What’s driving this score
Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts. Compare it against the US, this state and the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 78%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 85%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 73%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 81%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 82%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 76%
5%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 51%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 65%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 79%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 80%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 60%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 53%
8%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 38%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 65%
14%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 54%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 54%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 50%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 50%
8%
Disability
healthier than 46%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 38%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 35%
5%
“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 77.7 ± 1.5 years. A median household income of $87,262 predicts 79.5 years — 1.8 years below.
Ranked #2,302 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
32780
Floridashares a border
Score 52.00
Closest healthier
32952
Floridashares a border
Score 59.18
Similar health profile
34698
Florida99% similar profile
Score 54.00
How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured
Evidence
Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.
Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 31.8% | 28.6–35.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.0% | 36.3–43.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.5% | 10.5–12.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.7% | 8.6–10.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.6–9.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.5–9.4 |
| Depression among adults | 18.9% | 16.2–21.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.6% | 11.9–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.9% | 38.0–45.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.7% | 28.3–39.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.1% | 3.8–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.9% | 9.0–13.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.4% | 9.0–11.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.0% | 77.2–82.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.5% | 77.5–83.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.9% | 87.5–90.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.7% | 66.4–74.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.1% | 57.9–64.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.8% | 70.2–82.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.0% | 11.6–16.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.0% | 11.3–15.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.8% | 20.5–27.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.2% | 28.5–38.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.0% | 16.8–21.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.7% | 14.1–17.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.6% | 13.0–16.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.6–14.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.0% | 28.4–35.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.7–9.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.2–9.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.9% | 14.0–17.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.7–4.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.9–5.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | FL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 11.4% (5.3–23.2%) n=972 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 15.9% (7.1–27.2%) n=968 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.6% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.7% (2.9–20.6%) n=977 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 34.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 29.1% (12.7–56.0%) n=977 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.4% (1.8–7.7%) n=968 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.3% (1.2–11.0%) n=972 |
| Broadband subscription | 93.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 91.9% (83.2–96.9%) n=972 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 33.2% (20.1–47.6%) n=972 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 74.9% (47.3–90.5%) n=972 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.2% (0.2–6.7%) n=972 |
| Foreign-born population | 8.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 11.5% (2.3–39.9%) n=977 |
| Single-parent households | 56.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.8% (38.7–75.3%) n=968 |
| Population 65+ | 26.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.4% (11.9–40.6%) n=977 |
| Median age | 49.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.0 yr (35.1–59.8) n=972 |
| Median household income | $87,262 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $72,857 ($48,246–$112,420) n=946 |
| Median home value | $419,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $334,600 ($168,120–$631,410) n=932 |
| Median gross rent | $1,345 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $1,604 ($968–$2,218) n=901 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | FL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.7 yr ± 0.78 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 78.2 yr (74.6–82.2) n=894 |
About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 0.78 years of 77.7, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾More ZIPs to explore ▴
How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured