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ZIP code

51242

in Lester, IowaPopulation 379

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

55.55/ 100

Ranked #8,803 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 27%)

Ranked #224 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 24%)

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.

Fiber broadband

100%

at the national maximum

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

22.2%

in the top 1.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US98th
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 ›

Arsenic in groundwater

31.9%

in the top 2.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US97th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.

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 ›

Poverty rate

1.3%

in the bottom 5.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US6th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Housing-cost burden

7.9%

in the bottom 7.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US7th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Loud transportation noise

2.0%

in the top 7.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.

Full methodology ›

Energy-cost burden

5.3%

in the top 6.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST86th
US94th
Definition & 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 ›

Mammography

81.3%

in the top 5.8% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST92nd
US94th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance

1.1%

in the top 8.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 9.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST9th
US10th
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 ›

The read

In its overall standing, Lester, Iowa (ZIP 51242) lands in the top 27% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,803rd) and the top 24% of Iowa (224th).

continue reading

This area's measures are easy to read as a mixed set: fiber broadband resides at the national maximum, poverty settles in the bottom 5.7% nationally, and housing-cost burden is in the bottom 7.1% nationally. Unemployment sits at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle lands at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled mammography lies in the top 5.8% nationally. Set against that, modeled binge drinking stands in the top 1.7% nationally, and arsenic rests in the top 2.8% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise registers in the top 7.7% nationally, and energy burden resides in the top 6.4% nationally.

Put simply, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. On the overall standing, ZIP 57068, about 6.3 miles away, ranks healthier.

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

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 75%

21%

Preventive Care

healthier than 74%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 76%

8%

Disability

healthier than 79%

7%

About typical

Risk Behavior

healthier than 40%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 44%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 35%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 26%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 13%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 88%

21%

Disability

healthier than 83%

7%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 42%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 48%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 54%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 59%

8%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 37%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 26%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 35%

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 adults25.7%22.6–28.9
High blood pressure among adults33.4%29.4–37.4
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.0%8.0–10.0
Current asthma among adults9.6%8.4–10.8
Coronary heart disease among adults6.5%5.6–7.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults6.4%5.3–7.5
Depression among adults19.7%16.5–22.9
Diagnosed diabetes among adults10.4%8.9–12.1
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened34.4%30.3–38.5
Obesity among adults37.8%30.1–45.9
Stroke among adults3.1%2.7–3.5
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years8.6%6.8–10.5
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.4%5.8–9.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.2%74.3–79.8
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults76.6%72.6–80.1
Cholesterol screening among adults84.3%82.0–86.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years71.9%67.0–76.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults70.0%66.7–73.1
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years81.3%74.6–86.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults22.2%18.6–26.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.2%11.6–17.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults24.0%19.6–28.4
Short sleep duration among adults30.7%24.7–36.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults16.4%13.8–19.1
Frequent mental distress among adults16.2%14.2–18.4
Frequent physical distress among adults12.1%10.4–13.9
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults13.1%11.3–15.0
Any disability among adults27.7%23.3–32.0
Hearing disability among adults7.4%6.5–8.4
Independent living disability among adults6.7%5.8–7.8
Mobility disability among adults11.7%9.8–13.8
Self-care disability among adults2.9%2.5–3.4
Vision disability among adults3.7%3.2–4.2
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults23.3%19.6–27.2
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.1%8.1–12.4
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults8.1%6.4–10.0
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.5%6.9–10.1
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.0%5.0–6.9
Loneliness among adults32.3%27.1–37.5
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.5%4.6–6.6
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate1.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–648.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)5.4%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)20.5%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%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 subscription92.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)7.9%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate86.6%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 population5.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households57.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+19.5%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age38.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$95,625$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$190,900$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 birth82.5 yr ± 1.1278.9 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 1.12 years of 82.5, 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