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ZipVitals

ZIP code

38134

in Memphis, TennesseePopulation 43,947

45.14/ 100

Ranked #22,257 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 31%)

Ranked #186 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (top 30%)

Ranked #31 of 81 Memphis, TN-MS-AR ZIPs (top 38%)

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.

Expected annual disaster loss

$1

in the top 1.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
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 ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

40 per million

in the top 4.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US96th
Definition & 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 ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the top 4.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US95th
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.

Full methodology ›

Park land

19.7%

in the top 7.0% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST95th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

47.4%

in the bottom 7.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST7th
US8th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Outer-floodplain exposure

3.8%

in the top 9.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.

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 ›

Dental provider access

0.86 per 1,000 residents

in the top 9.4% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The number of dental offices located 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 ›

Walkability

79 intersections/sq mi

in the top 13.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST92nd
US86th
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Humid extreme heat

116.4 days/year

in the top 15% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US85th
Definition & 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 ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the top 16% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US84th
Definition & 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 ›

The read

On the composite measure, ZIP 38134, one of several in Memphis, Tennessee stands in the bottom 31% nationally (22,257th) and the top 30% of Tennessee (186th).

continue reading

Several readings make the pressure on this area plain: modeled expected annual loss sits in the top 1.6% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk resides in the top 4.5% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden stands in the top 4.6% nationally, and homeownership sits in the bottom 7.8% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure resides in the top 9.2% nationally, and modeled short sleep stands in the top 10.9% nationally. On the encouraging side, park land sits in the top 7.0% nationally, dental providers resides in the top 9.4% nationally, and pharmacy stands in the top 11.3% nationally. Subsidized affordable housing sits in the top 11.9% nationally.

Set beside the wider area around it, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For clarity, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. ZIP 38016, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.

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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Healthcare Access

healthier than 82%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 55%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 59%

16%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 37%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 23%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 20%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 12%

8%

Disability

healthier than 31%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 21%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 82%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 64%

16%

Mental Health

healthier than 78%

8%

Disability

healthier than 64%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 84%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 29%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 31%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 38%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 10%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 68%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 62%

16%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 75%

5%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 43%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 42%

11%

Disability

healthier than 58%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 41%

5%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 35%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 28%

8%

“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.

  • Highest-risk tenth

    Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale

    Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 40.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 77.0 ± 1.4 years.

    Ranked #504 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, 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 adults25.5%23.0–28.0
High blood pressure among adults40.0%36.4–43.2
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults6.5%5.9–7.1
Current asthma among adults11.5%10.2–12.8
Coronary heart disease among adults6.1%5.5–6.7
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.9%7.1–8.7
Depression among adults26.0%22.8–29.1
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.8%12.2–15.4
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened36.3%32.9–39.5
Obesity among adults38.7%33.7–43.4
Stroke among adults3.7%3.4–4.0
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.4%11.8–17.4
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years14.3%12.5–16.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure72.6%69.7–75.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults79.0%75.9–81.7
Cholesterol screening among adults85.0%83.1–86.7
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years62.3%57.9–66.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults52.0%48.6–55.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.1%70.8–82.7
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.2%12.7–17.7
Current cigarette smoking among adults18.6%16.4–20.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults27.3%23.8–30.7
Short sleep duration among adults41.5%37.1–46.1
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults23.5%21.0–26.0
Frequent mental distress among adults20.4%18.3–22.5
Frequent physical distress among adults14.4%12.8–15.9
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults19.2%17.3–21.1
Any disability among adults37.2%33.5–40.7
Hearing disability among adults6.6%5.9–7.3
Independent living disability among adults10.5%9.5–11.6
Mobility disability among adults16.2%14.4–18.0
Self-care disability among adults4.6%4.2–5.0
Vision disability among adults6.5%6.0–7.1
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)TN median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate11.1%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36413.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609
Uninsured 18–6419.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28614.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615
No HS diploma (25+)14.1%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50511.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613
Bachelor's or higher (25+)20.4%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50519.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613
Unemployment rate (16+)4.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613
Households without a vehicle4.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608
Broadband subscription91.8%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32286.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)33.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32221.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608
Homeownership rate47.4%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608
Foreign-born population12.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617
Single-parent households35.4%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08752.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608
Population 65+10.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617
Median age32.6 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615
Median household income$60,622$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594
Median home value$207,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593
Median gross rent$1,198$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 birth77.0 yr ± 0.7278.9 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 0.72 years of 77.0, 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