ZIP code
52639
in Montrose, IowaPopulation 1,745
52.09/ 100
Ranked #13,336 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 42%)
Ranked #489 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 47%)
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.
Loud transportation noise
2.0%
in the top 7.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
8.2%
in the top 11.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS88thDefinition & 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 ›Distance to an emergency room
14.3 mi
in the top 12.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS88thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
29.8%
in the top 37% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST97thUS63rdDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20.4 per million
in the bottom 44% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS44thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Montrose, Iowa (ZIP 52639), by its composite score, sits in the top 42% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,336th) and the bottom 47% of Iowa (489th).
The clearest bright points in the data come first here: homeownership is in the top 13.2% nationally. Distance to a nursing home lands at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. Unemployment stands in the bottom 16% nationally, and lead in tap water registers in the bottom 17% nationally. By contrast, modeled loud transportation noise settles in the top 7.8% nationally, modeled transportation noise sits in the top 11.6% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lies in the top 12.5% nationally. Modeled radon rests in the top 15% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility resides at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Modeled binge drinking is in the top 16% nationally.
For anyone unfamiliar, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 52625, 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
Preventive Care
healthier than 66%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 77%
8%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 49%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 54%
16%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 42%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 37%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 31%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 32%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 68%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 78%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 48%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 55%
14%
Disability
healthier than 44%
7%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 27%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 30%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 11%
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
52619
Iowashares a border
Score 52.07
Closest healthier
52625
Iowashares a border
Score 53.63
Similar health profile
52760
Iowa96% similar profile
Score 53.14
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 | 31.2% | 27.9–34.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.2% | 33.2–41.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.3% | 9.3–11.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.4 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.7% | 6.8–8.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.2% | 7.1–9.3 |
| Depression among adults | 19.8% | 16.8–23.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.3% | 10.7–14.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.4% | 34.2–42.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 36.7% | 30.1–43.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.5–4.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.6% | 8.5–13.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.8% | 5.7–8.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.0% | 77.2–82.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.4% | 75.0–81.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.0% | 84.1–87.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 67.5% | 62.7–72.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 67.1% | 63.5–70.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.6% | 67.9–82.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.4% | 15.4–21.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.9% | 14.5–19.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 26.8% | 22.6–31.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.9% | 29.0–41.1 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.1% | 16.6–21.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 15.9% | 14.0–17.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.6–16.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.4% | 11.9–15.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.1% | 26.1–34.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.8% | 6.8–8.8 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.0% | 13.0–17.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.4–4.2 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.0–5.1 |
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 | 11.3% | 9.5–13.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.9% | 8.3–11.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 8.7% | 7.4–10.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.3% | 5.5–7.2 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.6% | 25.3–34.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.1% | 5.2–7.1 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 10.6% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.5% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.7% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 89.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 16.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.2% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 65.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 24.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 51.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $68,625 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $163,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $800 | $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 | 77.6 yr ± 0.78 | 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 0.78 years of 77.6, 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