ZIP code
39702
in Columbus, MississippiPopulation 23,484
42.51/ 100
Ranked #24,810 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 23%)
Ranked #166 of 406 Mississippi ZIPs (top 41%)
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 6.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a Superfund site
0.9 mi
in the bottom 6.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST3rdUS7thDefinition & 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 ›Floodplain exposure
38.4%
in the top 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST82ndUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
338 units
in the top 7.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
38.3 per million
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›High blood pressure
47%
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST44thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
132.8 days/year
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST63rdUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
12.3%
in the bottom 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST44thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 12.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS88thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to a community health center
12.5 mi
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS84thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›Cross-source signals
Combined exposures in this ZIP
More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.
This area ranks among the highest 10% of US ZIP codes for both humid-heat days and flood exposure.
See the full flooding, evacuation & humid-heat analysis →
The read
ZIP 39702, one of several in Columbus, Mississippi, by its composite score, sits in the bottom 23% nationally (24,810th) and the top 41% of Mississippi (166th).
The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: subsidized affordable housing is in the top 7.2% nationally, and modeled binge drinking lands in the bottom 8.5% nationally. On the other side, modeled expected annual loss stands in the top 6.3% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site registers in the bottom 6.7% nationally. Floodplain exposure settles in the top 6.8% nationally, modeled air-toxics cancer risk sits in the top 7.8% nationally, and modeled high blood pressure lies in the top 7.7% nationally. Modeled humid heat rests in the top 9.2% nationally, transportation resides in the top 10.3% nationally, and tooth loss is in the top 10.4% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, expected annual loss runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 35461, 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
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 48%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 25%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 33%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 7%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 22%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 64%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 85%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 54%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 55%
11%
Disability
healthier than 59%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 15%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 17%
5%
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 ›
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 76.1 ± 1.3 years. A median household income of $54,650 predicts 77.7 years — 1.6 years below.
Ranked #1,944 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 38.3 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 76.1 ± 1.3 years.
Ranked #1,713 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.
Nearby
35447
Alabamashares a border
Score 35.37
Closest healthier
35461
Alabamashares a border
Score 47.42
Similar health profile
38744
Mississippi98% similar profile
Score 38.57
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 | 30.4% | 27.1–33.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 47.0% | 43.0–51.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.9% | 7.2–8.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.4% | 9.2–11.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.7% | 6.9–8.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.0% | 8.0–10.0 |
| Depression among adults | 19.0% | 16.1–22.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.7% | 14.6–18.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.3% | 34.2–42.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.8% | 32.3–45.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.9% | 4.6–5.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 23.0% | 19.3–27.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.1% | 9.5–12.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.4% | 78.9–83.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.7% | 79.6–85.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.4% | 85.7–89.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 63.0% | 58.1–68.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 9.1% | 7.6–10.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.5% | 70.8–83.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.3% | 10.0–14.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.1% | 14.9–19.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.0% | 30.7–39.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.0% | 35.6–47.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 25.5% | 22.8–28.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.3–19.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.1% | 13.5–16.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.7% | 15.8–19.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.4% | 35.4–43.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.2–9.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 11.2% | 10.0–12.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.4% | 18.3–22.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.5–6.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.8% | 7.2–8.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 29.6% | 26.1–33.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 24.4% | 21.7–27.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 16.4% | 14.4–18.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.3% | 16.2–20.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 11.7–14.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.7% | 32.3–41.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 11.6–14.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MS median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 19.9% (8.3–37.0%) n=406 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 18.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 16.8% (8.1–29.3%) n=410 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 14.4% (5.9–25.0%) n=411 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 23.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 18.0% (7.1–33.6%) n=411 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.4% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.8% (0.0–14.2%) n=411 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 5.5% (0.0–13.9%) n=405 |
| Broadband subscription | 89.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 79.7% (62.7–93.0%) n=405 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 30.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.7% (9.7–36.0%) n=405 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.2% (49.8–91.7%) n=405 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–5.0%) n=405 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.6% (0.0–4.4%) n=412 |
| Single-parent households | 38.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 46.9% (29.2–61.4%) n=404 |
| Population 65+ | 16.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 17.8% (11.7–26.2%) n=412 |
| Median age | 38.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 39.5 yr (30.5–49.6) n=411 |
| Median household income | $54,650 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $50,353 ($32,100–$72,379) n=377 |
| Median home value | $144,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $118,100 ($72,660–$219,420) n=374 |
| Median gross rent | $944 | $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 | 76.1 yr ± 0.67 | 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 0.67 years of 76.1, 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