ZIP code
46573
in Wakarusa, IndianaPopulation 3,936
51.94/ 100
Ranked #13,538 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 42%)
Ranked #178 of 757 Indiana ZIPs (top 24%)
Ranked #1 of 11 Elkhart-Goshen, IN ZIPs (top 9.1%)
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.
Arsenic in groundwater
27.7%
in the top 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
9.1%
in the bottom 8.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
13.1%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
2.2%
in the bottom 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS18thDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›The read
On the composite measure, Wakarusa, Indiana (ZIP 46573) stands in the top 42% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,538th) and the top 24% of Indiana (178th).
The strongest marks in the data are worth naming first: housing-cost burden rests in the bottom 8.4% nationally, and civic lands in the top 12.0% nationally. Distance to a nursing home settles at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Homeownership rests in the top 14.3% nationally, modeled disaster risk lands in the bottom 16% nationally, and pharmacy settles in the top 17% nationally. On the other side, modeled arsenic rests in the top 3.7% nationally, modeled industrial-pollution burden lands in the top 6.2% nationally, and households without a vehicle settles in the top 9.3% nationally. Modeled radon rests in the top 18% nationally.
For clarity, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. ZIP 46561, about 1.4 miles away, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.
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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 76%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 61%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 62%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 76%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 47%
21%
Disability
healthier than 59%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 33%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 23%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 71%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 84%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Disability
healthier than 63%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 85%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 44%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 56%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 45%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 51%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 70%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the top 0.00%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.00%
14%
Preventive Care
in the top 0.00%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the top 0.00%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
Disability
in the top 0.00%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 60%
5%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 20%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
46506
Indianashares a border
Score 41.48
Closest healthier
46561
Indianaabout 1.4 mi away
Score 52.56
Similar health profile
47863
Indiana95% similar profile
Score 51.90
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 | 28.8% | 26.2–31.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.3% | 34.2–40.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.3% | 8.5–10.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.2% | 10.1–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.9% | 6.1–7.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.1% | 7.0–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 26.0% | 23.1–28.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.7% | 10.3–13.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.8% | 35.6–42.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.0% | 34.2–43.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–3.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.2% | 13.4–19.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.0% | 6.5–9.5 |
| 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 | 80.1% | 77.3–82.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.1% | 84.3–87.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.0% | 63.3–70.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 63.0% | 60.0–65.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.9% | 71.3–81.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.9% | 14.5–19.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.9% | 12.7–17.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.7% | 19.4–26.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.0% | 29.9–38.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.9% | 16.4–21.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.0% | 16.1–19.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.7% | 12.2–15.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 13.4–17.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.5% | 28.9–36.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.3–16.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.4% | 3.0–3.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 3.9–5.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.3% | 20.4–26.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 9.7–13.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.3% | 5.2–7.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.0–10.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.4% | 5.6–7.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.5% | 29.8–37.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.6% | 5.7–7.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.8% (3.3–23.6%) n=764 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (2.5–19.0%) n=761 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.8% (3.0–19.3%) n=766 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 28.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.4% (8.1–38.5%) n=766 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.4% (0.0–8.2%) n=760 |
| Households without a vehicle | 13.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.5%) n=764 |
| Broadband subscription | 88.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (76.7–95.9%) n=764 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 9.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.0% (9.8–33.1%) n=764 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 81.7% (58.9–94.5%) n=764 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–4.2%) n=764 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.3% (0.0–8.8%) n=767 |
| Single-parent households | 52.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.2% (40.5–69.1%) n=756 |
| Population 65+ | 20.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.2% (11.0–26.5%) n=767 |
| Median age | 39.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.5 yr (32.5–49.6) n=756 |
| Median household income | $85,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $71,016 ($50,417–$99,531) n=721 |
| Median home value | $241,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $178,250 ($109,430–$287,310) n=724 |
| Median gross rent | $955 | $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 | 80.3 yr ± 0.72 | 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 0.72 years of 80.3, 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