Skip to main content
ZipVitals

Menu

ZIP code

50602

in Allison, IowaPopulation 1,254

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

52.65/ 100

Ranked #12,560 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 39%)

Ranked #439 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 48%)

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.

Child-care access

1.3 per 1,000 residents

in the top 1.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST97th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The number of child day-care services 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 ›

Lead in tap water

5.4 ppb

in the top 8.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

US91st
Definition & source ›

The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.

Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

19.5%

in the top 8.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST44th
US92nd
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 ›

Fiber broadband

95.6%

in the top 9.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST71st
US90th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Fatal road crashes

31.9 per 100,000 residents per year

in the top 11.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US88th
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 ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the top 15% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US85th
Definition & source ›

The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

29.5%

in the bottom 18% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST10th
US18th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Air-toxics cancer risk

20 per million

in the bottom 25% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US25th
Definition & 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

By the composite health measure, Allison, Iowa (ZIP 50602) ranks in the top 39% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,560th) and the top 48% of Iowa (439th).

continue reading

The signals balance out across the profile, strengths against concerns: childcare stands in the top 1.2% nationally, and fiber broadband lies in the top 9.9% nationally. Modeled pfas lands in the bottom 11.9% nationally, and short sleep sits in the bottom 12.4% nationally. Distance to a nursing home is at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Set against that, lead in tap water settles in the top 8.8% nationally, modeled binge drinking resides in the top 8.3% nationally, and modeled radon registers in the top 13.4% nationally. Fatal road crashes rests in the top 11.8% nationally, and walkability stands in the bottom 12.4% nationally.

To spell things out, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. 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. Close by, ZIP 50665, 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

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 71%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 85%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 81%

8%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 47%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 42%

11%

Disability

healthier than 51%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 43%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 59%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 32%

21%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 93%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 82%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 77%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 88%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 58%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 57%

11%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 14%

21%

Disability

healthier than 30%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 24%

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.

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 adults33.7%30.1–37.5
High blood pressure among adults40.8%36.4–45.3
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.4%10.3–12.6
Current asthma among adults9.8%8.7–11.1
Coronary heart disease among adults8.6%7.6–9.7
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.7%7.4–10.0
Depression among adults19.9%16.9–23.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.2%11.3–15.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened40.2%35.7–44.8
Obesity among adults39.1%31.4–47.4
Stroke among adults4.2%3.8–4.7
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years14.3%11.7–17.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years6.5%5.2–8.2
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure81.8%79.0–84.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.4%77.1–83.5
Cholesterol screening among adults87.1%85.3–88.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years70.2%65.6–74.6
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults66.4%63.0–69.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years79.0%72.4–84.9
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults19.5%16.2–23.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.5%13.0–18.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults28.3%23.6–33.5
Short sleep duration among adults30.6%25.2–36.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults19.6%16.7–22.8
Frequent mental distress among adults15.3%13.4–17.4
Frequent physical distress among adults14.3%12.5–16.4
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults13.0%11.3–15.0
Any disability among adults30.2%25.9–34.8
Hearing disability among adults9.6%8.5–10.9
Independent living disability among adults8.0%6.9–9.2
Mobility disability among adults15.8%13.5–18.4
Self-care disability among adults3.9%3.4–4.5
Vision disability among adults4.7%4.1–5.3
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.0%18.5–26.0
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.6%8.7–12.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.3%7.5–11.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.0%6.6–9.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.0%5.1–6.9
Loneliness among adults29.5%24.7–34.8
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.7%4.8–6.6
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate10.2%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–640.8%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)6.3%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)14.8%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)3.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle7.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription83.1%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)22.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate77.6%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931
Foreign-born population0.2%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households69.9%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+28.5%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age48.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$67,188$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$118,100$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892
Median gross rent$725$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 birth79.2 yr ± 0.8178.9 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 0.81 years of 79.2, 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