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ZipVitals

ZIP code

50323

in Urbandale, IowaPopulation 17,265

68.51/ 100

Ranked #886 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 2.8%)

Ranked #1 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 0.2%)

Ranked #1 of 85 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ZIPs (top 1.2%)

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.

Median household income

$175,944

in the top 1.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US98th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

22%

in the top 1.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST92nd
US98th
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 ›

Food insecurity

6.2%

in the bottom 1.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US2nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Lack of transportation

4.2%

in the bottom 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US2nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Short sleep

27.1%

in the bottom 1.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US2nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

Housing insecurity

6.1%

in the bottom 2.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Fatal road crashes

0.6 per 100,000 residents per year

in the bottom 4.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST7th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.

A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

7.7%

in the bottom 2.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

Independent-living disability

4.6%

in the bottom 1.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

Full methodology ›

Stroke

2.1%

in the bottom 2.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US3rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

The read

By the composite health measure, ZIP 50323, one of several in Urbandale, Iowa ranks in the top 2.8% healthiest ZIPs nationally (886th) and the top 0.2% of Iowa (1st).

continue reading

A number of measures pull each way for this area: household income resides in the top 1.9% nationally, and modeled food insecurity registers in the bottom 1.8% nationally. Modeled transportation rests in the bottom 2.2% nationally, and short sleep stands in the bottom 1.7% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity lies in the bottom 2.9% nationally, fatal road crashes lands in the bottom 4.1% nationally, and modeled mobility disability sits in the bottom 2.7% nationally. Modeled independent living disability is in the bottom 1.3% nationally, and stroke settles in the bottom 2.8% nationally. Set against that, modeled binge drinking resides in the top 1.9% nationally.

Read against the ZIPs closest to it, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. This ZIP stands out as the strongest overall among its immediate neighbors.

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 94%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 98%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 87%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 83%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 90%

8%

Disability

healthier than 98%

7%

About typical

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 50%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 58%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 28%

14%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 98%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

in the top 0.5%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 89%

13%

Risk Behavior

in the top 0.4%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 97%

8%

Disability

in the top 0.00%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 87%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 39%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 37%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 92%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 98%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 89%

13%

Risk Behavior

in the top 0.00%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 98%

8%

Disability

in the top 0.00%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 76%

5%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 51%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 56%

5%

Nothing measured is holding this score back.

“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 ›

Findings that name this ZIP

One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.

  • Heavy environment, light chronic burden

    Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions

    Environmental-hazard standing 27.8; chronic-disease standing 93.5 (top 10%) — 66 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #15,995 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.

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 adults23.2%21.1–25.3
High blood pressure among adults28.7%26.1–31.3
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.0%7.4–8.6
Current asthma among adults9.2%8.3–10.1
Coronary heart disease among adults4.3%3.8–4.7
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults4.0%3.5–4.6
Depression among adults19.4%17.1–21.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults8.2%7.3–9.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened33.8%30.9–36.6
Obesity among adults32.4%28.3–36.6
Stroke among adults2.1%1.9–2.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years4.6%3.9–5.5
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years4.0%3.3–4.7
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure75.7%73.0–78.1
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults77.1%74.3–79.6
Cholesterol screening among adults88.2%86.8–89.4
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years67.9%64.5–71.3
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults78.6%76.5–80.7
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years81.9%77.3–86.1
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults22.0%19.4–24.6
Current cigarette smoking among adults9.6%8.0–11.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults16.8%14.4–19.3
Short sleep duration among adults27.1%23.7–30.9
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults11.4%9.9–12.9
Frequent mental distress among adults13.6%12.1–15.1
Frequent physical distress among adults9.5%8.4–10.6
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults9.5%8.4–10.8
Any disability among adults19.8%17.4–22.2
Hearing disability among adults4.9%4.4–5.5
Independent living disability among adults4.6%4.0–5.2
Mobility disability among adults7.7%6.6–8.7
Self-care disability among adults2.0%1.8–2.3
Vision disability among adults2.4%2.2–2.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults19.7%17.3–22.3
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults6.2%5.1–7.6
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults4.6%3.7–5.7
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults6.1%5.2–7.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults4.2%3.6–4.8
Loneliness among adults27.7%24.6–30.9
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults4.2%3.6–4.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate3.0%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–642.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)2.6%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)63.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)0.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle1.8%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription95.7%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)16.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate87.2%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.9%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931
Foreign-born population7.3%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households42.8%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+10.3%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age37.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$175,944$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$486,800$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892
Median gross rent$1,575$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 birth81.0 yr ± 0.9878.9 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 0.98 years of 81.0, 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