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ZIP code

38965

in Water Valley, MississippiPopulation 8,963

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

40.69/ 100

Ranked #26,279 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 18%)

Ranked #216 of 406 Mississippi ZIPs (bottom 47%)

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.

High blood pressure

48.5%

in the top 5.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST53rd
US95th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

22.7%

in the top 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST61st
US93rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Stroke

5.5%

in the top 7.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST59th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Self-care disability

6.3%

in the top 9.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST53rd
US90th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.

Full methodology ›

Mental-health provider access

0.11 per 1,000 residents

in the top 9.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST88th
US90th
Definition & 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 ›

Diabetes

17.5%

in the top 9.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST52nd
US90th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

The read

Water Valley, Mississippi (ZIP 38965), overall, ranks in the bottom 18% nationally (26,279th) and the bottom 47% of Mississippi (216th).

continue reading

This area's measures are easy to read as a mixed set: mental-health providers registers in the top 9.9% nationally. Distance to a community health center resides at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Modeled binge drinking settles in the bottom 11.4% nationally. Set against that, modeled high blood pressure is in the top 5.2% nationally, and mobility disability sits in the top 7.5% nationally. Modeled stroke lands in the top 7.8% nationally, and self-care disability lies in the top 9.7% nationally. Modeled diabetes stands in the top 9.8% nationally, and tooth loss rests in the top 11.2% nationally. Modeled humid heat registers in the top 12.9% nationally.

Defined simply, distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. ZIP 38606, just across the boundary, comes out healthier overall.

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 84%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 64%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 77%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 12%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 15%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 21%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 27%

11%

Disability

healthier than 9%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 24%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 61%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 61%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 66%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 76%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 53%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 52%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 52%

8%

Disability

healthier than 41%

7%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 39%

21%

“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 72.9 ± 1.5 years. A median household income of $58,258 predicts 77.9 years — 5.1 years below.

    Ranked #5,565 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 84.7; chronic-disease standing 12.2 — 73 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #921 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 adults35.0%31.7–38.4
High blood pressure among adults48.5%44.5–52.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.1%8.4–10.0
Current asthma among adults10.1%9.0–11.3
Coronary heart disease among adults9.5%8.6–10.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.1%9.9–12.3
Depression among adults20.1%17.3–23.2
Diagnosed diabetes among adults17.5%15.5–19.6
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened42.4%38.3–46.6
Obesity among adults38.8%31.9–46.3
Stroke among adults5.5%5.1–5.9
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years22.6%19.2–26.4
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years12.1%10.4–13.9
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure82.2%79.9–84.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults81.8%78.9–84.5
Cholesterol screening among adults86.6%85.0–88.1
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years62.0%57.6–66.3
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults8.9%7.8–10.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years72.0%65.1–78.2
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults12.7%10.7–15.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults19.7%17.3–22.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults37.4%32.7–42.3
Short sleep duration among adults35.2%30.1–40.8
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults27.5%24.6–30.6
Frequent mental distress among adults17.4%15.6–19.4
Frequent physical distress among adults17.0%15.1–18.8
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults18.6%16.7–20.6
Any disability among adults41.9%37.6–46.2
Hearing disability among adults10.4%9.3–11.4
Independent living disability among adults11.8%10.7–13.1
Mobility disability among adults22.7%20.3–25.1
Self-care disability among adults6.3%5.8–6.9
Vision disability among adults8.1%7.5–8.9
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults28.1%24.7–31.6
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults23.4%20.7–26.2
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults14.9%12.9–17.0
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults16.5%14.5–18.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults12.0%10.8–13.3
Loneliness among adults35.0%30.5–39.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults11.3%10.0–12.7
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MS median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate18.9%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36419.9% (8.3–37.0%) n=406
Uninsured 18–6417.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28616.8% (8.1–29.3%) n=410
No HS diploma (25+)13.6%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50514.4% (5.9–25.0%) n=411
Bachelor's or higher (25+)19.6%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50518.0% (7.1–33.6%) n=411
Unemployment rate (16+)2.5%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.8% (0.0–14.2%) n=411
Households without a vehicle2.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3225.5% (0.0–13.9%) n=405
Broadband subscription81.5%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32279.7% (62.7–93.0%) n=405
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)18.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32222.7% (9.7–36.0%) n=405
Homeownership rate72.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.2% (49.8–91.7%) n=405
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.2%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.4% (0.0–5.0%) n=405
Foreign-born population0.4%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5530.6% (0.0–4.4%) n=412
Single-parent households48.9%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08746.9% (29.2–61.4%) n=404
Population 65+20.2%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.8% (11.7–26.2%) n=412
Median age39.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29239.5 yr (30.5–49.6) n=411
Median household income$58,258$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$50,353 ($32,100–$72,379) n=377
Median home value$153,100$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$118,100 ($72,660–$219,420) n=374
Median gross rent$645$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$827 ($532–$1,130) n=319
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MS median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth72.8 yr ± 0.7478.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30875.4 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 0.74 years of 72.8, 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