ZIP code
53963
in Waupun, WisconsinPopulation 13,952
49.63/ 100
Ranked #16,753 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 48%)
Ranked #580 of 763 Wisconsin ZIPs (bottom 24%)
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.
Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled screening score for industrial chemical releases, weighting the amounts released by their toxicity and how many people live nearby — a relative comparison score, not a measured exposure.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
20.5%
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Obesity
45.9%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Park land
13.1%
in the top 9.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS90thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
27.8%
in the top 11.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS89thDefinition & 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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
184 units
in the top 12.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS87thDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
1.1%
in the bottom 24% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST8thUS24thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Housing insecurity
13.0%
in the top 30% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS70thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who experienced housing insecurity in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Waupun, Wisconsin (ZIP 53963) lands in the bottom 48% nationally (16,753rd) and the bottom 24% of Wisconsin (580th).
The picture here is genuinely mixed, with readings on both sides: distance to an emergency room lands at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Park land sits in the top 9.8% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing is in the top 12.7% nationally. Distance to a nursing home settles at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other side, modeled industrial-pollution burden resides in the top 4.0% nationally, binge drinking registers in the top 4.5% nationally, and obesity rests in the top 3.2% nationally. Floodplain exposure stands in the top 11.3% nationally, modeled expected annual loss lies in the top 12.7% nationally, and modeled radon lands in the top 16% nationally.
Set beside the nearby areas, industrial-pollution burden runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. A note on the terms: industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 53006, just across the boundary, ranks better overall.
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
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 65%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 43%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 48%
8%
Disability
healthier than 55%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 29%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 10%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 33%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 66%
21%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 66%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 46%
16%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 33%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 5%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 3%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 27%
8%
Disability
healthier than 40%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 5%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Below its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 78.6 ± 1.8 years. The 46 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 81.5 years — 3.0 years below them.
Ranked #2,345 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
53006
Wisconsinshares a border
Score 51.51
Closest healthier
53050
Wisconsinshares a border
Score 52.66
Similar health profile
40121
Kentucky92% similar profile
Score 46.59
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 | 25.4% | 23.4–27.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.5% | 30.9–36.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.2% | 6.7–7.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.7% | 9.7–11.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.5% | 5.9–7.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.8 |
| Depression among adults | 22.9% | 20.5–25.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.2% | 10.1–12.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 33.9% | 31.3–36.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 45.9% | 41.2–50.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.4% | 3.1–3.7 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.8% | 10.9–14.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.4% | 8.8–12.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 74.1% | 71.8–76.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.1% | 73.3–78.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 82.1% | 80.0–84.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.2% | 60.7–67.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.8% | 59.1–64.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.1% | 72.2–81.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 20.5% | 18.0–23.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 17.8% | 15.7–20.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.7% | 27.4–34.2 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.7% | 31.7–39.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.1% | 18.0–22.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.1% | 15.6–18.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.8% | 12.6–15.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.2% | 13.6–16.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.0% | 29.9–36.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.0% | 6.4–7.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.7 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.9% | 12.5–15.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.6–4.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.6–5.6 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.9% | 21.2–26.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.1% | 14.0–18.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 16.8% | 14.6–19.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.0% | 11.3–14.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.6% | 7.6–9.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.1% | 28.7–35.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.6% | 6.7–8.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WI median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.5% (3.6–16.0%) n=765 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.7% (2.4–14.9%) n=764 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.9% (2.3–12.6%) n=768 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.5% (12.7–44.0%) n=768 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.6% (0.9–5.6%) n=763 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.8–9.0%) n=764 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.8% (80.0–94.8%) n=764 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 23.1% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.8% (14.7–29.1%) n=764 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 81.3% (62.1–91.8%) n=764 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.7%) n=764 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.8% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.9% (0.3–6.8%) n=768 |
| Single-parent households | 53.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 59.0% (47.7–72.8%) n=762 |
| Population 65+ | 14.2% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.4% (13.9–32.2%) n=768 |
| Median age | 39.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 44.2 yr (36.2–56.1) n=765 |
| Median household income | $77,631 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $75,147 ($57,542–$101,625) n=755 |
| Median home value | $208,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $231,900 ($160,140–$367,300) n=755 |
| Median gross rent | $950 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $914 ($696–$1,261) n=706 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | WI median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.5 yr ± 0.92 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.4 yr (77.7–83.6) n=712 |
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 0.92 years of 78.5, 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