ZIP code
52766
in Nichols, IowaPopulation 677
48.46/ 100
Ranked #18,350 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 43%)
Ranked #761 of 922 Iowa ZIPs (bottom 17%)
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.
Lithium in drinking water
100 µg/L
in the top 2.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS98thDefinition & source ›
The average detected level of lithium — a natural trace metal with no federal drinking-water limit yet — across the public water systems serving this ZIP, in micrograms per liter.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Home broadband subscription
68.1%
in the bottom 5.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS5thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
43.6%
in the top 5.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
5.0%
in the top 7.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Binge drinking
19.8%
in the top 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST52ndUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Nitrate in drinking water
0.38%
in the top 7.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST88thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams per liter.
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 ›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
Nichols, Iowa (ZIP 52766), by its composite score, sits in the bottom 43% nationally (18,350th) and the bottom 17% of Iowa (761st).
The measures that matter most for this area lead the way: lithium in drinking water sits in the top 2.3% nationally, and home broadband subscription lies in the bottom 5.3% nationally. Floodplain exposure rests in the top 5.3% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure resides in the top 7.3% nationally. Modeled binge drinking is in the top 7.0% nationally, modeled nitrate lands in the top 7.5% nationally, and walkability stands in the bottom 14.5% nationally. Modeled radon registers in the top 16% nationally. On the better side, crowded housing settles at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Poverty sits in the bottom 15% nationally.
Next to the surrounding area, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For anyone unfamiliar, lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 52720, 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 74%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 62%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 73%
8%
About typical
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 40%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 21%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 13%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 30%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 65%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 47%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 18%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 21%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 13%
11%
Disability
healthier than 25%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 2%
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
52720
Iowashares a border
Score 53.66
Closest healthier
52739
Iowashares a border
Score 53.12
Similar health profile
16328
Pennsylvania97% similar profile
Score 44.49
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 | 31.3% | 27.8–34.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.3% | 34.1–42.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.2–11.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 9.0–11.3 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.0% | 7.1–9.0 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.7% | 7.3–10.0 |
| Depression among adults | 19.7% | 16.8–22.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.1% | 11.2–15.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.9% | 33.8–41.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.6% | 33.9–46.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.0% | 3.5–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 14.6% | 12.0–17.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.0% | 6.5–9.7 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.8% | 77.8–83.2 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.2% | 74.8–81.1 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.6% | 83.8–87.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.7% | 61.7–71.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 65.1% | 61.7–68.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.7% | 69.3–83.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.8% | 16.8–22.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.3% | 14.4–20.3 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.4% | 24.6–34.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.1% | 27.6–39.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.7% | 17.6–23.9 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.6% | 14.6–18.7 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.7% | 12.8–16.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.4% | 12.5–16.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 31.4% | 27.1–35.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.7–9.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.2% | 7.0–9.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.3–18.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.1% | 3.5–4.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.3% | 20.9–28.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.7% | 10.3–15.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 8.6–13.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.2% | 7.6–11.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.7% | 5.7–7.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.6% | 27.2–36.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.2% | 5.2–7.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (2.7–19.1%) n=931 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 1.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 5.4% (0.7–14.7%) n=931 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.8% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.1% (1.6–12.9%) n=932 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 6.5% | 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 | 0.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.4% (0.0–7.9%) n=931 |
| Broadband subscription | 68.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.5% (77.9–95.1%) n=931 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 16.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.2% (9.0–28.8%) n=931 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.7% | 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 | 2.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.0% (0.0–7.2%) n=932 |
| Single-parent households | 37.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.8% (43.7–75.5%) n=928 |
| Population 65+ | 13.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–31.0%) n=932 |
| Median age | 37.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.7 yr (34.1–54.7) n=931 |
| Median household income | $61,865 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,848 ($55,055–$102,762) n=911 |
| Median home value | $127,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $161,100 ($93,820–$278,170) n=892 |
| Median gross rent | $966 | $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 | 78.2 yr ± 0.88 | 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 0.88 years of 78.2, 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