ZIP code
38261
in Union City, TennesseePopulation 16,385
38.48/ 100
Ranked #27,732 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 13.6%)
Ranked #395 of 616 Tennessee ZIPs (bottom 36%)
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.
Expected annual disaster loss
$1
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Mental-health provider access
0.18 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 8.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Physician access
1.7 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of physicians’ 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 ›Cognitive disability
19.9%
in the top 9.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST67thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
264 units
in the top 9.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Outpatient-care access
0.42 per 1,000 residents
in the top 10.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS89thDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics 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 ›Child-care access
0.48 per 1,000 residents
in the top 11.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The number of child day-care services 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
26.4%
in the top 12.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS88thDefinition & 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 ›The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, Union City, Tennessee (ZIP 38261) ranks in the bottom 13.6% nationally (27,732nd) and the bottom 36% of Tennessee (395th).
Where this area bears down hardest, the measures speak first: modeled expected annual loss rests in the top 0.9% nationally, and disaster risk is in the top 8.2% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability stands in the top 9.8% nationally, and fair or poor health settles in the top 12.0% nationally. On the encouraging side, mental-health providers lies in the top 5.1% nationally. Distance to an emergency room resides at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Physicians lands in the top 9.1% nationally, subsidized affordable housing registers in the top 9.4% nationally, and outpatient sits in the top 10.7% nationally. Childcare rests in the top 11.5% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 38237, 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 74%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 74%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 15%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 26%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 16%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 5%
8%
Disability
healthier than 13%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 18%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 68%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 75%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 75%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 41%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 40%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 39%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 28%
11%
Disability
healthier than 29%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
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 ›
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 75.1 ± 1.2 years. A median household income of $55,876 predicts 77.8 years — 2.7 years below.
Ranked #3,678 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 73.9; chronic-disease standing 14.8 — 59 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #1,804 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.
Nearby
38079
Tennesseeshares a border
Score 23.84
Closest healthier
38237
Tennesseeshares a border
Score 40.52
Similar health profile
38019
Tennessee99% similar profile
Score 38.35
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 | 35.9% | 32.3–39.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.2% | 39.8–48.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.1% | 8.3–10.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 8.0–9.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.3% | 10.1–12.5 |
| Depression among adults | 29.8% | 25.7–34.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.6% | 14.6–18.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.6% | 36.1–45.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.8% | 32.9–49.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.8% | 4.4–5.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.5% | 15.2–22.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 13.9% | 12.1–15.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.2% | 75.3–80.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.9% | 75.2–82.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.0% | 84.2–87.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.3% | 56.7–67.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.9% | 49.9–57.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.9% | 64.3–80.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.7% | 10.3–15.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 20.9% | 18.4–23.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.6% | 28.0–37.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.3% | 34.2–48.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 28.3% | 25.2–31.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.5% | 18.3–22.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.9% | 15.9–20.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.9% | 17.8–22.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 42.1% | 37.5–46.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.3–10.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.9% | 10.7–13.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.0% | 18.6–23.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.5% | 5.0–6.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.3% | 6.6–7.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 16.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608 |
| Broadband subscription | 84.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 19.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617 |
| Single-parent households | 40.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608 |
| Population 65+ | 19.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617 |
| Median age | 39.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615 |
| Median household income | $55,876 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594 |
| Median home value | $153,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593 |
| Median gross rent | $761 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $908 ($659–$1,523) n=516 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.1 yr ± 0.62 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 75.1 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 0.62 years of 75.1, 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