ZIP code
50434
in Fertile, IowaPopulation 396
56.23/ 100
Ranked #8,036 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 25%)
Ranked #180 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 20%)
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.
Fiber broadband
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
55.6%
in the bottom 2.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
75.8%
in the top 2.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
45.6%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
6.7%
in the bottom 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST4thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
5.0%
in the bottom 7.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Food insecurity
8.1%
in the bottom 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Utility shut-off threat
4.6%
in the bottom 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST5thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
27%
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
19.3%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST39thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›The read
Fertile, Iowa (ZIP 50434) ranks in the top 25% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,036th) and the top 20% of Iowa (180th).
A balanced set of signals defines this area, not any single one: fiber broadband lies at the national maximum, and modeled colon screening is in the top 2.1% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity registers in the bottom 5.4% nationally. Unemployment lies at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation is in the bottom 7.6% nationally, food insecurity registers in the bottom 7.8% nationally, and utility shutoff lies in the bottom 8.6% nationally. By contrast, home broadband subscription is in the bottom 2.2% nationally, housing-cost burden registers in the top 5.2% nationally, and poverty lies in the top 8.9% nationally.
The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 50444, just across the boundary. Housing-cost burden lies in the top 5.2% nationally.
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
Preventive Care
healthier than 91%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 88%
8%
Disability
healthier than 71%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 46%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 51%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 49%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 60%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 54%
5%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 13%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 64%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 73%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 95%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 87%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 96%
8%
Disability
healthier than 69%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 48%
5%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 37%
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
50428
Iowashares a border
Score 55.38
Closest healthier
50444
Iowashares a border
Score 56.47
Similar health profile
50239
Iowa98% similar profile
Score 54.18
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 | 32.0% | 28.6–35.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.3% | 34.2–42.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.5% | 10.5–12.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.5% | 8.4–10.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.8% | 6.9–8.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.3% | 6.1–8.5 |
| Depression among adults | 19.1% | 16.3–22.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.9% | 10.3–13.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.4% | 35.2–43.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.4% | 31.2–46.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.3–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.8% | 10.4–15.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 5.6% | 4.4–7.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.3% | 78.8–83.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.1% | 76.9–83.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.7% | 85.9–89.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 75.8% | 71.3–79.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.6% | 67.3–73.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.1% | 71.5–83.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.3% | 16.2–22.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.1% | 10.8–15.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.9% | 19.8–28.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.7% | 25.8–37.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 16.6% | 14.1–19.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.4–16.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.7% | 11.1–14.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.1–13.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.3% | 24.3–32.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.9% | 7.9–10.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.8% | 5.8–7.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.7% | 11.6–15.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.3% | 2.8–3.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.4–4.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.7% | 18.5–25.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.1% | 6.5–10.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.5% | 5.1–8.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 6.7% | 5.4–8.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.0% | 4.2–5.8 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.5% | 25.2–34.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.6% | 3.9–5.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 27.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 2.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.4% | 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 | 1.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 55.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 45.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 93.1% | 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 | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 75.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 31.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 57.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $858 | $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 | 78.3 yr ± 0.94 | 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 0.94 years of 78.3, 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