ZIP code
56222
in Clara City, MinnesotaPopulation 1,972
48.61/ 100
Ranked #18,184 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 43%)
Ranked #760 of 866 Minnesota ZIPs (bottom 12.3%)
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.
Fatal road crashes
0 per 100,000 residents per year
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Radon
3.2 pCi/L
in the top 7.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST74thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
1.1%
in the top 8.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST54thUS92ndDefinition & source ›
The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
62.8 mi
in the top 8.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST85thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Short sleep
29.8%
in the bottom 8.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST41stUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
0.14%
in the bottom 16% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST7thUS16thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Obesity
39.9%
in the top 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS75thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, Clara City, Minnesota (ZIP 56222) ranks in the bottom 43% nationally (18,184th) and the bottom 12.3% of Minnesota (760th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Strengths and concerns sit side by side across the measures here: fatal road crashes settles at the national minimum, and distance to a Superfund site lies in the top 8.1% nationally. Modeled short sleep resides in the bottom 8.8% nationally. Distance to a nursing home lands at the national minimum, shared with about 27% of ZIPs. On the other hand, modeled radon registers in the top 7.9% nationally, fine-particle sits in the top 8.0% nationally, and energy burden rests in the top 10.4% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Modeled tree cover stands in the bottom 16% nationally, and distance to a community health center settles in the top 16% nationally.
In plainer terms, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Fine-particle is fine airborne particles about one-thirtieth the width of a hair, counted on modeled days above the EPA standard. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 56252, 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
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 45%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 49%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 57%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 42%
8%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 20%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 31%
14%
Disability
healthier than 36%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 21%
5%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 63%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 58%
14%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 12%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 13%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 23%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 31%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 19%
8%
Disability
healthier than 7%
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.
Nearby
56252
Minnesotashares a border
Score 50.25
Closest healthier
56260
Minnesotashares a border
Score 50.71
Similar health profile
16820
Pennsylvania96% similar profile
Score 49.40
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 | 28.1% | 24.9–31.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.1% | 31.1–39.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.3% | 9.3–11.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.2% | 9.1–11.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.5% | 7.5–9.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.0% | 6.9–9.2 |
| Depression among adults | 24.9% | 21.4–28.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.8% | 11.0–14.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 35.5% | 31.4–39.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.9% | 32.4–47.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 16.3% | 13.4–19.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.2% | 7.4–11.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.8% | 77.3–82.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 75.0% | 71.4–78.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.1% | 82.0–86.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 69.8% | 64.6–74.5 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.4% | 60.9–67.9 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 75.8% | 67.7–82.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.6% | 13.9–19.9 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.5% | 13.9–19.4 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.4% | 24.7–34.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.8% | 23.9–36.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.3% | 17.3–23.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.3–18.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.4–16.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 15.0% | 13.0–17.0 |
| Any disability among adults | 33.9% | 29.2–38.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.8% | 8.7–11.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.3% | 8.0–10.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 16.4% | 14.0–18.7 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.8–4.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.8–6.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.5% | 18.2–25.0 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.9% | 11.5–16.7 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 8.8–13.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 8.5–11.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.2% | 7.0–9.5 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.2% | 25.5–35.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.6% | 5.7–7.7 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MN median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.4% (3.6–16.8%) n=872 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 9.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.2% (2.3–12.7%) n=872 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.5% (2.2–11.2%) n=873 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 23.4% (13.6–48.8%) n=873 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.2% (0.8–7.1%) n=872 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.4% (0.4–9.1%) n=871 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.2% (81.6–95.3%) n=871 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 26.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 22.1% (14.0–31.1%) n=871 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 83.9% (67.0–94.0%) n=871 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–3.9%) n=871 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.8% (0.1–11.9%) n=873 |
| Single-parent households | 52.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.9% (44.1–70.7%) n=870 |
| Population 65+ | 18.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.2% (12.7–30.7%) n=873 |
| Median age | 37.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (35.2–54.3) n=873 |
| Median household income | $71,429 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $77,917 ($58,441–$110,840) n=864 |
| Median home value | $156,600 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $234,000 ($132,740–$396,860) n=857 |
| Median gross rent | $1,066 | $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 | 78.1 yr ± 1.56 | 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 1.56 years of 78.1, 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