ZIP code
50454
in Little Cedar, IowaPopulation 229
48.58/ 100
Ranked #18,214 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 43%)
Ranked #758 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 18%)
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.
Energy-cost burden
6.4%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
6.1%
in the bottom 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS2ndDefinition & 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 ›Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
21.1%
in the top 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST82ndUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
21 mi
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
25.2 mi
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.8 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 6.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS6thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Housing-cost burden
9.3%
in the bottom 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the bottom 12.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS12thDefinition & 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 ›Obesity
42.4%
in the top 11.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS89thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›The read
Little Cedar, Iowa (ZIP 50454), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 43% nationally (18,214th) and the bottom 18% of Iowa (758th).
The data is direct about where this area carries real strain: modeled energy burden lies in the top 2.0% nationally, modeled binge drinking sits in the top 3.1% nationally, and distance to an emergency room settles in the top 4.8% nationally. Distance to a community health center registers in the top 5.6% nationally, and walkability stands in the bottom 6.5% nationally. More encouragingly, modeled pfas lands in the bottom 2.2% nationally, and home broadband subscription is at the national maximum. Unemployment resides at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle rests at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Housing-cost burden lies in the bottom 8.6% nationally.
Defined in plain terms, 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. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 50461, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 67%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 69%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 75%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 51%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 43%
13%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 13%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 15%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 5%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 91%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 95%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 51%
21%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 8%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 6%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 36%
8%
Disability
healthier than 26%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 13%
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
50455
Iowashares a border
Score 47.31
Closest healthier
50461
Iowashares a border
Score 53.00
Similar health profile
50431
Iowa96% similar profile
Score 49.11
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 | 28.8% | 25.3–32.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.9% | 33.4–42.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.2% | 8.9–11.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.5–8.7 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.7% | 7.1–10.6 |
| Depression among adults | 19.9% | 16.6–23.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.8% | 10.8–14.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.1% | 32.6–41.4 |
| Obesity among adults | 42.4% | 34.0–51.0 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.3–4.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 8.7% | 7.1–10.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.8% | 5.8–10.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.6% | 75.3–81.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.7% | 72.9–80.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.4% | 80.8–85.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.5% | 62.7–71.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.0% | 61.3–68.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 73.3% | 64.7–80.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 21.1% | 17.6–25.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.0% | 15.4–23.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.7% | 22.5–33.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.1% | 26.9–39.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.5% | 17.0–24.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.9% | 14.9–19.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.6% | 12.4–16.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.1% | 12.8–17.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.3% | 25.4–35.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.0–9.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.1–10.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.7% | 12.2–17.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.5–5.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.2–5.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.1% | 20.4–28.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.6% | 10.7–17.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.7% | 9.1–14.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.0% | 8.2–12.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.4–9.0 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.6% | 26.8–37.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.0% | 5.9–8.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 6.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 25.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 21.8% | 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 | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 9.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 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 | 8.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 41.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 3.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 34.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $63,864 | $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 | — | $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 | 81.7 yr ± 1.48 | 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 1.48 years of 81.7, 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