ZIP code
52235
in Hills, IowaPopulation 974
46.19/ 100
Ranked #21,129 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 34%)
Ranked #852 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 7.6%)
Ranked #21 of 21 Iowa City, IA ZIPs (bottom 4.8%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
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.
Nitrate in drinking water
83.5%
in the top 0.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams 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 ›Civic-institution access
1.2 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of civic and social organizations 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 ›Floodplain exposure
48.9%
in the top 4.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
19.9%
in the top 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST54thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
4.7%
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Natural-disaster risk
in the bottom 8.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS8thDefinition & 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 ›Home broadband subscription
95.9%
in the top 15.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS85thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
64.2%
in the bottom 20% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS20thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & 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 ›Lack of transportation
8.7%
in the top 35% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS65thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›The read
Hills, Iowa (ZIP 52235) ranks in the bottom 34% nationally (21,129th) and the bottom 7.6% of Iowa (852nd).
A profile of give and take, with clear readings each way: civic lies in the top 3.1% nationally, and modeled disaster risk is in the bottom 8.4% nationally. Fiber broadband registers in the top 11.8% nationally. Crowded housing lies at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Home broadband subscription is in the top 15.0% nationally, and modeled short sleep registers in the bottom 16% nationally. On the other side, modeled nitrate lies in the top 0.3% nationally, floodplain exposure is in the top 4.2% nationally, and modeled binge drinking registers in the top 6.6% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure lies in the top 7.7% nationally.
Against its neighbors, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 52240, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Iowa City, IA metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 41%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 52%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 46%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 48%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 31%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Disability
healthier than 31%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 10%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 76%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 83%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 29%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 36%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 9%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 5%
8%
Disability
healthier than 4%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 1%
5%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 70%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 45%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 15%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 15%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 5%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 10%
8%
Disability
in the bottom 0.00%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the bottom 0.00%
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.
Nearby
52240
Iowashares a border
Score 54.44
Closest healthier
52327
Iowashares a border
Score 56.58
Similar health profile
42371
Kentucky99% similar profile
Score 44.88
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
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 29.0% | 26.2–32.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.3% | 34.9–41.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.2–9.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.6% | 7.9–11.5 |
| Depression among adults | 22.2% | 19.3–25.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.5% | 11.7–15.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.8% | 32.4–39.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.2% | 31.5–41.1 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.4% | 3.7–5.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 17.4% | 14.2–20.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.9% | 6.7–11.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.8% | 77.3–82.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.1% | 75.1–81.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.7% | 80.0–85.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.4% | 59.9–68.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.8% | 59.5–66.1 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.5% | 70.7–83.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.9% | 17.2–22.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.3% | 14.8–22.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.6% | 22.2–31.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.2% | 27.1–35.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.1% | 18.5–26.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.7% | 15.5–20.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.8% | 12.7–17.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.1% | 13.7–18.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.9% | 28.5–37.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.2–10.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.9% | 8.3–11.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.7% | 14.1–19.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.0–5.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.1–7.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.4% | 21.0–28.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.1% | 12.8–19.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 15.4% | 12.0–19.0 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.6% | 9.5–14.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.7% | 7.4–10.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.4% | 28.4–36.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.4% | 7.0–9.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 14.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 2.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 24.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 95.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 61.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 20.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 40.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $83,333 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $240,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $1,132 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $825 ($614–$1,113) n=771 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.2 yr ± 0.87 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.0 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 0.87 years of 79.2, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾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