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ZIP code

49705

in Afton, MichiganPopulation 865

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

44.06/ 100

Ranked #23,356 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 27%)

Ranked #829 of 973 Michigan ZIPs (bottom 14.8%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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

1.1%

in the bottom 3.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US3rd
Definition & 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 ›

Floodplain exposure

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility

20.7 mi

in the top 4.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST93rd
US96th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.

Full methodology ›

Distance to an emergency room

20.6 mi

in the top 5.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.

Full methodology ›

Crowded housing

9.4%

in the top 5.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

16.6 per million

in the bottom 6.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST14th
US6th
Definition & 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 ›

Park land

21%

in the top 6.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST90th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

12.8 mi

in the top 7.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the bottom 7.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST3rd
US8th
Definition & 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 ›

Obesity

44%

in the top 6.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.

Full methodology ›

The read

Afton, Michigan (ZIP 49705), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 27% nationally (23,356th) and the bottom 14.8% of Michigan (829th).

continue reading

Both sides of the picture show up plainly in this area's numbers: modeled arsenic lies in the bottom 3.2% nationally, floodplain exposure sits at the national minimum, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility settles in the top 4.5% nationally. Modeled air-toxics cancer risk registers in the bottom 6.4% nationally, park land stands in the top 6.6% nationally, and modeled industrial-pollution burden lands in the bottom 7.6% nationally. By contrast, distance to an emergency room is in the top 5.1% nationally, and crowded housing resides in the top 5.1% nationally. Distance to a nursing home rests in the top 7.1% nationally, and modeled obesity lies in the top 6.3% nationally.

Held up against its neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, 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. Air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 49721, 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.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 99%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 63%

13%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 97%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 14%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 25%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 32%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 11%

8%

Disability

healthier than 24%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 20%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 97%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 94%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 10%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 26%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 28%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 19%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 24%

8%

Disability

healthier than 14%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 14%

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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults35.9%32.0–39.8
High blood pressure among adults42.4%37.8–46.8
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.5%9.4–11.6
Current asthma among adults12.1%10.7–13.7
Coronary heart disease among adults9.3%8.2–10.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.9%10.3–13.6
Depression among adults28.3%24.2–32.6
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.1%12.9–17.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.5%34.8–44.2
Obesity among adults44.0%35.5–52.5
Stroke among adults4.7%4.2–5.2
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.6%11.8–17.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.1%5.7–8.8
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.8%76.8–82.6
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults81.0%77.6–84.1
Cholesterol screening among adults87.5%85.7–89.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.5%62.4–72.4
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults63.7%59.9–67.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years71.8%63.2–79.4
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.2%12.4–18.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults20.4%17.2–23.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults28.4%23.5–33.3
Short sleep duration among adults35.2%28.6–42.6
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults23.8%20.4–27.3
Frequent mental distress among adults18.8%16.4–21.2
Frequent physical distress among adults17.5%15.4–19.8
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults16.6%14.5–18.8
Any disability among adults36.8%31.9–41.7
Hearing disability among adults9.5%8.3–10.7
Independent living disability among adults10.5%9.2–11.9
Mobility disability among adults18.5%15.8–21.1
Self-care disability among adults5.2%4.5–5.9
Vision disability among adults6.2%5.4–6.9
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.0%19.3–26.9
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.2%14.2–20.7
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults18.2%15.0–21.6
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.2%10.2–14.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults9.0%7.7–10.5
Loneliness among adults30.8%25.6–36.2
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.6%8.2–11.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MI median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate15.4%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.7% (4.3–22.3%) n=974
Uninsured 18–646.7%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2866.8% (2.5–13.5%) n=975
No HS diploma (25+)13.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.7% (2.5–14.2%) n=974
Bachelor's or higher (25+)12.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50522.1% (11.4–48.3%) n=974
Unemployment rate (16+)4.8%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.6% (1.3–10.0%) n=974
Households without a vehicle2.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.5% (0.9–10.8%) n=973
Broadband subscription85.2%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.8% (79.5–95.5%) n=973
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)22.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32222.5% (14.8–32.9%) n=973
Homeownership rate89.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32285.3% (62.2–94.6%) n=973
Crowded housing (>1 per room)9.4%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.1% (0.0–3.6%) n=973
Foreign-born population0.3%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.8% (0.3–10.0%) n=975
Single-parent households52.2%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.5% (43.6–74.2%) n=970
Population 65+18.8%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.5% (13.7–35.2%) n=975
Median age44.2 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29243.6 yr (35.2–58.2) n=974
Median household income$77,500$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$68,216 ($47,282–$105,129) n=962
Median home value$168,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$192,350 ($116,360–$355,650) n=952
Median gross rent$688$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$972 ($719–$1,368) n=849
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MI median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth76.7 yr ± 0.7478.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30878.6 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 0.74 years of 76.7, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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