ZIP code
48659
in Sterling, MichiganPopulation 2,563
46.28/ 100
Ranked #21,020 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 34%)
Ranked #731 of 973 Michigan ZIPs (bottom 25%)
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
19.8%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST84thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Park land
17.2%
in the top 7.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST88thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
0.32%
in the bottom 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST22ndUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Energy-cost burden
5.1%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & 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 ›The read
Sterling, Michigan (ZIP 48659), overall, ranks in the bottom 34% nationally (21,020th) and the bottom 25% of Michigan (731st).
Reading the numbers as a whole, the picture lands somewhere in between: park land lands in the top 7.9% nationally, and floodplain exposure lies in the bottom 8.8% nationally. Distance to a community health center stands at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Distance to a nursing home rests at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility registers in the top 14.5% nationally, and modeled humid heat resides in the bottom 16% nationally. Physicians settles in the top 17% nationally. On the other side, modeled arsenic is in the top 6.5% nationally, and energy burden sits in the top 8.7% nationally. Recreation lands at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs.
Measured against the nearby ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined simply, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. 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. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". ZIP 48613, just across the boundary, comes out 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.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 83%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 69%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 97%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 87%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 40%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 10%
8%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 78%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 93%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 89%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 26%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 35%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 28%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Disability
healthier than 25%
7%
“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.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 82.5; chronic-disease standing 26.8 — 56 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,061 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
48610
Michiganshares a border
Score 43.66
Closest healthier
48613
Michiganshares a border
Score 49.92
Similar health profile
48832
Michigan99% similar profile
Score 45.60
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 | 34.0% | 30.3–37.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.6% | 35.2–43.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.2% | 9.2–11.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.1% | 10.7–13.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.4–9.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.4–12.2 |
| Depression among adults | 28.4% | 24.6–32.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.4% | 11.5–15.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.9% | 33.6–42.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.3% | 31.4–47.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.2% | 3.8–4.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.0% | 9.8–14.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.3% | 5.8–9.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.3% | 75.3–81.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.7% | 76.2–82.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.9% | 84.9–88.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.8% | 63.7–73.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.9% | 61.4–68.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.0% | 68.3–82.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.6% | 13.8–19.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.0% | 16.1–22.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.6% | 22.9–32.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.7% | 26.3–39.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.4% | 19.3–25.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.1% | 16.9–21.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.6–18.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.4% | 14.4–18.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 35.8% | 31.3–40.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.0% | 8.8–11.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.9% | 14.6–19.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.0–5.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.9–6.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.2% | 19.6–27.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.8% | 13.2–18.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.7% | 13.2–18.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 9.8–13.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.4% | 7.2–9.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.3% | 27.3–37.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.4–10.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MI median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.7% (4.3–22.3%) n=974 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.8% (2.5–13.5%) n=975 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 15.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.7% (2.5–14.2%) n=974 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 13.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.1% (11.4–48.3%) n=974 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 4.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (1.3–10.0%) n=974 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.5% (0.9–10.8%) n=973 |
| Broadband subscription | 82.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (79.5–95.5%) n=973 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.5% (14.8–32.9%) n=973 |
| Homeownership rate | 88.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 85.3% (62.2–94.6%) n=973 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.6%) n=973 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.3–10.0%) n=975 |
| Single-parent households | 54.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.5% (43.6–74.2%) n=970 |
| Population 65+ | 16.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (13.7–35.2%) n=975 |
| Median age | 39.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (35.2–58.2) n=974 |
| Median household income | $58,750 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $68,216 ($47,282–$105,129) n=962 |
| Median home value | $146,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $192,350 ($116,360–$355,650) n=952 |
| Median gross rent | $853 | $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 | 76.4 yr ± 1.07 | 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 1.07 years of 76.4, 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