ZIP code
56111
in Alpha, MinnesotaPopulation 356
56.87/ 100
Ranked #7,394 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 23%)
Ranked #229 of 866 Minnesota ZIPs (top 26%)
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
5.2%
in the bottom 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Arsenic in groundwater
40.3%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms 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 ›Radon
3.6 pCi/L
in the top 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Loneliness
27.3%
in the bottom 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
28.4%
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST19thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.13%
in the bottom 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS9thDefinition & 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 ›Cross-source signals
Combined exposures in this ZIP
More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.
This area ranks among the highest 10% of US ZIP codes for both modeled radon and modeled groundwater arsenic.
See the full radon & arsenic analysis →
The read
Alpha, Minnesota (ZIP 56111), by its overall standing, sits in the top 23% healthiest ZIPs nationally (7,394th) and the top 26% of Minnesota (229th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The measures fall on both sides of the ledger for this area: modeled pfas sits in the bottom 1.2% nationally, loneliness settles in the bottom 4.1% nationally, and short sleep registers in the bottom 4.0% nationally. Households without a vehicle stands at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise lands in the bottom 9.0% nationally, and utility shutoff is in the bottom 10.9% nationally. Set against that, modeled arsenic resides in the top 1.6% nationally, and radon rests in the top 4.1% nationally. Fiber broadband lies at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled fine-particle sits in the top 11.7% nationally.
Defined in plain terms, 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. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, 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. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 51363, about 4.7 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.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 70%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 66%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 77%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 72%
8%
Disability
healthier than 75%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 78%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 48%
16%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 23%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 20%
5%
Lifting this score
Risk Behavior
healthier than 78%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 85%
8%
Disability
healthier than 61%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 62%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 50%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 40%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 54%
13%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 55%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 39%
14%
“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
51334
Iowashares a border
Score 48.76
Closest healthier
51363
Iowaabout 4.7 mi away
Score 60.89
Similar health profile
57769
South Dakota98% similar profile
Score 58.37
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 | 25.3% | 22.2–28.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 33.8% | 29.9–38.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.3% | 9.2–11.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.7% | 8.6–10.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.2% | 6.2–8.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.0% | 5.0–7.1 |
| Depression among adults | 22.7% | 19.6–26.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.8% | 9.2–12.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.5% | 31.4–39.8 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.2% | 28.2–42.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.0–4.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.3% | 8.3–12.5 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.9% | 5.5–8.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.9% | 76.0–81.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.0% | 72.3–79.2 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.8% | 85.0–88.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 68.7% | 63.9–73.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 70.0% | 66.7–73.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.3% | 68.3–82.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.7% | 14.8–20.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.6% | 11.2–16.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.3% | 19.1–27.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 28.4% | 22.8–34.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.6% | 13.2–18.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.5% | 12.8–16.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.0% | 10.4–13.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 12.1% | 10.5–13.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 28.6% | 24.6–32.9 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.3–9.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.8% | 5.9–7.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.4% | 10.4–14.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.2% | 2.7–3.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.3–4.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.0% | 16.9–23.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.1% | 7.2–11.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.3% | 4.9–7.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.8% | 6.4–9.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.9% | 5.0–6.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 27.3% | 23.2–31.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 4.8% | 4.0–5.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.4% (3.6–16.8%) n=872 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.2% (2.3–12.7%) n=872 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.5% (2.2–11.2%) n=873 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 35.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.4% (13.6–48.8%) n=873 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 1.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.8–7.1%) n=872 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.4% (0.4–9.1%) n=871 |
| Broadband subscription | 89.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (81.6–95.3%) n=871 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 18.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.1% (14.0–31.1%) n=871 |
| Homeownership rate | 90.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 83.9% (67.0–94.0%) n=871 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.9%) n=871 |
| Foreign-born population | 13.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.1–11.9%) n=873 |
| Single-parent households | 62.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.9% (44.1–70.7%) n=870 |
| Population 65+ | 18.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–30.7%) n=873 |
| Median age | 53.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (35.2–54.3) n=873 |
| Median household income | $98,125 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $77,917 ($58,441–$110,840) n=864 |
| Median home value | $104,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $234,000 ($132,740–$396,860) n=857 |
| Median gross rent | $1,268 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $925 ($650–$1,588) n=759 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.2 yr ± 1.60 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 81.1 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 1.60 years of 83.2, 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