ZIP code
52640
in Morning Sun, IowaPopulation 1,274
53.23/ 100
Ranked #11,740 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 37%)
Ranked #392 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 43%)
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.
PFAS in drinking water
7.1%
in the bottom 3.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
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 ›Radon
3.1 pCi/L
in the top 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST31stUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Civic-institution access
0.75 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST90thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Fiber broadband
96.5%
in the top 8.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
19.3%
in the top 9.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST39thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›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 ›The read
On the composite measure, Morning Sun, Iowa (ZIP 52640) stands in the top 37% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,740th) and the top 43% of Iowa (392nd).
The strongest marks in the data are worth naming first: modeled pfas is in the bottom 3.5% nationally, and civic registers in the top 6.9% nationally. Fiber broadband lies in the top 8.8% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise is at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise registers in the bottom 12.9% nationally, housing-cost burden lies in the bottom 13.2% nationally, and unemployment is in the bottom 15% nationally. Recreation registers in the top 15% nationally. On the other side, modeled radon lies in the top 9.0% nationally, and binge drinking is in the top 9.3% nationally.
For clarity, 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. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. 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. ZIP 52637, just across the boundary, ranks better overall among the ZIPs nearby.
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 66%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 69%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 65%
8%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 53%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 44%
16%
Disability
healthier than 57%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 59%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Risk Behavior
healthier than 38%
11%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 90%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 63%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 80%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 55%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 55%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 50%
11%
Disability
healthier than 43%
7%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 36%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 23%
8%
“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
52637
Iowashares a border
Score 56.60
Closest healthier
52659
Iowashares a border
Score 53.79
Similar health profile
53063
Wisconsin98% similar profile
Score 57.35
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 | 30.0% | 26.9–33.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.6% | 31.9–39.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.9% | 9.0–10.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.3% | 9.1–11.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.4% | 6.6–8.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.1 |
| Depression among adults | 21.2% | 18.2–24.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.8% | 10.3–13.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.8% | 32.9–40.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.6% | 31.4–45.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.7% | 3.4–4.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.5% | 10.2–15.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.7% | 6.3–9.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.8% | 77.2–82.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.5% | 75.1–81.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.8% | 82.8–86.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.2% | 63.8–72.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.7% | 63.5–69.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.1% | 72.8–84.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.3% | 16.3–22.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.9% | 13.6–18.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 27.4% | 23.3–31.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 31.9% | 26.5–37.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.2% | 16.7–22.0 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.5% | 14.7–18.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.7% | 12.1–15.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.5–16.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.5% | 26.7–34.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.5% | 7.6–9.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.9% | 7.0–9.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 14.4% | 12.5–16.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.7% | 3.2–4.1 |
| 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 | 23.8% | 20.5–27.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.7% | 9.7–13.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 9.5% | 7.8–11.4 |
| 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 | 6.5% | 5.7–7.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.1% | 27.5–36.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.9% | 5.1–6.8 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 10.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 11.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 20.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932 |
| Households without a vehicle | 1.6% | 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) | 12.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.3% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 82.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 62.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 25.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 46.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $67,813 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $125,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $806 | $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 | 80.2 yr ± 0.89 | 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 0.89 years of 80.2, 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