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ZipVitals

ZIP code

55117

in St. Paul, MinnesotaPopulation 44,697

51.76/ 100

Ranked #13,755 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 43%)

Ranked #579 of 866 Minnesota ZIPs (bottom 33%)

Ranked #203 of 224 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ZIPs (bottom 9.4%)

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.

Expected annual disaster loss

$0

in the top 3.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US97th
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 ›

Loneliness

40.1%

in the top 4.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Subsidized affordable housing

532 units

in the top 4.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST97th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.

Full methodology ›

Transit access

5.4 per 1,000 residents

in the top 4.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST93rd
US96th
Definition & source ›

The number of public-transit stops 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 ›

Distance to a Superfund site

0.8 mi

in the bottom 6.6% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST5th
US7th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Lead in tap water

6.4 ppb

in the top 7.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

US93rd
Definition & source ›

The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.

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 ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the top 8.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US91st
Definition & 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 ›

Crowded housing

6.7%

in the top 9.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.

Full methodology ›

Loud transportation noise

1.6%

in the top 10.3% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US90th
Definition & 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 ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the top 11.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US89th
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 ›

The read

Judged by its overall standing, ZIP 55117, one of several in St. Paul, Minnesota sits in the top 43% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,755th) and the bottom 33% of Minnesota (579th).

continue reading

The measures that most flatter this area set the tone for the rest: subsidized affordable housing rests in the top 4.1% nationally, and transit settles in the top 4.5% nationally. Distance to a community health center lands at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. Against that, modeled expected annual loss rests in the top 3.3% nationally, and loneliness settles in the top 4.0% nationally. Distance to a Superfund site lands in the bottom 6.6% nationally, and lead in tap water rests in the top 7.0% nationally. Modeled industrial-pollution burden settles in the top 8.6% nationally, and crowded housing lands in the top 9.0% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise rests in the top 10.3% nationally.

Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 55108, 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. Compare it against the US, this state and the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area.

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 84%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 73%

11%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 71%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 92%

5%

About typical

Disability

healthier than 58%

7%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 38%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 2%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 20%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 31%

8%

Lifting this score

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 75%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 70%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 97%

5%

About typical

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 42%

5%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 28%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 2%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 4%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 9%

8%

Disability

healthier than 29%

7%

Lifting this score

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 62%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 94%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 43%

21%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 49%

11%

Holding it back

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 6%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 6%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 9%

13%

Mental Health

healthier than 11%

8%

Disability

healthier than 9%

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 ›

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.

  • Heavy environment, light chronic burden

    Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions

    Environmental-hazard standing 1.7 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 84.4 — 83 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #17,389 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.

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 adults19.5%17.9–21.3
High blood pressure among adults30.3%28.1–32.7
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults6.3%5.8–6.9
Current asthma among adults10.3%9.3–11.5
Coronary heart disease among adults5.5%5.0–6.1
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults5.7%5.1–6.3
Depression among adults25.3%23.0–27.7
Diagnosed diabetes among adults11.7%10.4–13.0
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened32.9%30.6–35.4
Obesity among adults33.0%30.1–36.2
Stroke among adults3.2%2.9–3.4
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years12.1%10.1–14.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years10.2%9.0–11.5
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure73.1%70.5–75.6
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults73.3%70.8–75.8
Cholesterol screening among adults81.4%79.7–83.1
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years63.1%60.0–66.1
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults58.6%56.0–61.1
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.1%72.6–81.1
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.6%12.8–16.5
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.4%13.6–17.2
No leisure-time physical activity among adults24.5%22.0–27.3
Short sleep duration among adults32.4%29.6–35.1
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults21.7%19.7–23.8
Frequent mental distress among adults17.4%15.8–19.1
Frequent physical distress among adults12.8%11.6–14.2
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults15.3%13.9–16.9
Any disability among adults30.4%27.8–33.1
Hearing disability among adults6.0%5.4–6.6
Independent living disability among adults8.8%7.9–9.7
Mobility disability among adults13.0%11.6–14.4
Self-care disability among adults4.0%3.6–4.3
Vision disability among adults5.5%5.0–6.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults29.1%26.4–31.7
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults21.7%19.4–23.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults15.4%13.7–17.1
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults15.0%13.3–16.6
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults11.6%10.5–12.8
Loneliness among adults40.1%37.0–43.1
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.1%8.1–10.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MN median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate17.8%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.4% (3.6–16.8%) n=872
Uninsured 18–649.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2866.2% (2.3–12.7%) n=872
No HS diploma (25+)13.9%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.5% (2.2–11.2%) n=873
Bachelor's or higher (25+)31.5%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50523.4% (13.6–48.8%) n=873
Unemployment rate (16+)5.1%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.2% (0.8–7.1%) n=872
Households without a vehicle9.9%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3223.4% (0.4–9.1%) n=871
Broadband subscription92.3%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32289.2% (81.6–95.3%) n=871
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)35.2%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32222.1% (14.0–31.1%) n=871
Homeownership rate61.3%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32283.9% (67.0–94.0%) n=871
Crowded housing (>1 per room)6.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.1% (0.0–3.9%) n=871
Foreign-born population21.6%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.8% (0.1–11.9%) n=873
Single-parent households36.6%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08756.9% (44.1–70.7%) n=870
Population 65+11.0%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.2% (12.7–30.7%) n=873
Median age32.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.3 yr (35.2–54.3) n=873
Median household income$70,771$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$77,917 ($58,441–$110,840) n=864
Median home value$280,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$234,000 ($132,740–$396,860) n=857
Median gross rent$1,194$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$925 ($650–$1,588) n=759
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)MN median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth78.4 yr ± 0.6278.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30881.1 yr (78.3–84.8) n=864

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 0.62 years of 78.4, 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