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ZIP code

50529

in Dakota City, IowaPopulation 752

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

52.09/ 100

Ranked #13,331 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 42%)

Ranked #488 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 47%)

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.

Transportation noise

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

Fiber broadband

99.1%

in the top 4.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST85th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.

Full methodology ›

Recreation access

1.3 per 1,000 residents

in the top 4.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST94th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.

Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

20.4%

in the top 4.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST67th
US95th
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 ›

Walkability

150 intersections/sq mi

in the top 5.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 6.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US6th
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

58.3 mi

in the top 9.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Crowded housing

5.7%

in the top 11.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US89th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.

Full methodology ›

Unemployment rate

9.1%

in the top 11.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US88th
Definition & source ›

The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.

Full methodology ›

Floodplain exposure

2.3%

in the bottom 20% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US20th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.

Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.

Full methodology ›

The read

By the composite measure, Dakota City, Iowa (ZIP 50529) sits in the top 42% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,331st) and the bottom 47% of Iowa (488th).

continue reading

The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: modeled transportation noise resides at the national minimum, fiber broadband lies in the top 4.5% nationally, and recreation settles in the top 4.7% nationally. Walkability stands in the top 5.5% nationally, modeled disaster risk is in the bottom 6.5% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site rests in the top 9.2% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise sits at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Working the other way, modeled binge drinking registers in the top 4.8% nationally, and radon lands in the top 10.5% nationally. Crowded housing resides in the top 11.5% nationally.

Compared with the ZIPs that surround it, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plain language, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. ZIP 50548, just across the boundary, ranks 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.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 63%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 65%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 75%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 51%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 59%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 50%

14%

Disability

healthier than 57%

7%

Holding it back

Risk Behavior

healthier than 22%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 17%

5%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 75%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 74%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 95%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 51%

21%

Disability

healthier than 44%

7%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 45%

5%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 24%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 14%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 23%

8%

“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 adults29.7%26.3–33.2
High blood pressure among adults37.2%32.9–41.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.5%8.5–10.6
Current asthma among adults10.3%9.0–11.6
Coronary heart disease among adults7.3%6.4–8.3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.1%6.8–9.5
Depression among adults20.8%17.5–24.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults12.4%10.5–14.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened36.7%32.2–41.0
Obesity among adults42.0%33.7–50.1
Stroke among adults3.7%3.2–4.2
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years10.8%8.6–13.4
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years6.7%5.1–8.6
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure78.8%75.9–81.5
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults77.8%74.0–81.4
Cholesterol screening among adults85.2%82.9–87.4
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years68.2%63.2–73.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults64.3%60.7–68.0
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.6%70.1–84.2
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults20.4%16.8–24.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults17.1%13.8–20.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults25.8%20.9–30.7
Short sleep duration among adults34.6%28.2–41.9
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults18.8%15.7–21.9
Frequent mental distress among adults16.8%14.7–18.9
Frequent physical distress among adults14.0%12.0–15.9
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.0%11.9–16.1
Any disability among adults29.7%25.2–34.1
Hearing disability among adults8.2%7.1–9.2
Independent living disability among adults8.0%6.8–9.2
Mobility disability among adults14.2%11.8–16.5
Self-care disability among adults3.9%3.3–4.5
Vision disability among adults4.6%3.9–5.2
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.6%19.1–26.4
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.0%9.5–14.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults10.9%8.4–13.6
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.4%7.6–11.3
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.9%5.8–8.1
Loneliness among adults30.3%25.5–35.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.9%5.7–8.1
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate6.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–643.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)9.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)7.6%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)9.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle3.3%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription88.0%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)14.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate78.4%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931
Crowded housing (>1 per room)5.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931
Foreign-born population8.8%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households60.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+18.9%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age42.7 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$60,417$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$119,800$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892
Median gross rent$965$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 birth83.8 yr ± 2.7978.9 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 2.79 years of 83.8, 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