ZIP code
48638
in Saginaw, MichiganPopulation 12,875
56.17/ 100
Ranked #8,091 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 25%)
Ranked #224 of 973 Michigan ZIPs (top 23%)
Ranked #3 of 19 Saginaw, MI ZIPs (top 16%)
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
2.5 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.6% 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
10.3%
in the top 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Physician access
2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Colon-cancer screening
74.1%
in the top 4.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST88thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
27.6%
in the top 11.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS89thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
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 ›Mammography
80.5%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.45 per 1,000 residents
in the top 12.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS87thDefinition & 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 ›Homeownership rate
62.1%
in the bottom 18% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST10thUS18thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, ZIP 48638, one of several in Saginaw, Michigan sits in the top 25% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,091st) and the top 23% of Michigan (224th).
A few readings each way define this mixed profile: dental providers lands in the top 0.6% nationally, physicians rests in the top 6.9% nationally, and modeled colon screening settles in the top 4.6% nationally. Modeled mammography lands in the top 8.7% nationally, and childcare rests in the top 12.9% nationally. Crowded housing settles at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Pulling the other way, outer-floodplain exposure lands in the top 3.7% nationally, and floodplain exposure rests in the top 11.4% nationally. Lead in tap water settles in the top 11.6% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lands at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. 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. Outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 48623, about 1.9 miles away.
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 Saginaw, MI metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 89%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 93%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 79%
11%
Disability
healthier than 65%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 84%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 57%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 45%
16%
Holding it back
Mental Health
healthier than 35%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 68%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 86%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 85%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 80%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 86%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 50%
16%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 3%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 94%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 67%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 89%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 94%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 83%
8%
Disability
healthier than 89%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 72%
5%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 33%
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
48602
Michiganshares a border
Score 34.71
Closest healthier
48623
Michiganabout 1.9 mi away
Score 58.00
Similar health profile
02532
Massachusetts96% similar profile
Score 59.31
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 | 30.6% | 27.6–33.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.9% | 33.3–40.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.2–11.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.3–13.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.5–8.5 |
| Depression among adults | 25.7% | 22.3–29.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.7% | 10.2–13.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.9% | 31.0–38.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 32.8% | 27.0–38.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.6% | 3.2–3.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 8.6% | 6.9–10.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.6% | 5.5–7.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.6% | 77.0–82.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.7% | 78.7–84.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.3% | 86.7–89.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 74.1% | 70.0–77.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.9% | 67.7–73.8 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.5% | 74.6–85.7 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.9% | 12.3–17.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.1% | 10.3–14.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.1% | 21.4–29.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.8% | 27.8–38.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.4% | 16.0–20.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.7–18.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.6% | 12.0–15.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.3% | 11.8–15.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.9% | 27.1–34.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.5% | 6.6–8.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.2–9.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.0% | 12.1–15.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.4% | 3.1–3.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–5.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.6% | 19.2–25.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.5% | 11.5–15.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.8% | 10.0–13.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.3% | 8.7–11.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.2% | 6.3–8.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.0% | 28.1–37.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.5–8.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MI median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.7% (4.3–22.3%) n=974 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 6.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.8% (2.5–13.5%) n=975 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.7% (2.5–14.2%) n=974 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 34.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.1% (11.4–48.3%) n=974 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (1.3–10.0%) n=974 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.5% (0.9–10.8%) n=973 |
| Broadband subscription | 92.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (79.5–95.5%) n=973 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.5% (14.8–32.9%) n=973 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 85.3% (62.2–94.6%) n=973 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.6%) n=973 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.3–10.0%) n=975 |
| Single-parent households | 52.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.5% (43.6–74.2%) n=970 |
| Population 65+ | 24.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (13.7–35.2%) n=975 |
| Median age | 43.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (35.2–58.2) n=974 |
| Median household income | $69,459 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $68,216 ($47,282–$105,129) n=962 |
| Median home value | $172,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $192,350 ($116,360–$355,650) n=952 |
| Median gross rent | $949 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $972 ($719–$1,368) n=849 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MI median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.5 yr ± 0.67 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 78.6 yr (75.7–81.6) n=940 |
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 0.67 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