ZIP code
52356
in Wellman, IowaPopulation 2,664
51.91/ 100
Ranked #13,577 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 42%)
Ranked #503 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 45%)
Ranked #15 of 21 Iowa City, IA ZIPs (bottom 29%)
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.
Elder-services access
0.35 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS96thDefinition & source ›
The number of services for older adults and people with disabilities 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 ›Radon
3.2 pCi/L
in the top 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST36thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
19.8%
in the top 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST52ndUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Fiber broadband
96.7%
in the top 8.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
2.8%
in the bottom 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
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 ›Housing-cost burden
29%
in the top 31% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS69thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Wellman, Iowa (ZIP 52356) sits in the top 42% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,577th) and the bottom 45% of Iowa (503rd).
A few measures carry most of this area's good news: elder services settles in the top 3.7% nationally, fiber broadband lands in the top 8.5% nationally, and poverty rests in the bottom 9.0% nationally. Pharmacy settles in the top 10.4% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise lands at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Modeled pfas rests in the bottom 11.0% nationally, and short sleep settles in the bottom 12.4% nationally. Modeled transportation noise lands in the bottom 13.5% nationally. Set against that, modeled radon rests in the top 8.0% nationally, and binge drinking settles in the top 7.0% nationally.
Put plainly, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. 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. 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. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 52247, 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.
Lifting this score
Preventive Care
healthier than 70%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 63%
8%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 47%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 57%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 41%
11%
Disability
healthier than 54%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 19%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 81%
14%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 56%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 18%
8%
Disability
healthier than 36%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 24%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 65%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 45%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 25%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 35%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 25%
8%
Disability
healthier than 25%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 5%
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
52247
Iowashares a border
Score 55.46
Closest healthier
52325
Iowashares a border
Score 55.91
Similar health profile
50051
Iowa98% similar profile
Score 53.05
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 | 29.9% | 26.9–32.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.1% | 34.5–41.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.9% | 9.0–10.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 9.1–11.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.7% | 6.9–8.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.2% | 7.2–9.4 |
| Depression among adults | 21.4% | 18.6–24.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.3% | 10.7–13.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.3% | 33.6–41.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.3% | 33.1–45.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.8% | 3.5–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.0% | 11.5–16.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.1% | 5.8–8.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.1% | 77.6–82.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.4% | 75.2–81.3 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.8% | 82.9–86.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.4% | 65.2–73.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.8% | 63.6–69.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.8% | 71.4–83.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.8% | 16.9–22.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.2% | 13.9–18.8 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.6% | 22.7–30.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.6% | 25.5–35.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.1% | 16.7–21.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.7–18.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.0% | 12.4–15.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.5–16.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.3% | 26.6–34.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.2–9.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.8% | 12.9–16.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.7% | 4.2–5.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.0% | 19.9–26.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.9% | 10.0–13.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.7% | 9.0–12.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.6–10.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.8% | 5.9–7.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.3% | 28.0–36.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.4% | 5.5–7.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 2.8% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 11.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 6.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 20.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 4.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 93.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 29.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 46.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 20.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 40.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $57,321 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $227,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $837 | $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 | 80.5 yr ± 0.79 | 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 0.79 years of 80.5, 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