ZIP code
49931
in Houghton, MichiganPopulation 10,475
55.09/ 100
Ranked #9,353 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 29%)
Ranked #266 of 973 Michigan ZIPs (top 27%)
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.
High cholesterol
24%
in the bottom 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
22.5%
in the bottom 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
10 per million
in the bottom 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & 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 ›Diabetes
6.4%
in the bottom 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
20.8%
in the top 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Stroke
2.0%
in the bottom 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
4.1%
in the bottom 3.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
8.1%
in the bottom 3.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Child-care access
0.68 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
31.1%
in the top 6.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›The read
In its overall standing, Houghton, Michigan (ZIP 49931) lands in the top 29% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,353rd) and the top 27% of Michigan (266th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
This area's measures are easy to read as a mixed set: modeled high cholesterol resides in the bottom 1.2% nationally, high blood pressure settles in the bottom 1.8% nationally, and air-toxics cancer risk is in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Modeled diabetes sits in the bottom 1.8% nationally, stroke lands in the bottom 2.3% nationally, and coronary heart disease lies in the bottom 3.7% nationally. Modeled mobility disability stands in the bottom 3.4% nationally, and childcare rests in the top 5.5% nationally. Set against that, modeled binge drinking registers in the top 3.7% nationally, and poverty resides in the top 6.3% nationally.
Against the wider neighborhood, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. On the overall standing, ZIP 49905, just across the boundary, ranks healthier. In the round, the area also sits on the healthier half of the national range on at least seven of the ten good-life measures tracked here, from quiet and green space to nearby care, a combination reached by about one in twenty-five US ZIP codes.
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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 97%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 96%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 65%
11%
Disability
healthier than 69%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 87%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 31%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 10%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 4%
8%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 99%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 65%
11%
Disability
healthier than 71%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
in the top 0.00%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 89%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 33%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 1%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 3%
8%
“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
49905
Michiganshares a border
Score 57.75
Closest healthier
49916
Michiganshares a border
Score 58.38
Similar health profile
55812
Minnesota98% similar profile
Score 54.93
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 | 16.3% | 14.2–18.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 22.5% | 19.5–25.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 4.8% | 4.4–5.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.4% | 9.9–13.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 4.1% | 3.6–4.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 5.4% | 4.6–6.4 |
| Depression among adults | 28.9% | 24.5–33.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 6.4% | 5.5–7.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 24.0% | 20.8–27.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 31.3% | 24.3–39.4 |
| Stroke among adults | 2.0% | 1.8–2.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.2% | 9.9–14.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.9% | 5.0–10.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 60.9% | 58.5–63.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 73.4% | 69.0–77.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 73.5% | 67.9–77.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.0% | 63.2–72.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.2% | 58.5–65.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 73.3% | 65.5–80.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 20.8% | 17.0–24.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 11.4% | 8.7–14.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 20.0% | 15.7–25.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.9% | 26.1–38.5 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.3% | 13.1–20.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 22.2% | 18.2–25.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.1% | 9.2–13.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.0% | 14.9–23.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.0% | 26.1–38.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.7–6.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.6% | 7.5–12.1 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 8.1% | 6.9–9.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.6% | 2.2–3.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.6% | 3.8–5.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 22.4% | 18.0–27.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.6% | 12.1–22.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.7% | 10.9–20.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 8.4–14.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 11.2% | 8.5–14.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.0% | 30.9–43.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.4% | 6.6–10.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MI median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 31.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 10.7% (4.3–22.3%) n=974 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 4.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.8% (2.5–13.5%) n=975 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.7% (2.5–14.2%) n=974 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 62.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.1% (11.4–48.3%) n=974 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 8.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.6% (1.3–10.0%) n=974 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.5% (0.9–10.8%) n=973 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (79.5–95.5%) n=973 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 42.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.5% (14.8–32.9%) n=973 |
| Homeownership rate | 44.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 85.3% (62.2–94.6%) n=973 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.9% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.6%) n=973 |
| Foreign-born population | 13.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.3–10.0%) n=975 |
| Single-parent households | 52.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.5% (43.6–74.2%) n=970 |
| Population 65+ | 9.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.5% (13.7–35.2%) n=975 |
| Median age | 22.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 43.6 yr (35.2–58.2) n=974 |
| Median household income | $50,408 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $68,216 ($47,282–$105,129) n=962 |
| Median home value | $232,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $192,350 ($116,360–$355,650) n=952 |
| Median gross rent | $972 | $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 | 79.1 yr ± 0.93 | 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 0.93 years of 79.1, 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