ZIP code
52544
in Centerville, IowaPopulation 8,121
42.69/ 100
Ranked #24,649 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 23%)
Ranked #909 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 1.5%)
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.
Mental-health provider access
0.27 per 1,000 residents
in the top 2.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The number of mental-health clinics located 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 ›Child-care access
0.67 per 1,000 residents
in the top 5.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST89thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of child day-care services 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 ›Outpatient-care access
0.53 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The number of outpatient clinics located 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 ›Energy-cost burden
5.4%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Obesity
44%
in the top 6.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
10.6%
in the top 12.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS87thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
9.7%
in the top 12.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
21.2%
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS84thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Stroke
5.0%
in the top 14.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS86thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS83rdDefinition & 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 ›The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, Centerville, Iowa (ZIP 52544) ranks in the bottom 23% nationally (24,649th) and the bottom 1.5% of Iowa (909th).
Strengths and concerns sit side by side across the measures here: mental-health providers settles in the top 2.5% nationally, and childcare lies in the top 5.7% nationally. Outpatient resides in the top 6.9% nationally. Distance to a community health center lands at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Elder services registers in the top 11.4% nationally. Distance to a nursing home sits at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other hand, modeled energy burden rests in the top 6.0% nationally, obesity is in the top 6.3% nationally, and hearing disability stands in the top 12.7% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease settles in the top 12.3% nationally.
In plainer terms, energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 52571, 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.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 68%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 74%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 51%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 45%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 15%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 20%
11%
Disability
healthier than 19%
7%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 91%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 92%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
in the bottom 0.6%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 9%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 13%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 11%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 4%
8%
Disability
healthier than 1%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 30%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
3 of our published findings list this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Below what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 74.7 ± 1.7 years. A median household income of $50,572 predicts 77.4 years — 2.7 years below.
Ranked #3,678 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 74.7 ± 1.7 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 79.0 years — 4.3 years below them.
Ranked #3,152 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 68.2; chronic-disease standing 13.3 — 55 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #2,121 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
52549
Iowashares a border
Score 39.40
Closest healthier
52571
Iowashares a border
Score 48.68
Similar health profile
23974
Virginia98% similar profile
Score 41.41
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 | 33.9% | 30.4–37.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.4% | 38.9–47.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.5% | 9.5–11.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.0% | 9.7–12.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.7% | 8.7–10.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.2% | 9.9–12.7 |
| Depression among adults | 22.4% | 19.1–26.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.6% | 13.6–17.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.5% | 35.1–43.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 44.0% | 36.0–51.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.0% | 4.5–5.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 20.5% | 16.8–24.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.6% | 7.0–10.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.3% | 78.9–83.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.3% | 76.0–82.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 83.8% | 81.8–85.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.7% | 60.3–70.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 62.2% | 58.3–65.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.1% | 66.6–82.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.5% | 14.6–20.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 20.2% | 17.4–23.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.6% | 27.8–37.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 32.5% | 26.0–39.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.7% | 21.6–28.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.8% | 15.8–20.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.7% | 14.8–18.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 16.6% | 14.7–18.7 |
| Any disability among adults | 37.0% | 32.6–41.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.6% | 9.5–11.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.8% | 9.6–12.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.4% | 17.0–22.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.4% | 4.8–6.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.7% | 6.0–7.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.3% | 19.9–26.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.2% | 14.6–20.0 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 17.2% | 14.8–19.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.3% | 9.6–13.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–10.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.0% | 27.2–37.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.4–9.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 21.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 11.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 8.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 83.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 28.4% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 4.3% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931 |
| Foreign-born population | 1.6% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 52.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 23.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 40.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $50,572 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $116,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $785 | $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 | 74.7 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 74.7, 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