ZIP code
46234
in Indianapolis, IndianaPopulation 28,300
55.48/ 100
Ranked #8,887 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 28%)
Ranked #70 of 757 Indiana ZIPs (top 9.3%)
Ranked #36 of 115 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN ZIPs (top 31%)
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.
Lithium in drinking water
9.7 µg/L
in the bottom 5.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST24thUS5thDefinition & 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 ›PFAS in drinking water
63.9%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS94thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
2.6%
in the top 12.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Park land
8.0%
in the top 13.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS86thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
3.9 per 100,000 residents per year
in the bottom 14.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS14thDefinition & 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 ›Hearing disability
5.8%
in the bottom 14.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS14thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
2.1%
in the bottom 15% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS15thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
5.6%
in the bottom 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS17thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
10.4%
in the bottom 28% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS28thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, ZIP 46234, one of several in Indianapolis, Indiana ranks in the top 28% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,887th) and the top 9.3% of Indiana (70th).
A number of measures place this area on solid footing: lithium in drinking water settles in the bottom 5.0% nationally. Distance to an emergency room resides at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home registers at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Park land rests in the top 13.9% nationally, fatal road crashes stands in the bottom 14.5% nationally, and modeled hearing disability lies in the bottom 14.3% nationally. By contrast, modeled pfas lands in the top 6.5% nationally, lead in tap water sits in the top 10.8% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure is in the top 12.4% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the top 14.4% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Close by, ZIP 46112, just across the boundary, ranks healthier 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, 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 69%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 75%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
Disability
healthier than 79%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 71%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 53%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 18%
14%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 91%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 82%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 73%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 74%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 88%
8%
Disability
healthier than 90%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 70%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 24%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 75%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 67%
8%
Disability
healthier than 68%
7%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 57%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 54%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 48%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 32%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 30%
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 18.2; chronic-disease standing 68.6 — 50 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #14,423 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
46112
Indianashares a border
Score 61.37
Closest healthier
46123
Indianashares a border
Score 60.18
Similar health profile
40220
Kentucky99% similar profile
Score 55.16
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 | 26.1% | 24.4–27.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.2% | 34.0–38.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.6% | 7.0–8.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.3% | 10.4–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 5.6% | 5.2–6.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.5% | 5.9–7.1 |
| Depression among adults | 23.9% | 22.0–25.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.6% | 10.6–12.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.0% | 34.8–39.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.5% | 33.4–39.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.0% | 2.8–3.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.4% | 9.1–11.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.2% | 7.3–9.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 76.8% | 74.9–78.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.3% | 77.3–81.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.3% | 86.2–88.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.0% | 66.2–71.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.8% | 63.6–67.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.9% | 73.8–81.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.6% | 15.9–19.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.3% | 12.0–14.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 21.0% | 19.1–23.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.1% | 35.1–40.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.7% | 16.3–19.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.4% | 15.2–17.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.5% | 11.5–13.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.4% | 12.4–14.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 27.2% | 25.1–29.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.8% | 5.3–6.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.5–7.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.0% | 11.1–13.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.2% | 3.0–3.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.3% | 4.0–4.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.5% | 20.6–24.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 11.8–14.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 7.2% | 6.4–8.2 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 9.8–12.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.0% | 6.4–7.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.5% | 30.1–35.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 7.1–8.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.8% (3.3–23.6%) n=764 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 8.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (2.5–19.0%) n=761 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.8% (3.0–19.3%) n=766 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 37.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.4% (8.1–38.5%) n=766 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.4% (0.0–8.2%) n=760 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.5%) n=764 |
| Broadband subscription | 94.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (76.7–95.9%) n=764 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 27.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.0% (9.8–33.1%) n=764 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 81.7% (58.9–94.5%) n=764 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–4.2%) n=764 |
| Foreign-born population | 14.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.3% (0.0–8.8%) n=767 |
| Single-parent households | 44.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.2% (40.5–69.1%) n=756 |
| Population 65+ | 17.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.2% (11.0–26.5%) n=767 |
| Median age | 37.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.5 yr (32.5–49.6) n=756 |
| Median household income | $83,190 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $71,016 ($50,417–$99,531) n=721 |
| Median home value | $241,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $178,250 ($109,430–$287,310) n=724 |
| Median gross rent | $1,559 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $925 ($704–$1,261) n=640 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.1 yr ± 0.79 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 78.5 yr (75.1–81.5) n=754 |
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 0.79 years of 79.1, 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