Skip to main content
ZipVitals

Menu

ZIP code

52737

in Columbus City, IowaPopulation 323

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

54.57/ 100

Ranked #9,981 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 31%)

Ranked #292 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (top 32%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 health domains

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.

Walkability

260 intersections/sq mi

in the top 1.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the bottom 2.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US2nd
Definition & 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 ›

Transportation noise

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & 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 ›

Floodplain exposure

0.00%

at the national minimum

Lower is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.

Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.

Full methodology ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 4.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST2nd
US4th
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

Homeownership rate

97.7%

in the top 5.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST96th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Distance to an emergency room

16.2 mi

in the top 9.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.

Full methodology ›

Uninsured (under 65)

16.6%

in the top 8.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 18–64 with no current health-insurance coverage.

Full methodology ›

Mammography

80.9%

in the top 7.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST89th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.

Full methodology ›

Binge drinking

19.2%

in the top 9.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST36th
US90th
Definition & 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 ›

The read

Columbus City, Iowa (ZIP 52737), by its overall standing, sits in the top 31% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,981st) and the top 32% of Iowa (292nd).

continue reading

The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: walkability resides in the top 1.1% nationally, modeled expected annual loss rests in the bottom 2.2% nationally, and modeled transportation noise lies at the national minimum. Floodplain exposure sits at the national minimum, modeled disaster risk settles in the bottom 4.2% nationally, and homeownership registers in the top 5.9% nationally. Modeled mammography stands in the top 7.1% nationally. Set against that, distance to an emergency room lands in the top 9.4% nationally, and modeled uninsured is in the top 8.1% nationally. Fiber broadband resides at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs.

Held up against its neighbors, walkability runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 52621, about 3.9 miles away.

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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 71%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 76%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 91%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 70%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 64%

5%

About typical

Disability

healthier than 54%

7%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 33%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 28%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 24%

11%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 84%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 96%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 98%

8%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 89%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 89%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 38%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 4%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 19%

11%

Disability

healthier than 37%

7%

“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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults24.3%21.3–27.5
High blood pressure among adults33.4%29.3–37.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults7.1%6.3–7.9
Current asthma among adults8.8%7.7–10.0
Coronary heart disease among adults6.5%5.7–7.4
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults6.0%5.1–7.1
Depression among adults17.0%14.2–20.2
Diagnosed diabetes among adults13.3%11.4–15.3
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened35.3%31.0–39.8
Obesity among adults41.6%33.4–50.1
Stroke among adults3.3%2.9–3.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years16.6%13.7–20.1
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years16.6%12.7–20.8
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.0%73.7–79.8
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults76.1%72.1–79.8
Cholesterol screening among adults83.6%81.1–85.9
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years61.8%56.4–67.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults60.7%57.0–64.3
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years80.9%74.3–86.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults19.2%15.8–22.8
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.1%11.6–16.7
No leisure-time physical activity among adults32.0%26.7–37.5
Short sleep duration among adults34.6%28.5–41.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults22.4%19.1–26.1
Frequent mental distress among adults14.9%12.9–17.0
Frequent physical distress among adults13.6%11.8–15.6
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults14.4%12.1–16.6
Any disability among adults30.6%26.0–35.4
Hearing disability among adults7.7%6.7–8.7
Independent living disability among adults7.5%6.4–8.7
Mobility disability among adults14.2%12.0–16.6
Self-care disability among adults4.0%3.4–4.7
Vision disability among adults5.9%5.1–6.9
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults26.9%22.7–31.1
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.9%14.3–21.7
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults11.7%9.3–14.3
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults14.3%11.7–17.1
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults8.6%7.2–10.1
Loneliness among adults32.8%27.5–38.2
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults7.9%6.6–9.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate5.9%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931
Uninsured 18–644.7%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2865.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931
No HS diploma (25+)25.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932
Bachelor's or higher (25+)4.8%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50520.9% (9.8–36.8%) n=932
Unemployment rate (16+)6.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–6.7%) n=932
Households without a vehicle10.5%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931
Broadband subscription78.9%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)12.0%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931
Homeownership rate97.7%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32282.1% (66.8–93.5%) n=931
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.4% (0.0–3.3%) n=931
Foreign-born population25.1%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932
Single-parent households72.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928
Population 65+20.7%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932
Median age46.8 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931
Median household income$89,875$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911
Median home value$111,600$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
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)IA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth80.7 yr ± 1.3278.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30880.0 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 1.32 years of 80.7, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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