ZIP code
52573
in Mount Sterling, IowaPopulation 148
42.93/ 100
Ranked #24,440 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 24%)
Ranked #906 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 1.8%)
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.
Home broadband subscription
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
40.5%
in the top 2.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Energy-cost burden
5.4%
in the top 5.8% 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 ›Transportation noise
0.13%
in the bottom 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST16thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Median household income
$35,179
in the bottom 3.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
10.0%
in the top 9.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS90thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
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 ›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 ›High blood pressure
43.4%
in the top 18% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS82ndDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Radon
2.5 pCi/L
in the top 20% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS80thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Mount Sterling, Iowa (ZIP 52573), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 24% nationally (24,440th) and the bottom 1.8% of Iowa (906th).
The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: home broadband subscription resides at the national maximum. Unemployment lies at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle settles at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise stands in the bottom 9.0% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise is at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Working the other way, poverty rests in the top 2.9% nationally, and modeled energy burden sits in the top 5.8% nationally. Household income registers in the bottom 3.4% nationally, modeled coronary heart disease lands in the top 9.7% nationally, and walkability resides in the bottom 12.0% nationally.
In everyday language, energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. 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 neighbor overall sits at ZIP 52542, 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 80%
14%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 48%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 54%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 17%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 28%
11%
Disability
healthier than 23%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 31%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 16%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 43%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
in the bottom 0.5%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 11%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 9%
8%
Disability
healthier than 2%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 10%
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
52542
Iowashares a border
Score 44.11
Closest healthier
52565
Iowashares a border
Score 47.16
Similar health profile
62323
Illinois97% similar profile
Score 41.34
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 | 35.9% | 32.2–39.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.4% | 39.2–47.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.4% | 10.4–12.5 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 9.7–12.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.0% | 8.7–11.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.7% | 9.5–14.0 |
| Depression among adults | 22.2% | 18.9–25.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 16.0% | 13.8–18.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.3% | 36.9–45.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.4% | 32.4–48.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.0% | 4.3–5.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.1% | 13.1–17.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.2% | 5.7–11.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.0% | 80.7–85.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.8% | 76.4–82.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.5% | 83.0–87.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.3% | 57.2–67.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.9% | 58.6–65.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 72.6% | 64.5–79.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.3% | 13.5–19.4 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 19.4% | 15.3–23.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.1% | 26.4–38.1 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.1% | 27.1–39.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.9% | 20.6–29.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.0% | 14.7–19.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.1% | 14.6–19.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.9% | 13.3–18.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.8% | 31.4–42.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.6% | 9.3–12.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.0% | 8.3–11.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 19.7% | 16.5–23.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.2% | 4.3–6.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.1% | 5.1–7.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.2% | 19.5–27.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 15.1% | 11.6–19.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 14.3% | 10.7–18.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 7.8–12.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.3–9.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.5% | 26.6–36.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 5.8–8.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 40.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 43.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 15.2% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 100.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 88.3% | 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 | 4.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 53.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 9.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 59.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $35,179 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $258,300 | $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
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.3 yr ± 1.26 | 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 1.26 years of 80.3, 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