ZIP code
45242
in Blue Ash, OhioPopulation 22,623
65.57/ 100
Ranked #1,784 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 5.6%)
Ranked #18 of 1,176 Ohio ZIPs (top 1.6%)
Ranked #7 of 156 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ZIPs (top 4.5%)
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.
Dental provider access
2.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices 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 ›Physician access
5.9 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of physicians’ offices 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 ›Lack of transportation
4.1%
in the bottom 1.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›PFOS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFOS, one of the most common “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 ›Food insecurity
6.4%
in the bottom 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
5.9%
in the bottom 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
8.7%
in the bottom 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Outpatient-care access
0.65 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient 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 ›Child-care access
0.73 per 1,000 residents
in the top 4.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The number of child day-care services 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 ›The read
Overall, Blue Ash, Ohio (ZIP 45242) places in the top 5.6% healthiest ZIPs nationally (1,784th) and the top 1.6% of Ohio (18th).
The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: dental providers registers in the top 0.8% nationally, and physicians settles in the top 0.9% nationally. Modeled transportation sits in the bottom 1.9% nationally, and food insecurity lies in the bottom 2.2% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity rests in the bottom 2.4% nationally, modeled cognitive disability resides in the bottom 1.6% nationally, and outpatient is in the top 4.7% nationally. Childcare lands in the top 4.8% nationally. On the other side, PFOS in drinking water stands at the national maximum, and modeled industrial-pollution burden registers in the top 3.9% nationally.
Beside the areas that surround it, physicians runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, PFOS in drinking water is a common one of the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 45243, 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 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 81%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 99%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 96%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 89%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 81%
8%
Disability
healthier than 96%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 68%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 4%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 95%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the top 0.6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the top 1.0%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 98%
8%
Disability
healthier than 98%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 70%
5%
About typical
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 8%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 88%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 97%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 95%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 97%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 97%
8%
Disability
healthier than 94%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 68%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 14%
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 82.2 ± 1.4 years. The 45 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.9 years — 4.2 years above them.
Ranked #288 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 4.5 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 81.2 — 77 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #16,964 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
45140
Ohioshares a border
Score 60.86
Closest healthier
45243
Ohioshares a border
Score 66.27
Similar health profile
44236
Ohio100% similar profile
Score 64.37
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 | 27.4% | 25.1–30.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.0% | 30.2–36.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.9% | 9.1–10.9 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.9% | 8.8–11.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.8% | 5.3–6.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.0% | 4.4–5.6 |
| Depression among adults | 23.0% | 20.5–25.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.7% | 9.4–12.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.3% | 33.3–39.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 28.6% | 25.0–32.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.7% | 2.5–3.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 6.3% | 5.2–7.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 4.4% | 3.7–5.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.0% | 78.5–83.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.4% | 78.8–83.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.4% | 89.1–91.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.0% | 68.6–75.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 74.2% | 71.7–76.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 81.0% | 76.0–85.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.2% | 14.9–19.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 8.6% | 7.3–10.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 17.3% | 15.0–19.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.3% | 28.9–35.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 12.1% | 10.6–13.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.1% | 11.7–14.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 9.6% | 8.5–10.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 20.5% | 18.2–23.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.2–6.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 9.1% | 8.0–10.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.3% | 2.0–2.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 2.9% | 2.6–3.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 17.0% | 14.5–19.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 6.4% | 5.3–7.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 4.4% | 3.6–5.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 5.9% | 5.0–6.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 4.1% | 3.6–4.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 28.7% | 24.8–32.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.3% | 3.7–4.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OH median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.7% (3.5–26.2%) n=1,177 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 2.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 7.8% (2.5–18.1%) n=1,174 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 2.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.5% (2.3–17.0%) n=1,179 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 69.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.7% (8.1–45.8%) n=1,179 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.7% (0.0–9.8%) n=1,171 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.4% (0.0–14.5%) n=1,177 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.9% (76.5–96.0%) n=1,177 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 26.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.3% (11.2–34.6%) n=1,177 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.3% | 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 | 12.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–6.8%) n=1,180 |
| Single-parent households | 47.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.2% (36.6–68.1%) n=1,168 |
| Population 65+ | 18.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.0% (11.1–27.2%) n=1,180 |
| Median age | 41.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.5 yr (33.2–50.5) n=1,169 |
| Median household income | $124,567 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $70,500 ($46,328–$101,197) n=1,127 |
| Median home value | $447,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,700 ($104,860–$310,980) n=1,117 |
| Median gross rent | $1,782 | $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 | 82.2 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 82.2, 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