ZIP code
57449
in Houghton, South DakotaPopulation 357
58.82/ 100
Ranked #5,727 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 18%)
Ranked #34 of 360 South Dakota ZIPs (top 9.5%)
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.
Median household income
$150,000
in the top 3.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
131.5 mi
in the top 2.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST74thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Walkability
1.2 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST28thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
28%
in the bottom 3.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS3rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
75.1%
in the top 2.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
40.9%
in the bottom 5.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST5thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
13.5 mi
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST83rdUS94thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Lithium in drinking water
67 µg/L
in the top 6.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
1.4%
in the top 6.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS93rdDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
8.2%
in the bottom 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST17thUS7thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
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
By the composite health measure, Houghton, South Dakota (ZIP 57449) ranks in the top 18% healthiest ZIPs nationally (5,727th) and the top 9.5% of South Dakota (34th).
The picture here is genuinely mixed, with readings on both sides: household income is in the top 3.9% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site settles in the top 2.3% nationally. Modeled short sleep resides in the bottom 3.1% nationally, and colon screening registers in the top 2.9% nationally. Unemployment rests at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. On the other side, walkability stands in the bottom 3.3% nationally, homeownership lies in the bottom 5.5% nationally, and distance to a nursing home lands in the top 6.5% nationally. Lithium in drinking water sits in the top 6.8% nationally, and modeled fine-particle is in the top 6.9% nationally.
To spell things out, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Lithium in drinking water is a natural metal that dissolves into some groundwater and has no federal drinking-water limit yet. Fine-particle is fine airborne particles about one-thirtieth the width of a hair, counted on modeled days above the EPA standard. Close by, ZIP 57441, less than a tenth of a mile away, ranks healthier 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
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 60%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 94%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 85%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 96%
8%
Disability
healthier than 71%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 49%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 43%
14%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 40%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 6%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 76%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 66%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 98%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 97%
11%
Mental Health
in the top 0.9%
8%
Disability
healthier than 72%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 39%
21%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 15%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
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
57432
South Dakotashares a border
Score 57.47
Closest healthier
57441
South Dakotaless than 0.1 mi away
Score 58.94
Similar health profile
57065
South Dakota99% similar profile
Score 58.73
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 | 32.9% | 29.5–36.3 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.4% | 33.9–41.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 12.2% | 10.9–13.6 |
| Current asthma among adults | 8.9% | 7.8–10.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.4% | 7.1–9.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.1% | 5.5–8.8 |
| Depression among adults | 18.1% | 15.4–20.9 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.0% | 11.0–15.3 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.3% | 34.8–42.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.4% | 29.5–39.6 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.2–4.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.7% | 9.7–14.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 6.8% | 4.8–9.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.1% | 79.1–84.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.9% | 78.0–83.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.8% | 86.8–90.7 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 75.1% | 71.6–78.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 72.6% | 69.8–75.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 79.6% | 74.3–84.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 15.9% | 13.4–18.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.4% | 10.4–16.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 23.4% | 19.1–28.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 28.0% | 24.5–31.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.8% | 12.9–19.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 12.4% | 10.6–14.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 12.3% | 10.4–14.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 10.9% | 9.0–12.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 30.3% | 25.7–35.3 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.0% | 8.6–11.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.3% | 5.2–7.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.8% | 11.2–16.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.3% | 2.6–4.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.8% | 3.1–4.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 2.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.8% (1.1–33.5%) n=364 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 19.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 9.6% (0.0–33.2%) n=365 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.0% (0.8–15.3%) n=366 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 19.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 24.6% (10.3–40.7%) n=366 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 1.1% (0.0–8.0%) n=365 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 1.9% (0.0–9.6%) n=364 |
| Broadband subscription | 80.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.9% (73.7–96.3%) n=364 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 8.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 17.5% (5.2–30.6%) n=364 |
| Homeownership rate | 40.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 79.9% (57.2–94.8%) n=364 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.6% (0.0–10.2%) n=364 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.6% (0.0–5.3%) n=367 |
| Single-parent households | 41.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.7% (32.7–81.4%) n=362 |
| Population 65+ | 24.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 20.3% (8.4–33.0%) n=367 |
| Median age | 37.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.5 yr (27.6–56.7) n=365 |
| Median household income | $150,000 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $74,865 ($51,211–$102,582) n=336 |
| Median home value | — | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $177,400 ($79,000–$321,400) n=311 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $763 ($544–$1,089) n=243 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | SD median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 84.0 yr ± 1.94 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.7 yr (77.4–84.2) n=357 |
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 1.94 years of 84.0, 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