Skip to main content
ZipVitals

Menu

ZIP code

50168

in Mingo, IowaPopulation 826

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

55.29/ 100

Ranked #9,101 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 28%)

Ranked #246 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 27%)

Ranked #53 of 85 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ZIPs (bottom 38%)

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

3.9 pCi/L

in the top 2.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST75th
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 ›

Binge drinking

20.6%

in the top 4.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST71st
US96th
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 ›

Poverty rate

1.2%

in the bottom 5.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST4th
US5th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Arsenic in groundwater

17.1%

in the top 8.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST79th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.

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 ›

Mammography

80.4%

in the top 9.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST84th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$113,750

in the top 11.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST95th
US88th
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

7.1 mi

in the top 20% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US80th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

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 ›

Cross-source signals

Combined exposures in this ZIP

More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.

The read

Mingo, Iowa (ZIP 50168), overall, ranks in the top 28% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,101st) and the top 27% of Iowa (246th).

continue reading

Taken together, the data gives a genuinely mixed reading: poverty settles in the bottom 5.5% nationally. Households without a vehicle is at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled mammography sits in the top 9.1% nationally, and housing-cost burden lands in the bottom 12.1% nationally. Modeled short sleep lies in the bottom 14.5% nationally, and household income stands in the top 11.9% nationally. Unemployment rests in the bottom 14.8% nationally. On the other side, modeled radon registers in the top 2.1% nationally, and binge drinking resides in the top 4.2% nationally. Modeled arsenic settles in the top 8.2% nationally.

Defined simply, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. ZIP 50028, 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. 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

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 70%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 71%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 73%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 66%

8%

Disability

healthier than 75%

7%

About typical

Risk Behavior

healthier than 48%

11%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 23%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 35%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 13%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 83%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 85%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 70%

11%

Disability

healthier than 77%

7%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 45%

13%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 31%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 25%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 15%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 37%

5%

Nothing measured is lifting this score.

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 49%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 52%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 43%

13%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 37%

14%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 38%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 27%

8%

Disability

healthier than 35%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 24%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 29%

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 adults27.2%24.1–30.2
High blood pressure among adults34.7%30.9–38.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.8%8.0–9.7
Current asthma among adults10.2%9.0–11.4
Coronary heart disease among adults6.4%5.7–7.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults6.7%5.8–7.7
Depression among adults21.1%18.1–24.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults10.9%9.4–12.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened35.5%31.7–39.5
Obesity among adults37.7%31.3–44.5
Stroke among adults3.2%2.9–3.6
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years8.2%6.6–10.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years5.8%4.6–7.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.3%74.3–80.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.2%74.7–81.4
Cholesterol screening among adults85.6%83.6–87.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years66.5%61.7–71.1
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults69.3%66.1–72.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.4%74.0–85.6
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults20.6%17.4–24.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.3%12.9–18.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults22.9%19.2–27.0
Short sleep duration among adults31.0%25.8–36.7
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults16.8%14.5–19.3
Frequent mental distress among adults16.5%14.6–18.5
Frequent physical distress among adults12.7%11.1–14.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults13.2%11.5–15.0
Any disability among adults27.5%23.9–31.4
Hearing disability among adults7.2%6.4–8.1
Independent living disability among adults7.0%6.1–8.0
Mobility disability among adults12.4%10.6–14.2
Self-care disability among adults3.3%2.9–3.7
Vision disability among adults3.9%3.4–4.4
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.6%19.3–26.1
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.1%8.3–12.4
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults8.4%6.8–10.3
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.5%7.1–10.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.0%5.2–7.0
Loneliness among adults29.8%25.6–34.4
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.9%5.0–6.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate1.2%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–644.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)1.2%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)19.6%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)0.2%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription89.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)11.8%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate85.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931
Crowded housing (>1 per room)2.6%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931
Foreign-born population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households60.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+20.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age46.9 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$113,750$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$300,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892
Median gross rent$746$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 birth76.9 yr ± 1.2978.9 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 1.29 years of 76.9, 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