ZIP code
38351
in Lexington, TennesseePopulation 18,248
39.70/ 100
Ranked #26,951 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 16%)
Ranked #347 of 616 Tennessee 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.
Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Lithium in drinking water
64 µg/L
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
5.0%
in the top 13.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS86thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.39 per 1,000 residents
in the top 17% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS83rdDefinition & 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 ›The read
On the composite measure, Lexington, Tennessee (ZIP 38351) stands in the bottom 16% nationally (26,951st) and the bottom 44% of Tennessee (347th).
A number of readings press hard on the profile and set its tone: modeled expected annual loss lies in the top 2.2% nationally, and lithium in drinking water is in the top 7.8% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability registers in the top 11.6% nationally, and crowded housing lies in the top 13.8% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Unemployment registers in the top 17% nationally. On the brighter side, distance to an emergency room lies at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home is at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Childcare registers in the top 17% nationally, and grocery lies in the top 17% 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. Lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. ZIP 38305, 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 45%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 56%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 25%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 6%
8%
Disability
healthier than 19%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 37%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 27%
5%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 48%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 42%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 51%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 36%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 23%
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 73.3 ± 1.1 years. A median household income of $54,709 predicts 77.7 years — 4.4 years below.
Ranked #5,282 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
38305
Tennesseeshares a border
Score 48.29
Closest healthier
38313
Tennesseeshares a border
Score 45.78
Similar health profile
37397
Tennessee100% similar profile
Score 36.53
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 | 35.6% | 32.2–39.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.2% | 39.1–47.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.4–10.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.3% | 10.0–12.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.6–9.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.1% | 10.0–12.2 |
| Depression among adults | 29.1% | 25.2–33.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.5% | 13.6–17.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.5% | 37.2–46.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.8% | 31.5–46.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.0% | 14.7–21.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.3% | 10.7–14.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.3% | 75.6–80.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.4% | 75.0–81.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.1% | 84.4–87.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.8% | 56.4–67.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 54.5% | 50.5–58.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.2% | 62.6–78.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.5% | 11.1–16.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 21.5% | 19.0–24.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 31.2% | 26.7–36.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.9% | 31.3–44.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 26.5% | 23.6–29.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.5% | 18.3–22.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.7% | 15.8–19.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.5% | 17.5–21.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.3% | 35.8–45.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.3% | 10.2–12.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.9% | 17.7–22.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.6–5.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.5% | 6.0–7.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | TN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.8% (5.1–26.1%) n=609 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 18.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.0% (5.9–24.0%) n=615 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 11.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 11.6% (4.2–19.5%) n=613 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.0% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.0% (10.0–42.6%) n=613 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.0% (0.4–9.6%) n=613 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.3–10.1%) n=608 |
| Broadband subscription | 83.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.7% (76.0–94.9%) n=608 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.4% (11.8–33.6%) n=608 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.7% (53.4–91.5%) n=608 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 5.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.5% (0.0–4.5%) n=608 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=617 |
| Single-parent households | 52.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.6% (39.1–68.7%) n=608 |
| Population 65+ | 17.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.5–27.9%) n=617 |
| Median age | 39.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (33.8–52.5) n=615 |
| Median household income | $54,709 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,577 ($42,745–$94,822) n=594 |
| Median home value | $167,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $215,100 ($120,900–$397,120) n=593 |
| Median gross rent | $739 | $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 | 73.3 yr ± 0.57 | 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 0.57 years of 73.3, 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