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ZIP code

50612

in Buckingham, IowaPopulation 369

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

53.81/ 100

Ranked #10,940 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 34%)

Ranked #349 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 38%)

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.

PFAS in drinking water

4.2%

in the bottom 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

Unemployment rate

20.6%

in the top 1.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

2.2%

in the bottom 4.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US4th
Definition & source ›

The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.

Full methodology ›

Poverty rate

32.5%

in the top 5.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US95th
Definition & source ›

The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

97.8%

in the top 5.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Home broadband subscription

70.4%

in the bottom 6.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US6th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Walkability

2.1 intersections/sq mi

in the bottom 8.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US8th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Mammography

80.6%

in the top 8.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST87th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

29.2%

in the bottom 16% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US16th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Radon

2.6 pCi/L

in the top 18% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST10th
US82nd
Definition & source ›

The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.

Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.

Full methodology ›

The read

On balance, and by the composite measure, Buckingham, Iowa (ZIP 50612) ranks in the top 34% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,940th) and the top 38% of Iowa (349th).

continue reading

Strengths and concerns sit side by side across the measures here: modeled pfas resides in the bottom 0.6% nationally, and housing-cost burden lands in the bottom 4.1% nationally. Homeownership registers in the top 5.9% nationally. Households without a vehicle sits at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled mammography rests in the top 8.3% nationally. Crowded housing is at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. On the other hand, unemployment stands in the top 1.9% nationally, poverty settles in the top 5.5% nationally, and home broadband subscription lies in the bottom 6.3% nationally. Walkability resides in the bottom 8.2% nationally.

In plainer 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. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 50643, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 75%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 87%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 78%

8%

Disability

healthier than 63%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 61%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 46%

16%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 37%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 40%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 38%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 95%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 89%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 66%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 67%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 74%

5%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 58%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 52%

11%

Disability

healthier than 54%

7%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 22%

21%

“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 adults33.3%29.9–36.7
High blood pressure among adults38.7%34.8–42.8
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.7%9.7–11.7
Current asthma among adults10.5%9.4–11.7
Coronary heart disease among adults7.2%6.3–8.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults8.5%7.0–10.0
Depression among adults20.7%17.8–23.8
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.1%11.4–15.1
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened39.8%35.8–43.8
Obesity among adults41.0%34.1–48.2
Stroke among adults3.8%3.3–4.3
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years13.8%11.3–16.8
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years5.6%4.4–7.1
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure81.0%78.1–83.7
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.5%77.5–83.2
Cholesterol screening among adults89.1%87.5–90.5
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years65.8%61.4–70.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults69.5%66.5–72.4
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.6%74.5–85.7
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults18.7%16.0–21.7
Current cigarette smoking among adults16.8%13.8–20.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults26.0%21.5–30.8
Short sleep duration among adults32.7%27.8–38.1
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults19.1%16.1–22.4
Frequent mental distress among adults15.2%13.4–17.2
Frequent physical distress among adults14.4%12.6–16.5
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.5%10.8–14.5
Any disability among adults29.2%25.0–33.4
Hearing disability among adults7.7%6.8–8.6
Independent living disability among adults7.6%6.5–8.8
Mobility disability among adults15.1%12.6–17.6
Self-care disability among adults4.0%3.4–4.7
Vision disability among adults4.4%3.8–5.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.0%18.7–25.4
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.4%8.2–13.1
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.3%7.1–11.8
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.1%6.6–9.8
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.8%4.9–6.8
Loneliness among adults29.2%24.9–33.7
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.0%5.0–7.1
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate32.5%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–640.0%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)0.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)25.4%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)20.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription70.4%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)2.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate97.8%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931
Foreign-born population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households81.4%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+8.1%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age39.6 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$99,602$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$291,900$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth82.7 yr ± 1.1478.9 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 1.14 years of 82.7, 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