ZIP code
50049
in Chariton, IowaPopulation 6,414
45.56/ 100
Ranked #21,819 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 32%)
Ranked #866 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 6.1%)
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.
Mental-health provider access
0.47 per 1,000 residents
in the top 1.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics located 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 ›Lithium in drinking water
120 µg/L
in the top 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS98thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
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 ›Radon
3.5 pCi/L
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST56thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Transportation noise
11.8%
in the top 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Loud transportation noise
1.8%
in the top 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Outpatient-care access
0.47 per 1,000 residents
in the top 9.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics located 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the top 12.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS88thDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the bottom 15% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS15thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Households without a vehicle
9.7%
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS84thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS82ndDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, Chariton, Iowa (ZIP 50049) ranks in the bottom 32% nationally (21,819th) and the bottom 6.1% of Iowa (866th).
The burdens that read clearest in the data come first: lithium in drinking water settles in the top 1.8% nationally, and modeled radon lies in the top 4.5% nationally. Modeled transportation noise resides in the top 6.6% nationally, and loud transportation noise lands in the top 8.6% nationally. Modeled disaster risk registers in the top 12.1% nationally. Better still, mental-health providers sits in the top 1.0% nationally. Distance to an emergency room rests at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Outpatient is in the top 9.0% nationally. Distance to a community health center stands at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Childcare settles in the top 12.3% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 50057, just across the boundary.
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
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 50%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 47%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 19%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 26%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 18%
11%
Disability
healthier than 31%
7%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 14%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 36%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 13%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 9%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 11%
8%
Disability
healthier than 4%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 32%
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
50057
Iowashares a border
Score 53.66
Closest healthier
50060
Iowashares a border
Score 49.63
Similar health profile
50703
Iowa95% similar profile
Score 40.58
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 | 32.3% | 28.9–36.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.9% | 35.6–44.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.9% | 8.7–11.2 |
| Depression among adults | 21.4% | 18.2–25.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.1% | 12.3–16.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.4% | 34.0–43.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.2% | 32.2–49.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.5% | 4.1–4.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.2% | 12.3–18.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.2% | 6.9–9.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.8% | 78.1–83.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.7% | 75.1–82.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.9% | 81.9–85.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.6% | 61.3–71.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 58.0% | 54.1–61.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.3% | 68.5–82.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.4% | 15.2–21.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.8% | 16.3–21.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.0% | 25.2–35.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.9% | 28.2–41.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.7% | 19.8–25.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.4% | 15.4–19.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.6% | 13.8–17.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.7% | 13.9–17.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.8% | 29.5–38.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.8–11.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.6% | 8.4–10.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 17.3% | 15.1–19.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.7% | 20.1–27.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.6% | 12.2–16.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.8% | 11.6–15.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 8.7–12.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.9–8.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.5% | 26.5–36.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.5% | 6.4–8.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 13.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 17.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 6.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 80.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 19.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 55.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 20.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 40.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $61,190 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $124,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $704 | $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 | 77.1 yr ± 0.87 | 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 0.87 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