Skip to main content
ZipVitals

Menu

ZIP code

51459

in Ralston, IowaPopulation 54

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

52.14/ 100

Ranked #13,256 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 41%)

Ranked #483 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 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.

Transportation noise

25%

in the top 1.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US98th
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 ›

Binge drinking

21.4%

in the top 2.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST86th
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 ›

Floodplain exposure

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
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 ›

Distance to a community health center

32.3 mi

in the top 3.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US96th
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 ›

Tree cover

0.00%

at the national minimum

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the bottom 6.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST7th
US6th
Definition & source ›

FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 7.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US7th
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 ›

Poverty rate

29.6%

in the top 7.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Short sleep

29.4%

in the bottom 7.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST9th
US7th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Energy-cost burden

5.2%

in the top 6.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST85th
US93rd
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 ›

The read

Ralston, Iowa (ZIP 51459), by its composite score, sits in the top 41% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,256th) and the bottom 48% of Iowa (483rd).

continue reading

The measures fall on both sides for this area, fairly evenly: floodplain exposure is at the national minimum, and modeled expected annual loss lands in the bottom 6.0% nationally. Modeled disaster risk stands in the bottom 7.0% nationally, and short sleep registers in the bottom 7.1% nationally. Pulling the other way, modeled transportation noise settles in the top 1.7% nationally, modeled binge drinking sits in the top 2.5% nationally, and distance to a community health center lies in the top 3.6% nationally. Modeled tree cover rests at the national minimum, poverty resides in the top 7.1% nationally, and modeled energy burden is in the top 6.9% nationally.

Next to the surrounding area, transportation noise runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 51443, 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

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 64%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 68%

8%

Disability

healthier than 72%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 76%

5%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 57%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 47%

11%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 23%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 29%

14%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 2%

5%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 72%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 68%

11%

Disability

healthier than 71%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 95%

5%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 43%

14%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 21%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 17%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 31%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 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 adults28.2%24.9–31.6
High blood pressure among adults34.6%30.5–38.7
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.7%8.7–10.8
Current asthma among adults10.1%8.8–11.4
Coronary heart disease among adults6.7%5.8–7.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults7.0%5.7–8.6
Depression among adults20.7%17.5–24.2
Diagnosed diabetes among adults10.7%9.0–12.6
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened36.2%32.2–40.4
Obesity among adults38.4%30.6–46.5
Stroke among adults3.4%2.9–3.9
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years11.5%9.2–14.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years6.4%4.5–9.2
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.0%76.0–81.6
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults77.8%74.0–81.2
Cholesterol screening among adults84.6%81.6–87.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years68.0%62.7–73.2
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults68.4%64.9–71.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years73.4%65.4–80.8
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults21.4%17.9–25.0
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.2%10.9–17.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults25.3%20.0–31.1
Short sleep duration among adults29.4%23.6–35.7
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults16.8%13.6–20.6
Frequent mental distress among adults16.5%14.0–19.0
Frequent physical distress among adults12.9%10.8–15.1
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults13.5%11.0–16.2
Any disability among adults27.7%23.0–32.8
Hearing disability among adults7.8%6.7–8.9
Independent living disability among adults7.2%5.8–8.8
Mobility disability among adults12.7%10.3–15.3
Self-care disability among adults3.2%2.6–3.9
Vision disability among adults3.9%3.3–4.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults22.5%18.8–26.9
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.9%7.1–13.3
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults7.7%5.5–10.5
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.7%5.8–10.0
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.8%4.7–7.3
Loneliness among adults31.5%26.7–37.0
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.1%4.0–6.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate29.6%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–6416.0%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+)0.0%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 vehicle4.5%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription95.5%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)13.6%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate81.8%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 households33.3%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+24.1%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age40.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$63,333$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$75,000$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 birth83.4 yr ± 2.0278.9 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 2.02 years of 83.4, 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