ZIP code
50005
in Albion, IowaPopulation 812
55.74/ 100
Ranked #8,583 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 27%)
Ranked #207 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 22%)
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.
Radon
3.6 pCi/L
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST60thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.
Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.
Full methodology ›Civic-institution access
1.5 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›Fiber broadband
99.9%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
21.3%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Housing insecurity
7.1%
in the bottom 8.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
16.8 mi
in the top 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
5.2%
in the bottom 9.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS10thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
4.8%
in the bottom 10.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Mammography
80.5%
in the top 8.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST86thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
26.4%
in the top 12.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS88thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Albion, Iowa (ZIP 50005), overall, ranks in the top 27% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,583rd) and the top 22% of Iowa (207th).
Reading the numbers as a whole, the picture lands somewhere in between: civic settles in the top 2.0% nationally, fiber broadband is in the top 2.1% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity sits in the bottom 8.1% nationally. Modeled transportation lands in the bottom 9.9% nationally, food insecurity lies in the bottom 10.4% nationally, and utility shutoff stands in the bottom 10.9% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise rests at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. On the other side, modeled radon registers in the top 4.0% nationally, and binge drinking resides in the top 2.7% nationally. Distance to an emergency room settles in the top 8.6% nationally.
Defined simply, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. ZIP 50148, 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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 65%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 82%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 83%
8%
Disability
healthier than 80%
7%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 47%
11%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 40%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 35%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 27%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 31%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 75%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 74%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 68%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 84%
8%
Disability
healthier than 84%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 66%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 48%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 52%
14%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
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.
Nearby
50051
Iowashares a border
Score 53.05
Closest healthier
50148
Iowashares a border
Score 56.42
Similar health profile
50229
Iowa97% similar profile
Score 56.93
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 | 27.9% | 24.8–31.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 34.3% | 30.7–38.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.9% | 9.0–11.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.4% | 8.3–10.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.7% | 5.9–7.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.5% | 5.6–7.5 |
| Depression among adults | 19.7% | 16.7–23.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.9% | 9.3–12.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.8% | 32.9–40.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 41.0% | 34.8–47.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.3% | 2.9–3.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.8% | 8.8–13.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.8% | 4.7–7.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.0% | 76.0–81.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.7% | 76.4–82.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.8% | 83.7–87.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.2% | 64.1–72.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.5% | 67.5–73.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 80.5% | 74.7–85.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 21.3% | 18.0–24.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.6% | 11.3–16.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.1% | 19.1–27.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.7% | 27.4–36.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.8% | 13.3–18.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.1% | 13.2–17.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.3% | 10.6–14.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.3% | 10.5–14.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 27.3% | 23.4–31.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.8 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.5–7.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.1% | 10.2–14.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 2.9% | 2.5–3.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.6% | 3.2–4.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.9% | 18.6–25.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.0–10.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.7% | 5.4–8.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 5.9–8.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.2% | 4.4–6.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.2% | 26.0–34.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.8% | 4.0–5.5 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 41.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.7% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 8.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 78.7% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 13.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931 |
| Foreign-born population | 22.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 52.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 26.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 48.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $76,696 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $137,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $781 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $825 ($614–$1,113) n=771 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.3 yr ± 1.05 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.0 yr (77.2–83.4) n=917 |
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 1.05 years of 80.3, 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