ZIP code
43209
in Columbus, OhioPopulation 28,193
57.40/ 100
Ranked #6,885 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 21%)
Ranked #125 of 1,176 Ohio ZIPs (top 10.7%)
Ranked #29 of 127 Columbus, OH ZIPs (top 23%)
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.
Radon
4.3 pCi/L
in the top 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Subsidized affordable housing
1,112 units
in the top 1.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›PFOA in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOA, one of the man-made “forever chemicals,” was detected in EPA testing.
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 ›PFAS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.
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 ›Hearing disability
5.0%
in the bottom 6.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
1.4 mi
in the bottom 8.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Mammography
81.1%
in the top 6.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Walkability
100 intersections/sq mi
in the top 9.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST88thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
11.1%
in the bottom 14.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS15thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, ZIP 43209, one of several in Columbus, Ohio lands in the top 21% healthiest ZIPs nationally (6,885th) and the top 10.7% of Ohio (125th).
A number of measures pull each way for this area: subsidized affordable housing is in the top 1.2% nationally, and modeled hearing disability settles in the bottom 6.4% nationally. Modeled mammography resides in the top 6.4% nationally, and walkability registers in the top 9.8% nationally. Distance to a community health center rests at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Set against that, modeled radon stands in the top 1.1% nationally, modeled industrial-pollution burden lies in the top 1.5% nationally, and PFOA in drinking water lands at the national maximum. PFAS in drinking water sits at the national maximum, and distance to a Superfund site is in the bottom 8.7% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, industrial-pollution burden runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. PFOA in drinking water is one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 43215, about 1.7 miles away, ranks better 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Columbus, OH metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 77%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 87%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 89%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 74%
11%
Disability
healthier than 86%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 76%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 88%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
in the bottom 0.7%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 39%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 94%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 90%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 92%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 93%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 80%
8%
Disability
healthier than 90%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 68%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 87%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
in the bottom 0.7%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 74%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 84%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 93%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 84%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 76%
8%
Disability
healthier than 74%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 79%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 80%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 2%
14%
“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.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 79.3 ± 1.4 years. The 45 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.3 years — 2.0 years above them.
Ranked #1,375 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 0.7 (bottom 1%); chronic-disease standing 77.0 — 76 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #16,939 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.
Nearby
43205
Ohioshares a border
Score 45.67
Closest healthier
43215
Ohioabout 1.7 mi away
Score 62.64
Similar health profile
44224
Ohio98% similar profile
Score 57.48
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 | 25.7% | 23.6–27.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.3% | 30.8–35.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.9% | 7.2–8.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.2% | 10.0–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.5% | 5.0–6.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.0–6.2 |
| Depression among adults | 25.1% | 22.5–27.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.5% | 10.3–12.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.2% | 31.6–36.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.9% | 28.5–35.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.1% | 2.9–3.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 9.5% | 8.0–11.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.4% | 5.5–7.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.7% | 76.3–80.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.4% | 79.0–83.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.5% | 86.1–88.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.6% | 66.4–72.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 71.6% | 69.2–73.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 81.1% | 76.6–85.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.6% | 15.5–19.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.2% | 9.8–12.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.7% | 18.4–23.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.2% | 31.1–37.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.9% | 14.2–17.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.6% | 15.0–18.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.2% | 10.9–13.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 24.1% | 21.7–26.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.4–5.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 11.1% | 9.8–12.3 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.1% | 2.8–3.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.9% | 18.2–23.8 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.4% | 10.8–14.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 8.7–11.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 9.0–11.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.3% | 6.4–8.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.0% | 33.2–40.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.9–9.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OH median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.7% (3.5–26.2%) n=1,177 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.8% (2.5–18.1%) n=1,174 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.5% (2.3–17.0%) n=1,179 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 58.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.7% (8.1–45.8%) n=1,179 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.7% (0.0–9.8%) n=1,171 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.4% (0.0–14.5%) n=1,177 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.9% (76.5–96.0%) n=1,177 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.3% (11.2–34.6%) n=1,177 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.3% (52.8–91.8%) n=1,177 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.8% (0.0–3.5%) n=1,177 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–6.8%) n=1,180 |
| Single-parent households | 44.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.2% (36.6–68.1%) n=1,168 |
| Population 65+ | 17.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.1–27.2%) n=1,180 |
| Median age | 38.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.5 yr (33.2–50.5) n=1,169 |
| Median household income | $89,713 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $70,500 ($46,328–$101,197) n=1,127 |
| Median home value | $392,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,700 ($104,860–$310,980) n=1,117 |
| Median gross rent | $1,154 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $907 ($714–$1,294) n=1,007 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OH median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.3 yr ± 0.70 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 77.9 yr (74.0–81.3) n=1,154 |
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 0.70 years of 79.3, 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