ZIP code
49738
in Grayling, MichiganPopulation 9,696
46.79/ 100
Ranked #20,411 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 36%)
Ranked #698 of 973 Michigan ZIPs (bottom 28%)
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.
Park land
32.8%
in the top 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
0.59%
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS82ndDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS82ndDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
55.3%
in the top 18% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS82ndDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›The read
By the composite health measure, Grayling, Michigan (ZIP 49738) ranks in the bottom 36% nationally (20,411th) and the bottom 28% of Michigan (698th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: park land is in the top 4.3% nationally. Distance to an emergency room settles at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Mental-health providers resides in the top 10.3% nationally, modeled humid heat registers in the bottom 11.9% nationally, and pharmacy rests in the top 12.7% nationally. Distance to a nursing home stands at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Elder services lies in the top 14.6% nationally. Set against that, modeled pfas lands in the top 10.1% nationally, coronary heart disease sits in the top 10.5% nationally, and hearing disability is in the top 14.4% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Humid heat is a modeled heat-stress measure combining temperature, humidity, sun, and wind to gauge heat on the body outdoors. Close by, ZIP 48653, just across the boundary, ranks 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 68%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 99%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 62%
5%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 52%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 16%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 37%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 16%
8%
Disability
healthier than 25%
7%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 98%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 65%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 42%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 60%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 58%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 40%
8%
Disability
healthier than 16%
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 ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
48653
Michiganshares a border
Score 53.05
Closest healthier
49633
Michiganshares a border
Score 47.76
Similar health profile
49938
Michigan99% similar profile
Score 46.62
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 | 36.5% | 32.7–40.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 42.0% | 37.5–46.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.5% | 10.5–12.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.7% | 10.4–13.2 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.9% | 9.0–11.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.6% | 10.3–12.9 |
| Depression among adults | 27.8% | 23.9–32.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.7% | 12.8–16.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.2% | 34.8–43.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.6% | 29.8–46.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.8% | 4.4–5.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.7% | 11.1–16.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.9% | 5.9–8.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.9% | 78.1–83.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 81.9% | 78.7–85.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.2% | 86.6–89.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.9% | 66.3–75.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.7% | 62.2–69.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.1% | 67.3–81.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.2% | 12.5–18.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.9% | 15.4–20.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.0% | 24.4–33.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.2% | 26.0–39.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 23.0% | 20.2–26.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.0% | 16.0–20.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.0% | 15.0–19.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.7% | 13.9–17.6 |
| Any disability among adults | 37.2% | 32.7–41.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.4% | 9.3–11.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.3% | 9.2–11.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.5% | 16.2–21.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.4–5.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.4–6.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.9% | 18.5–25.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.3% | 13.1–17.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.9% | 13.7–18.7 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 9.2–12.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 7.2–9.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.3% | 26.4–36.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.4% | 7.3–9.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MI median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.7% (4.3–22.3%) n=974 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.8% (2.5–13.5%) n=975 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.7% (2.5–14.2%) n=974 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 20.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.1% (11.4–48.3%) n=974 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.7% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (1.3–10.0%) n=974 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.5% (0.9–10.8%) n=973 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (79.5–95.5%) n=973 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 24.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.5% (14.8–32.9%) n=973 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 85.3% (62.2–94.6%) n=973 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.6%) n=973 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.3–10.0%) n=975 |
| Single-parent households | 57.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.5% (43.6–74.2%) n=970 |
| Population 65+ | 26.7% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (13.7–35.2%) n=975 |
| Median age | 50.9 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (35.2–58.2) n=974 |
| Median household income | $59,708 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $68,216 ($47,282–$105,129) n=962 |
| Median home value | $168,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $192,350 ($116,360–$355,650) n=952 |
| Median gross rent | $870 | $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 | 77.1 yr ± 0.83 | 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 0.83 years of 77.1, 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