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ZipVitals

ZIP code

50026

in Bagley, IowaPopulation 481

53.76/ 100

Ranked #11,013 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 34%)

Ranked #353 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 38%)

Ranked #63 of 85 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ZIPs (bottom 26%)

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.

Radon

4 pCi/L

in the top 1.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST78th
US98th
Definition & 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 ›

Lead in tap water

11 ppb

in the top 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

US98th
Definition & source ›

The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.

Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

30.1 mi

in the top 4.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US96th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

19.3%

in the top 9.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST39th
US91st
Definition & 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 ›

Households without a vehicle

9.7%

in the top 16% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US84th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with no vehicle available.

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

29.3%

in the bottom 16% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST7th
US16th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Crowded housing

4.0%

in the top 18% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US82nd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

19.6%

in the top 19% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US81st
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

20 per million

in the bottom 25% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US25th
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 ›

The read

Overall, Bagley, Iowa (ZIP 50026) lands in the top 34% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,013th) and the top 38% of Iowa (353rd).

continue reading

The picture here is genuinely mixed, with readings on both sides: fiber broadband settles in the top 12.6% nationally, and modeled housing insecurity resides in the bottom 15% nationally. Modeled loneliness registers in the bottom 16% nationally, and transportation rests in the bottom 17% nationally. On the other side, modeled radon stands in the top 1.9% nationally, lead in tap water lies in the top 2.2% nationally, and distance to a community health center lands in the top 4.0% nationally. Modeled binge drinking sits in the top 9.3% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle settles in the top 16% nationally.

A note on the terms: radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. 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 nearby comparison, ZIP 50277, just across the boundary, ranks better 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area.

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

Compare within

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 84%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 84%

8%

Disability

healthier than 70%

7%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 52%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 40%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 45%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 58%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 33%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 3%

5%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 80%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 63%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 89%

8%

Disability

healthier than 68%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 61%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 53%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 48%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 49%

14%

Holding it back

Healthcare Access

healthier than 8%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 77%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 76%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 87%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 87%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 18%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 21%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 31%

11%

Disability

healthier than 25%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 4%

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 adults29.7%26.6–33.0
High blood pressure among adults37.7%33.9–41.7
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.4%9.5–11.4
Current asthma among adults9.8%8.7–11.0
Coronary heart disease among adults7.5%6.7–8.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.5%6.6–8.6
Depression among adults19.3%16.7–22.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults12.5%10.9–14.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.0%35.1–43.0
Obesity among adults37.7%31.0–44.9
Stroke among adults3.6%3.3–4.0
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years11.2%9.4–13.1
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years6.2%5.1–7.4
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure80.6%78.1–83.0
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.4%75.1–81.4
Cholesterol screening among adults87.2%85.6–88.8
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years70.9%66.9–74.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults70.6%67.8–73.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years78.6%72.6–83.7
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults19.3%16.5–22.5
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.0%12.8–17.4
No leisure-time physical activity among adults25.2%21.3–29.5
Short sleep duration among adults32.8%27.4–38.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults17.4%15.2–19.9
Frequent mental distress among adults15.1%13.4–16.9
Frequent physical distress among adults13.3%11.7–15.0
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.3%10.8–13.9
Any disability among adults27.9%24.2–31.7
Hearing disability among adults8.3%7.4–9.3
Independent living disability among adults6.9%6.1–7.8
Mobility disability among adults13.3%11.5–15.3
Self-care disability among adults3.5%3.1–3.9
Vision disability among adults4.1%3.6–4.5
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults21.7%18.8–24.8
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.8%8.2–11.6
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults8.2%6.8–9.6
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.9%6.7–9.1
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.7%5.0–6.5
Loneliness among adults29.3%25.2–33.5
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.5%4.8–6.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate19.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–6410.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)7.5%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)23.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)4.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle9.7%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription92.3%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)15.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate75.7%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931
Crowded housing (>1 per room)4.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931
Foreign-born population2.9%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households64.8%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+26.6%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age57.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$68,750$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$101,300$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892
Median gross rent$823$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$825 ($614–$1,113) n=771
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth78.3 yr ± 0.7578.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30880.0 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 0.75 years of 78.3, 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