ZIP code
50222
in East Peru, IowaPopulation 328
54.20/ 100
Ranked #10,438 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 33%)
Ranked #316 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 34%)
Ranked #60 of 85 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ZIPs (bottom 29%)
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.
Housing-cost burden
4.8%
in the bottom 5.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS5thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
20%
in the top 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST57thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Homeownership rate
95.8%
in the top 7.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
10.1%
in the bottom 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST25thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
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 ›Transportation noise
0.16%
in the bottom 9.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST19thUS10thDefinition & 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 ›Home broadband subscription
76%
in the bottom 11.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS11thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility
2.9 mi
in the top 39% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS61stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
21.8 per million
in the bottom 46% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS46thDefinition & 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
East Peru, Iowa (ZIP 50222), overall, ranks in the top 33% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,438th) and the top 34% of Iowa (316th).
Reading the numbers as a whole, this area's strong points come through first: housing-cost burden resides in the bottom 5.0% nationally. Unemployment settles at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Homeownership is in the top 7.6% nationally, and modeled pfas sits in the bottom 9.2% nationally. Modeled transportation noise lands in the bottom 9.7% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise lies at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Modeled mammography stands in the top 11.7% nationally. Set against that, modeled binge drinking rests in the top 6.2% nationally, modeled radon registers in the top 10.8% nationally, and home broadband subscription resides in the bottom 11.1% nationally.
Defined simply, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. ZIP 50240, 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.
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 79%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 82%
8%
Disability
healthier than 61%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 51%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 53%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 48%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 53%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 19%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 77%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 65%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 70%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 82%
8%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 51%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Disability
healthier than 51%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 45%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Nothing measured is holding this score back.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 98%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 61%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 76%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 17%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 19%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 37%
11%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
“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
50149
Iowashares a border
Score 51.40
Closest healthier
50240
Iowashares a border
Score 57.75
Similar health profile
52625
Iowa99% similar profile
Score 53.63
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 | 29.7% | 26.2–33.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.6% | 33.4–41.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.5% | 9.4–11.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.6% | 8.4–10.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.7% | 6.5–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 19.4% | 16.5–22.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.3% | 10.4–14.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.8% | 34.5–43.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 37.3% | 30.1–44.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.3–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.1% | 8.9–13.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.7% | 5.0–8.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.9% | 77.1–82.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.4% | 74.7–81.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.6% | 83.3–87.5 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 70.5% | 65.7–75.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 68.5% | 65.1–71.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.9% | 72.6–86.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 20.0% | 16.6–23.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.8% | 12.1–17.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.1% | 20.5–29.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.0% | 25.3–37.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.3% | 15.3–21.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.4% | 13.5–17.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.4% | 11.6–15.3 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.2% | 11.4–15.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.7% | 25.2–34.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.0% | 7.8–10.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.3–8.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.0% | 11.7–16.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.6% | 3.0–4.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.4% | 3.7–5.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.4% | 19.7–27.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.2% | 8.1–12.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 6.6–10.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.4–9.4 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 5.0–7.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.4% | 26.6–36.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.3% | 4.5–6.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 1.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 2.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 27.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 76.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 4.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 95.8% | 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 | 0.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 82.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 34.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 61.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $100,568 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $269,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $850 | $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 | 82.9 yr ± 2.34 | 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 2.34 years of 82.9, 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