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ZIP code

51446

in Irwin, IowaPopulation 499

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

54.14/ 100

Ranked #10,516 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 33%)

Ranked #324 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 35%)

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.

Radon

4.7 pCi/L

in the top 0.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST91st
US99th
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 ›

Distance to a community health center

44 mi

in the top 1.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US98th
Definition & 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 ›

Energy-cost burden

5.8%

in the top 3.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US96th
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 ›

Housing insecurity

6.7%

in the bottom 5.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST4th
US5th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Transportation noise

0.01%

in the bottom 5.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST9th
US6th
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 ›

Short sleep

28.8%

in the bottom 5.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US5th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

Utility shut-off threat

4.6%

in the bottom 8.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US9th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults whose household was threatened with a utility shut-off in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Lack of transportation

5.1%

in the bottom 8.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST8th
US9th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Food insecurity

8.5%

in the bottom 9.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST9th
US10th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months.

Full methodology ›

Outer-floodplain exposure

2.8%

in the top 11.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST94th
US88th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.

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

On balance, and by the composite measure, Irwin, Iowa (ZIP 51446) ranks in the top 33% healthiest ZIPs nationally (10,516th) and the top 35% of Iowa (324th).

continue reading

The measures split the difference for this area: modeled housing insecurity registers in the bottom 5.4% nationally, and transportation noise sits in the bottom 5.9% nationally. Modeled short sleep rests in the bottom 5.2% nationally, and utility shutoff is in the bottom 8.6% nationally. Modeled transportation stands in the bottom 8.7% nationally, and food insecurity settles in the bottom 9.8% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise lies at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Against that, modeled radon resides in the top 0.6% nationally, distance to a community health center lands in the top 1.6% nationally, and modeled energy burden registers in the top 3.7% nationally.

In plainer terms, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 51447, 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

Preventive Care

healthier than 93%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 70%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 89%

8%

Disability

healthier than 68%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 65%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 47%

21%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 24%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 19%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 1%

5%

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 96%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 95%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 96%

8%

Disability

healthier than 64%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 78%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 43%

21%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 23%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 23%

14%

Healthcare Access

in the bottom 0.4%

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 adults32.5%28.8–36.4
High blood pressure among adults38.5%34.1–43.1
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults11.8%10.6–12.9
Current asthma among adults9.7%8.5–10.9
Coronary heart disease among adults8.1%7.1–9.2
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.5%6.3–8.8
Depression among adults18.9%15.9–22.1
Diagnosed diabetes among adults12.4%10.5–14.3
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened40.0%35.5–44.6
Obesity among adults36.4%28.9–44.3
Stroke among adults3.9%3.4–4.4
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years7.4%5.8–9.0
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years5.7%4.5–7.0
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure82.7%79.9–85.2
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.7%77.5–83.7
Cholesterol screening among adults88.1%86.4–89.7
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years71.7%66.8–75.8
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults71.1%67.8–74.0
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.4%73.3–85.7
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults18.5%15.4–21.9
Current cigarette smoking among adults13.4%10.9–16.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults25.0%20.5–30.1
Short sleep duration among adults28.8%23.3–34.5
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults17.4%14.7–20.4
Frequent mental distress among adults14.3%12.4–16.3
Frequent physical distress among adults13.2%11.3–15.2
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults11.7%10.1–13.6
Any disability among adults29.8%25.5–34.6
Hearing disability among adults9.3%8.2–10.6
Independent living disability among adults6.9%5.9–8.0
Mobility disability among adults14.0%11.8–16.5
Self-care disability among adults3.3%2.9–3.8
Vision disability among adults4.1%3.5–4.6
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.1%18.5–25.7
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.5%6.8–10.3
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults6.8%5.4–8.3
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults6.7%5.5–8.1
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.1%4.3–5.9
Loneliness among adults29.4%24.5–34.3
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults4.6%3.8–5.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate10.9%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–643.9%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)2.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)30.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)0.4%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle4.8%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription90.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)16.5%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate87.4%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 population1.4%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households61.7%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+26.5%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age50.3 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$62,750$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$91,400$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892
Median gross rent$705$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 birth79.3 yr ± 1.3078.9 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 1.30 years of 79.3, 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