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ZIP code

49831

in Felch, MichiganPopulation 524

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

55.61/ 100

Ranked #8,729 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 27%)

Ranked #243 of 973 Michigan ZIPs (top 25%)

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.

Air-toxics cancer risk

10 per million

in the bottom 2.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US3rd
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 ›

Distance to a Superfund site

78.7 mi

in the top 5.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

13.1 mi

in the top 6.9% 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 ›

Colon-cancer screening

73.8%

in the top 5.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST85th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

95.3%

in the top 8.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST92nd
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Humid extreme heat

12.9 days/year

in the bottom 9.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST15th
US10th
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.

Full methodology ›

Floodplain exposure

0.54%

in the bottom 9.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST24th
US10th
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 ›

Housing-cost burden

12.7%

in the bottom 13.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST7th
US14th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

PFAS in drinking water

12.0%

in the bottom 13.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US14th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.

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 ›

Transportation noise

0.42%

in the bottom 14.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US14th
Definition & 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 ›

The read

Felch, Michigan (ZIP 49831), by its composite score, sits in the top 27% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,729th) and the top 25% of Michigan (243rd).

continue reading

The clearest bright points in the data come first here: modeled air-toxics cancer risk lies in the bottom 2.8% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site rests in the top 5.3% nationally. Modeled colon screening resides in the top 5.3% nationally, and homeownership is in the top 8.2% nationally. Modeled humid heat lands in the bottom 9.7% nationally, floodplain exposure stands in the bottom 9.8% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility registers in the top 10.4% nationally. Park land settles in the top 10.6% nationally. By contrast, distance to a nursing home sits in the top 6.9% nationally. Fiber broadband lies at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs.

Next to the surrounding area, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. 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. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 49866, about 9.9 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.

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

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

in the top 0.9%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 94%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 76%

11%

Disability

healthier than 65%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 98%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 53%

16%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 36%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 36%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 12%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 98%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 89%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 77%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 77%

8%

Disability

healthier than 67%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 96%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 57%

16%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 40%

21%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 7%

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 adults33.9%30.2–37.5
High blood pressure among adults39.6%35.3–43.7
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.5%10.4–12.6
Current asthma among adults11.0%9.8–12.2
Coronary heart disease among adults8.3%7.3–9.3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.7%7.4–10.0
Depression among adults26.5%22.9–30.0
Diagnosed diabetes among adults12.5%10.7–14.4
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened38.9%34.6–43.1
Obesity among adults37.3%29.9–44.7
Stroke among adults3.8%3.4–4.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years10.1%8.3–12.1
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years5.0%3.9–6.2
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure80.6%77.7–83.0
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults82.3%79.3–84.9
Cholesterol screening among adults89.9%88.4–91.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years73.8%69.6–77.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults71.4%68.3–74.5
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.7%71.1–83.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.9%13.2–18.6
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.2%11.8–16.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults23.6%19.4–28.0
Short sleep duration among adults31.0%25.4–37.2
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults17.6%15.0–20.3
Frequent mental distress among adults16.0%14.1–17.9
Frequent physical distress among adults14.2%12.4–16.0
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.8%11.1–14.6
Any disability among adults31.8%27.4–36.0
Hearing disability among adults8.7%7.7–9.8
Independent living disability among adults7.5%6.6–8.6
Mobility disability among adults14.2%12.1–16.4
Self-care disability among adults3.4%3.0–3.9
Vision disability among adults4.1%3.6–4.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults20.8%17.5–24.4
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.1%8.1–12.4
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.2%7.4–11.3
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.9%6.5–9.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.7%4.9–6.7
Loneliness among adults29.8%25.0–34.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.9%4.9–6.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MI median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate5.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36410.7% (4.3–22.3%) n=974
Uninsured 18–647.5%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2866.8% (2.5–13.5%) n=975
No HS diploma (25+)5.3%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5056.7% (2.5–14.2%) n=974
Bachelor's or higher (25+)15.3%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50522.1% (11.4–48.3%) n=974
Unemployment rate (16+)0.9%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2744.6% (1.3–10.0%) n=974
Households without a vehicle2.1%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.5% (0.9–10.8%) n=973
Broadband subscription82.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.8% (79.5–95.5%) n=973
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)12.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32222.5% (14.8–32.9%) n=973
Homeownership rate95.3%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32285.3% (62.2–94.6%) n=973
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.8%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.1% (0.0–3.6%) n=973
Foreign-born population0.6%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.8% (0.3–10.0%) n=975
Single-parent households75.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.5% (43.6–74.2%) n=970
Population 65+30.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.5% (13.7–35.2%) n=975
Median age52.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29243.6 yr (35.2–58.2) n=974
Median household income$66,750$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$68,216 ($47,282–$105,129) n=962
Median home value$124,800$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$192,350 ($116,360–$355,650) n=952
Median gross rent—$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 birth82.3 yr ± 1.5278.9 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 1.52 years of 82.3, 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