ZIP code
60421
in Elwood, IllinoisPopulation 3,649
51.61/ 100
Ranked #13,972 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 44%)
Ranked #614 of 1,368 Illinois ZIPs (top 45%)
Ranked #266 of 374 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ZIPs (bottom 29%)
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.
Transit access
13 per 1,000 residents
in the top 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & 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
In this ZIP
at the national minimum
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Park land
33%
in the top 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 5.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Elwood, Illinois (ZIP 60421) sits in the top 44% healthiest ZIPs nationally (13,972nd) and the top 45% of Illinois (614th).
An even profile, with readings pulling both ways: transit registers in the top 0.8% nationally, park land is in the top 4.3% nationally, and home broadband subscription lies in the top 14.6% nationally. Against that, distance to a Superfund site registers at the national minimum, modeled industrial-pollution burden is in the top 5.4% nationally, and modeled loud transportation noise lies in the top 10.5% nationally. Modeled binge drinking registers in the top 11.2% nationally, and mammography is in the bottom 14.1% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility lies at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Recreation registers at the national minimum, shared with about 35% of ZIPs.
Placed beside its immediate neighbors, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put plainly, distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 60410, 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area.
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 61%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 72%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 60%
8%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 62%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 41%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 46%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 7%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 33%
11%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 79%
16%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 67%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 60%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 40%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 54%
8%
Disability
healthier than 59%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 14%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 22%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 28%
5%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 53%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 44%
13%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 40%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 25%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 22%
8%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 17%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 25%
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.
Heavy environment, light chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 7.5 (bottom 10%); chronic-disease standing 60.7 — 53 points apart, heavier on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #14,717 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.
Nearby
60410
Illinoisshares a border
Score 55.84
Closest healthier
60442
Illinoisshares a border
Score 59.32
Similar health profile
41094
Kentucky92% similar profile
Score 52.09
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 | 28.6% | 25.5–31.8 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.0% | 31.4–38.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.3% | 9.1–11.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 6.7% | 5.9–7.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.5–8.8 |
| Depression among adults | 21.2% | 18.2–24.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.3% | 9.7–13.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 36.6% | 33.0–40.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 39.0% | 33.3–44.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–3.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 11.1% | 8.9–13.8 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.2% | 6.7–9.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.3% | 75.2–81.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.7% | 74.2–80.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.6% | 85.8–89.3 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.4% | 57.0–67.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.9% | 63.3–70.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.0% | 61.5–77.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 19.0% | 16.1–22.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.2% | 11.8–16.7 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.5% | 21.5–29.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 36.7% | 31.4–42.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.3% | 16.7–22.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.0% | 15.0–19.2 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.6% | 11.9–15.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.3% | 11.5–15.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.0% | 25.2–33.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.2% | 6.3–8.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.9% | 6.9–9.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.9% | 12.0–16.2 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–4.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.4% | 3.9–5.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.5% | 20.9–28.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.1% | 10.1–14.4 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 9.1–13.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 8.7–12.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.7% | 5.8–7.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.4% | 28.8–37.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.4% | 5.4–7.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 5.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.4% (3.4–21.4%) n=1,378 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.9% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.6% (1.7–15.2%) n=1,375 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.5% (2.1–16.1%) n=1,377 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 20.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.6% (9.3–49.2%) n=1,377 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.7–10.0%) n=1,375 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.4% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–11.8%) n=1,377 |
| Broadband subscription | 96.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.4% (77.4–96.0%) n=1,377 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 20.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.2% (10.7–34.7%) n=1,377 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.9% (61.0–94.1%) n=1,377 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.9% (0.0–4.1%) n=1,377 |
| Foreign-born population | 7.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.4% (0.0–17.6%) n=1,378 |
| Single-parent households | 66.6% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.8% (39.6–70.3%) n=1,372 |
| Population 65+ | 18.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.4% (12.1–28.7%) n=1,378 |
| Median age | 47.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.1 yr (34.3–52.1) n=1,373 |
| Median household income | $103,083 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $75,429 ($50,714–$114,949) n=1,334 |
| Median home value | $272,100 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $154,250 ($86,310–$346,100) n=1,332 |
| Median gross rent | $1,188 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $934 ($675–$1,653) n=1,170 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.6 yr ± 1.26 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 78.9 yr (75.5–82.2) n=1,348 |
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 1.26 years of 79.6, 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