Skip to main content
ZipVitals

ZIP code

38012

in Brownsville, TennesseePopulation 13,031

31.50/ 100

Ranked #30,426 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 5.2%)

Ranked #570 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (bottom 7.5%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Diabetes

21.3%

in the top 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Full methodology ›

Independent-living disability

14.6%

in the top 3.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Full methodology ›

Self-care disability

7.7%

in the top 3.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

26%

in the top 2.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

Fair or poor health

34.1%

in the top 3.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US97th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

51.8%

in the top 2.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.

Full methodology ›

Obesity

48.3%

in the top 1.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.

Full methodology ›

Vision disability

10.1%

in the top 4.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the top 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US98th
Definition & source ›

FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.

Full methodology ›

Stroke

6.1%

in the top 3.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

The read

Brownsville, Tennessee (ZIP 38012), by its composite score, sits in the bottom 5.2% nationally (30,426th) and the bottom 7.5% of Tennessee (570th).

continue reading

The measures that define this area's challenges come through directly: modeled diabetes sits in the top 2.2% nationally, and independent living disability lies in the top 3.2% nationally. Modeled self-care disability rests in the top 3.6% nationally, and mobility disability resides in the top 2.4% nationally. Modeled fair or poor health is in the top 3.3% nationally, high blood pressure lands in the top 2.0% nationally, and obesity stands in the top 1.3% nationally. Modeled vision disability registers in the top 4.7% nationally, expected annual loss settles in the top 2.2% nationally, and stroke sits in the top 3.6% nationally.

Next to the surrounding area, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 38006, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 78%

14%

About typical

Healthcare Access

healthier than 59%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 4%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 33%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 25%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 4%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 7%

8%

Disability

healthier than 3%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 17%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 82%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 60%

5%

About typical

Mental Health

healthier than 55%

8%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 8%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 24%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 39%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 5%

11%

Disability

healthier than 5%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 6%

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

2 of our published findings list 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 74.2 ± 1.9 years. A median household income of $45,974 predicts 77.0 years — 2.8 years below.

    Ranked #3,836 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.

  • Clean environment, heavy chronic burden

    Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions

    Environmental-hazard standing 78.1; chronic-disease standing 3.7 (bottom 10%) — 74 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #796 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.

Nearby & similar ZIPs

Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults36.5%32.8–40.3
High blood pressure among adults51.8%47.2–56.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.2%6.5–8.0
Current asthma among adults12.7%11.2–14.3
Coronary heart disease among adults9.3%8.4–10.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults12.4%11.1–13.7
Depression among adults26.9%23.0–30.9
Diagnosed diabetes among adults21.3%18.9–23.9
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened40.6%36.0–45.2
Obesity among adults48.3%39.3–57.1
Stroke among adults6.1%5.6–6.6
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years26.5%22.3–31.0
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years16.3%14.2–18.6
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.7%77.1–82.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.9%77.5–84.0
Cholesterol screening among adults86.2%84.4–87.8
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years61.0%55.3–66.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults46.0%42.2–49.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years75.7%67.8–82.3
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults10.5%8.5–12.9
Current cigarette smoking among adults24.3%21.4–27.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults40.2%34.9–45.6
Short sleep duration among adults44.7%37.4–51.9
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults34.1%30.6–37.5
Frequent mental distress among adults21.6%19.3–24.0
Frequent physical distress among adults19.3%17.2–21.4
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults21.9%19.7–24.2
Any disability among adults46.4%41.5–51.2
Hearing disability among adults8.4%7.5–9.4
Independent living disability among adults14.6%13.1–16.0
Mobility disability among adults26.0%23.4–28.8
Self-care disability among adults7.7%7.0–8.4
Vision disability among adults10.1%9.2–11.0
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TN median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate23.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609
Uninsured 18–6418.0%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615
No HS diploma (25+)16.4%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613
Bachelor's or higher (25+)14.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50519.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613
Unemployment rate (16+)7.3%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613
Households without a vehicle13.2%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608
Broadband subscription83.1%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32286.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)32.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608
Homeownership rate55.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.6%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608
Foreign-born population1.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617
Single-parent households46.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08752.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608
Population 65+21.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617
Median age43.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615
Median household income$45,974$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594
Median home value$161,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593
Median gross rent$759$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$908 ($659–$1,523) n=516
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TN median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth74.2 yr ± 0.9978.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30875.1 yr (72.6–78.1) n=587

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 0.99 years of 74.2, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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