ZIP code
44017
in Berea, OhioPopulation 18,279
53.49/ 100
Ranked #11,377 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 35%)
Ranked #228 of 1,176 Ohio ZIPs (top 19%)
Ranked #45 of 113 Cleveland, OH ZIPs (top 40%)
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.
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 ›Binge drinking
20.2%
in the top 5.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Transportation noise
11.8%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Fatal road crashes
2.2 per 100,000 residents per year
in the bottom 7.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Park land
16.7%
in the top 8.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
1.8%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Lithium in drinking water
10 µg/L
in the bottom 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
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 ›Slow internet speeds
0.74%
in the top 14.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS85thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Obesity
31.5%
in the bottom 22% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS22ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
10.7%
in the bottom 24% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS24thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›The read
Berea, Ohio (ZIP 44017) ranks in the top 35% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,377th) and the top 19% of Ohio (228th).
Several of the strongest readings define how this area looks: lead in tap water stands at the national minimum, and fatal road crashes sits in the bottom 7.6% nationally. Park land resides in the top 8.1% nationally, and lithium in drinking water stands in the bottom 8.5% nationally. Distance to a nursing home sits at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other hand, modeled binge drinking resides in the top 5.5% nationally, transportation noise stands in the top 6.5% nationally, and loud transportation noise sits in the top 8.5% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden resides in the top 11.7% nationally, and loneliness stands in the top 12.8% nationally.
Against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 44028, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Cleveland, 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 66%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 72%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 71%
13%
Disability
healthier than 74%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 62%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 61%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 46%
11%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 11%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 30%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 87%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 80%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 73%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 66%
8%
Disability
healthier than 75%
7%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 58%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 20%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 83%
21%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 59%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 46%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 56%
11%
Disability
healthier than 59%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 22%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 38%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 8%
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
One of our published findings lists 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.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 10.7; chronic-disease standing 66.0 — 55 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #14,928 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
44028
Ohioshares a border
Score 54.70
Closest healthier
44138
Ohioshares a border
Score 59.49
Similar health profile
45342
Ohio98% similar profile
Score 54.40
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 | 27.2% | 25.1–29.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.5% | 31.0–36.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.7% | 7.9–9.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.4% | 10.2–12.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.3% | 5.7–7.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.3% | 6.4–8.1 |
| Depression among adults | 26.5% | 23.8–29.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.7% | 9.6–12.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.1% | 34.5–40.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.5% | 28.0–35.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.3% | 3.0–3.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.1% | 11.0–15.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.7% | 5.6–7.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.1% | 74.7–79.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.3% | 75.6–80.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.0% | 84.2–87.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.7% | 66.3–72.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.6% | 65.1–70.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.2% | 73.2–82.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 20.2% | 17.7–22.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.6% | 11.7–15.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.0% | 18.4–23.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.2% | 32.0–38.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.9% | 14.9–19.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.9–18.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.7% | 11.3–14.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.2% | 11.6–14.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.3% | 25.3–31.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.7–7.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.7% | 6.8–8.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.6% | 11.1–14.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.3% | 3.0–3.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.9–4.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.1% | 17.4–22.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.0% | 10.1–13.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.5% | 8.0–11.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.5% | 8.1–10.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 6.1–8.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.9% | 33.0–40.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.2% | 6.2–8.2 |
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 | 6.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.8% (2.5–18.1%) n=1,174 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.5% (2.3–17.0%) n=1,179 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 37.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.7% (8.1–45.8%) n=1,179 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.7% (0.0–9.8%) n=1,171 |
| Households without a vehicle | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.4% (0.0–14.5%) n=1,177 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.9% (76.5–96.0%) n=1,177 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.3% (11.2–34.6%) n=1,177 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.3% (52.8–91.8%) n=1,177 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.8% (0.0–3.5%) n=1,177 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–6.8%) n=1,180 |
| Single-parent households | 49.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.2% (36.6–68.1%) n=1,168 |
| Population 65+ | 17.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.1–27.2%) n=1,180 |
| Median age | 37.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.5 yr (33.2–50.5) n=1,169 |
| Median household income | $75,231 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $70,500 ($46,328–$101,197) n=1,127 |
| Median home value | $198,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,700 ($104,860–$310,980) n=1,117 |
| Median gross rent | $1,062 | $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 | 78.5 yr ± 0.72 | 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 0.72 years of 78.5, 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