ZIP code
46809
in Fort Wayne, IndianaPopulation 8,589
43.55/ 100
Ranked #23,852 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 26%)
Ranked #604 of 757 Indiana ZIPs (bottom 20%)
Ranked #35 of 41 Fort Wayne, IN ZIPs (bottom 14.7%)
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.
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 ›Loud transportation noise
1.8%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Transportation noise
9.6%
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 9.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST77thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Recreation access
0.78 per 1,000 residents
in the top 14.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS86thDefinition & source ›
The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›Park land
4.1%
in the top 20% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS80thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, ZIP 46809, one of several in Fort Wayne, Indiana places in the bottom 26% nationally (23,852nd) and the bottom 20% of Indiana (604th).
The measures land in both directions, and neither dominates: distance to a nursing home registers at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Recreation settles in the top 14.5% nationally. Pulling the other way, PFAS in drinking water sits at the national maximum, modeled loud transportation noise lies in the top 8.5% nationally, and modeled transportation noise rests in the top 9.2% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden resides in the top 9.5% nationally, modeled obesity is in the top 11.3% nationally, and households without a vehicle lands in the top 14.7% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility stands at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Modeled pfas registers in the top 16% nationally.
Beside the areas that surround it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For readers new to these terms, PFAS in drinking water is the family of 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. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 46783, 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 Fort Wayne, IN metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 74%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 41%
16%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 30%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 9%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 36%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 12%
8%
Disability
healthier than 35%
7%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 48%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 38%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 34%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 11%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 20%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 14%
8%
Disability
healthier than 21%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 24%
5%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 68%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 8%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 25%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 15%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 20%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 25%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Disability
healthier than 10%
7%
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.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 76.2 ± 1.5 years. The 50 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.2 years — 3.1 years below them.
Ranked #2,419 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
46783
Indianashares a border
Score 56.55
Closest healthier
46798
Indianashares a border
Score 56.57
Similar health profile
37716
Tennessee97% similar profile
Score 42.11
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 | 29.1% | 26.7–31.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 40.0% | 37.1–42.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.2% | 7.5–9.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.0% | 10.7–13.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.9–8.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.7% | 8.7–10.8 |
| Depression among adults | 27.7% | 24.9–30.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.9% | 13.3–16.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.2% | 34.2–40.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 42.4% | 38.2–46.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.7–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.6% | 15.7–21.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.1% | 8.6–11.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.7% | 75.3–80.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.4% | 76.7–82.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.6% | 82.8–86.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.7% | 62.6–70.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 57.5% | 54.4–60.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 73.0% | 66.4–78.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.7% | 14.4–19.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.7% | 15.6–19.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.0% | 23.0–29.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.9% | 32.0–39.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.3% | 21.0–25.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.0% | 17.2–20.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.9% | 13.4–16.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.3% | 15.6–19.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.4% | 31.3–37.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.7% | 6.9–8.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.6% | 8.7–10.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.0% | 14.3–17.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.2–5.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.5–6.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.8% | 21.2–27.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 18.1% | 15.9–20.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.6% | 10.0–13.5 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.4% | 11.7–15.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.4–10.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.0% | 29.7–36.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.7% | 9.5–12.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.8% (3.3–23.6%) n=764 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.3% (2.5–19.0%) n=761 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 8.8% (3.0–19.3%) n=766 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 19.4% (8.1–38.5%) n=766 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.9% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.4% (0.0–8.2%) n=760 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–11.5%) n=764 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.5% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (76.7–95.9%) n=764 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 25.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.0% (9.8–33.1%) n=764 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 81.7% (58.9–94.5%) n=764 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–4.2%) n=764 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.3% (0.0–8.8%) n=767 |
| Single-parent households | 58.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.2% (40.5–69.1%) n=756 |
| Population 65+ | 17.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.2% (11.0–26.5%) n=767 |
| Median age | 40.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.5 yr (32.5–49.6) n=756 |
| Median household income | $52,253 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $71,016 ($50,417–$99,531) n=721 |
| Median home value | $133,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $178,250 ($109,430–$287,310) n=724 |
| Median gross rent | $888 | $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 | 76.2 yr ± 0.78 | 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 0.78 years of 76.2, 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