ZIP code
38859
in New Site, MississippiPopulation 475
41.28/ 100
Ranked #25,816 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 19%)
Ranked #199 of 406 Mississippi ZIPs (top 49%)
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.
Arsenic in groundwater
1.0%
in the bottom 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST13thUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
1.7%
in the bottom 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS6thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Fiber broadband
97%
in the top 8.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.10%
in the bottom 8.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
58.5 mi
in the top 9.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
93.1%
in the top 11.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS88thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
9.2 mi
in the top 13.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS87thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$41,389
in the bottom 6.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST28thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
95.5%
in the top 17% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS83rdDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›The read
New Site, Mississippi (ZIP 38859) ranks in the bottom 19% nationally (25,816th) and the top 49% of Mississippi (199th).
A profile of give and take, with clear readings each way: modeled arsenic stands in the bottom 2.9% nationally, and poverty sits in the bottom 6.2% nationally. Households without a vehicle resides at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Fiber broadband stands in the top 8.2% nationally, modeled transportation noise sits in the bottom 8.3% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site resides in the top 9.1% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise stands at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Homeownership sits in the top 11.6% nationally. On the other side, modeled cognitive disability resides in the top 11.1% nationally, and humid heat stands in the top 12.7% nationally.
For context, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 38829, 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 86%
14%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 50%
16%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 28%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 12%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 36%
8%
Disability
healthier than 19%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 19%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 23%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 68%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 86%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 67%
14%
Disability
healthier than 63%
7%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 7%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 32%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 5%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
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
38829
Mississippishares a border
Score 46.73
Closest healthier
38856
Mississippishares a border
Score 42.96
Similar health profile
77456
Texas98% similar profile
Score 39.52
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 | 30.9% | 27.5–34.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.2% | 37.8–46.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.9% | 7.9–9.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.7% | 8.5–11.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.3% | 7.2–9.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.0–12.6 |
| Depression among adults | 22.9% | 19.4–26.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.1% | 12.1–16.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.0% | 36.7–45.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.8% | 33.1–48.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.0% | 16.3–24.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 12.4% | 9.4–15.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.5% | 75.7–81.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.0% | 74.2–81.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.7% | 81.0–86.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 58.8% | 53.3–64.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 7.9% | 6.6–9.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.2% | 62.6–78.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.6% | 12.8–18.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 20.8% | 16.8–24.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.4% | 29.4–41.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.4% | 29.8–43.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.4% | 21.3–29.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.5% | 16.0–21.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.5% | 14.2–19.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.6% | 16.7–22.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 40.5% | 34.8–46.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.5–11.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.6% | 9.0–12.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.9% | 16.0–22.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.3–6.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.5–7.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.9% | 22.6–31.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.2% | 14.4–22.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 7.7–12.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.7% | 10.3–15.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.2–11.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 34.5% | 29.1–40.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.0% | 6.7–9.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MS median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 1.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 19.9% (8.3–37.0%) n=406 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 25.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 16.8% (8.1–29.3%) n=410 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 22.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 14.4% (5.9–25.0%) n=411 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 1.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 18.0% (7.1–33.6%) n=411 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.8% (0.0–14.2%) n=411 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.5% (0.0–13.9%) n=405 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 79.7% (62.7–93.0%) n=405 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 16.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.7% (9.7–36.0%) n=405 |
| Homeownership rate | 93.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.2% (49.8–91.7%) n=405 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–5.0%) n=405 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.6% (0.0–4.4%) n=412 |
| Single-parent households | 53.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 46.9% (29.2–61.4%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 30.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.8% (11.7–26.2%) n=412 |
| Median age | 48.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 39.5 yr (30.5–49.6) n=411 |
| Median household income | $41,389 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $50,353 ($32,100–$72,379) n=377 |
| Median home value | $136,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $118,100 ($72,660–$219,420) n=374 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $827 ($532–$1,130) n=319 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MS median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.7 yr ± 2.56 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 75.4 yr (72.7–79.0) n=405 |
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 2.56 years of 79.7, 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