ZIP code
36556
in Malcolm, AlabamaPopulation 0
37.89/ 100
Ranked #28,073 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 12.5%)
Ranked #468 of 619 Alabama ZIPs (bottom 24%)
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.
High blood pressure
55%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
0.85%
in the bottom 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
21.1%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
9.9%
in the bottom 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Stroke
6.1%
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
47%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
24.6%
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
55.8%
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
22.2 mi
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
151.7 days/year
in the top 4.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›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
On balance, and by the composite measure, Malcolm, Alabama (ZIP 36556) ranks in the bottom 12.5% nationally (28,073rd) and the bottom 24% of Alabama (468th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The burdens that read clearest in the data come first: modeled high blood pressure rests in the top 0.9% nationally, and diabetes is in the top 2.4% nationally. Modeled stroke stands in the top 3.6% nationally, and high cholesterol settles in the top 1.5% nationally. Modeled mobility disability lies in the top 4.0% nationally, floodplain exposure resides in the top 3.1% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lands in the top 4.2% nationally. Modeled humid heat registers in the top 4.3% nationally. Better still, modeled arsenic sits in the bottom 0.6% nationally, and binge drinking rests in the bottom 1.2% nationally.
In plainer terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 36513, 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 67%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 83%
13%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 54%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 3%
21%
Social Need / SDOHPartial
healthier than 25%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 31%
11%
Disability
healthier than 9%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 16%
5%
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 92%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 81%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOHPartial
healthier than 46%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 54%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 55%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Disability
healthier than 27%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the bottom 0.8%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 7%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
36513
Alabamashares a border
Score 38.91
Closest healthier
36545
Alabamashares a border
Score 40.92
Similar health profile
73440
Oklahoma98% similar profile
Score 39.46
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 | 41.1% | 36.8–45.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 55.0% | 50.4–59.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.5% | 9.4–11.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.6–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.9% | 9.7–12.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.1% | 9.6–12.7 |
| Depression among adults | 22.6% | 19.1–26.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 21.1% | 18.4–23.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 47.0% | 42.1–51.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 43.7% | 35.4–52.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.5% | 15.1–22.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.2% | 7.4–11.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 85.0% | 82.5–87.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 84.9% | 82.0–87.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.2% | 88.6–91.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.3% | 62.9–73.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 54.5% | 50.4–58.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.4% | 68.2–83.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 9.9% | 7.9–12.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.2% | 14.4–20.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.1% | 29.7–41.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 42.9% | 35.5–50.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 29.0% | 25.2–33.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.7–19.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.5% | 15.3–19.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.4% | 14.2–18.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.9% | 38.6–49.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.3% | 10.0–12.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.2–13.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 24.6% | 21.5–27.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.7–7.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.1% | 22.4–30.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 22.5% | 18.9–26.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.4% | 14.2–20.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.9% | 13.4–18.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 10.6% | 9.1–12.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.7% | 29.5–40.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 9.8–13.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | — | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 15.4% (5.1–31.1%) n=623 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | — | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 13.7% (5.2–25.2%) n=625 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | — | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 13.2% (3.6–23.0%) n=626 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | — | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 16.9% (6.9–38.8%) n=626 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | — | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–11.0%) n=622 |
| Households without a vehicle | — | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.0% (0.0–12.1%) n=622 |
| Broadband subscription | — | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 84.9% (68.8–94.9%) n=622 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | — | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.3% (10.1–35.0%) n=622 |
| Homeownership rate | — | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.3% (54.7–92.5%) n=622 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | — | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.3% (0.0–4.2%) n=622 |
| Foreign-born population | — | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.3% (0.0–6.2%) n=628 |
| Single-parent households | — | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 50.9% (35.0–68.6%) n=617 |
| Population 65+ | — | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.9–29.2%) n=628 |
| Median age | — | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.3 yr (33.4–52.9) n=621 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $55,896 ($37,738–$88,230) n=587 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $160,950 ($87,300–$292,680) n=568 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $856 ($625–$1,266) n=503 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.3 yr ± 2.20 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 74.7 yr (72.1–78.3) n=599 |
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 2.20 years of 76.3, 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