ZIP code
40508
in Lexington, KentuckyPopulation 23,756
31.62/ 100
Ranked #30,404 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 5.2%)
Ranked #433 of 742 Kentucky ZIPs (bottom 42%)
Ranked #25 of 25 Lexington-Fayette, KY ZIPs (bottom 4.0%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
Some domains have limited local data — read this Score as directional
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.
Transportation noise
19.1%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Homeownership rate
29.5%
in the bottom 3.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Transit access
5.9 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of public-transit stops 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 ›Poverty rate
37.2%
in the top 3.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
26.3%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST64thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
47.6%
in the top 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
508 units
in the top 4.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
2.8%
in the top 4.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
0 ppb
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
US1stDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
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 ›Walkability
160 intersections/sq mi
in the top 4.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›The read
On the measures available for this ZIP, ZIP 40508, one of several in Lexington, Kentucky lands in the bottom 5.2% nationally (30,404th) and the bottom 42% of Kentucky (433rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The data opens carefully, on limited coverage: transit stands in the top 3.8% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing registers in the top 4.4% nationally. Lead in tap water settles at the national minimum, and walkability sits in the top 4.6% nationally. On the other hand, modeled transportation noise lies in the top 2.7% nationally, homeownership rests in the bottom 3.1% nationally, and poverty resides in the top 3.8% nationally. Modeled tooth loss is in the top 5.9% nationally, housing-cost burden lands in the top 4.1% nationally, and modeled loud transportation noise stands in the top 4.4% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. Subsidized affordable housing is the main federal tax-credit program (HUD) funding affordable rental housing, counted as local units it supports. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 40502, 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
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 88%
6%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 88%
6%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 43%
19%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 9%
16%
Preventive CarePartial
healthier than 15%
15%
Not placed: Chronic Disease Burden and Risk Behavior — too little of each is measured here to compare reliably. They still count toward the score (together 38% of it); we just will not publish a standing we cannot stand behind.
No data: Mental Health and Disability — not measured in this ZIP, so it is left out of the score entirely rather than estimated.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 91%
19%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the top 0.00%
6%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 57%
6%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
in the bottom 0.00%
16%
Preventive CarePartial
in the bottom 0.00%
15%
Not placed: Chronic Disease Burden and Risk Behavior — too little of each is measured here to compare reliably. They still count toward the score (together 38% of it); we just will not publish a standing we cannot stand behind.
No data: Mental Health and Disability — not measured in this ZIP, so it is left out of the score entirely rather than estimated.
“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
40502
Kentuckyshares a border
Score 59.20
Closest healthier
40503
Kentuckyshares a border
Score 58.84
Similar health profile
65439
Missouri99% similar profile
Score 36.60
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 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 26.3% | 22.3–30.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.0% | 59.9–69.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 49.3% | 45.6–52.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.1% | 64.0–79.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Short sleep duration among adults | 41.9% | 36.1–47.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | KY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 37.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 17.1% (4.6–39.2%) n=747 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.9% (0.0–16.5%) n=741 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 13.7% (3.8–29.1%) n=748 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 36.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 14.8% (1.5–33.6%) n=748 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 9.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.8% (0.0–11.2%) n=733 |
| Households without a vehicle | 17.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.6% (0.0–15.0%) n=745 |
| Broadband subscription | 79.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.7% (71.5–97.1%) n=745 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 47.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.9% (6.2–34.7%) n=745 |
| Homeownership rate | 29.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.0% (58.2–96.7%) n=745 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.8%) n=745 |
| Foreign-born population | 9.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.3% (0.0–5.4%) n=749 |
| Single-parent households | 42.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 52.0% (34.7–75.0%) n=738 |
| Population 65+ | 9.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.2% (9.6–29.6%) n=749 |
| Median age | 23.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.8 yr (32.3–53.9) n=738 |
| Median household income | $29,440 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $57,097 ($34,611–$87,693) n=645 |
| Median home value | $182,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $144,600 ($66,860–$265,120) n=643 |
| Median gross rent | $959 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $821 ($592–$1,170) n=466 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | KY median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy unavailable for this ZIP — fewer than 80% of the census tracts that make it up could be matched across the 2010→2020 tract-boundary revision, so no value is published rather than an unreliable one. See how coverage gaps are handled. | |||
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