ZIP code
62438
in Lakewood, IllinoisPopulation 238
48.32/ 100
Ranked #18,516 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 42%)
Ranked #914 of 1,368 Illinois ZIPs (bottom 33%)
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.
Poverty rate
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
33.8%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
9.2%
in the bottom 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
18.5 mi
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
98.1%
in the top 12.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS88thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents served by public water systems where PFAS — man-made “forever chemicals” that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down — were detected in EPA testing.
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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS25thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Lakewood, Illinois (ZIP 62438) lands in the bottom 42% nationally (18,516th) and the bottom 33% of Illinois (914th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Where the load on this area runs deepest, the data leads: modeled arsenic registers in the top 2.4% nationally, and distance to a community health center rests in the top 9.2% nationally. PFAS in drinking water stands in the top 12.3% nationally, and modeled mammography lies in the bottom 12.4% nationally. More encouragingly, poverty lands at the national minimum. Unemployment sits at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Households without a vehicle is at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Housing-cost burden settles in the bottom 8.6% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise resides at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Crowded housing registers at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs.
A note on the terms: arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. PFAS in drinking water is the family of man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 62422, just across the boundary, ranks better 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 78%
14%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Disability
healthier than 49%
7%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 26%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 39%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 40%
8%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 40%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 10%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 95%
14%
About typical
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 34%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 26%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 37%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 16%
8%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 21%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 11%
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
62422
Illinoisshares a border
Score 48.79
Closest healthier
62431
Illinoisabout 1.0 mi away
Score 48.67
Similar health profile
61044
Illinois86% similar profile
Score 48.80
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 | 30.5% | 26.7–34.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 37.5% | 32.9–42.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.7% | 8.7–10.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.7% | 9.4–12.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.7–8.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 8.9% | 7.6–10.4 |
| Depression among adults | 23.3% | 19.6–27.1 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 12.6% | 10.7–14.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 38.5% | 33.9–43.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.3% | 29.6–47.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.9% | 3.5–4.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.8% | 10.2–15.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.7% | 6.1–9.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.2% | 74.9–81.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.4% | 74.5–81.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.7% | 84.7–88.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 62.8% | 57.1–68.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.7% | 60.8–68.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.6% | 59.8–78.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 17.7% | 14.4–21.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.1% | 13.3–19.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.3% | 20.6–30.3 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.2% | 27.0–41.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 20.3% | 17.2–23.6 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.8% | 15.5–20.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.7% | 12.7–16.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.5% | 12.5–16.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 32.7% | 27.9–37.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.1% | 7.1–9.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 9.0% | 7.8–10.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.3–18.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.0% | 3.5–4.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.0% | 4.4–5.7 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.6% | 20.7–28.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.9% | 11.5–16.6 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.9% | 11.4–16.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.9% | 9.1–12.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.4% | 6.4–8.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 33.5% | 28.1–39.2 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.1% | 6.0–8.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 0.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.4% (3.4–21.4%) n=1,378 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.6% (1.7–15.2%) n=1,375 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.5% (2.1–16.1%) n=1,377 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 39.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.6% (9.3–49.2%) n=1,377 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.7–10.0%) n=1,375 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–11.8%) n=1,377 |
| Broadband subscription | 93.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.4% (77.4–96.0%) n=1,377 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 9.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.2% (10.7–34.7%) n=1,377 |
| Homeownership rate | 90.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.9% (61.0–94.1%) n=1,377 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.9% (0.0–4.1%) n=1,377 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.4% (0.0–17.6%) n=1,378 |
| Single-parent households | 100.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.8% (39.6–70.3%) n=1,372 |
| Population 65+ | 25.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.4% (12.1–28.7%) n=1,378 |
| Median age | 54.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.1 yr (34.3–52.1) n=1,373 |
| Median household income | $71,786 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $75,429 ($50,714–$114,949) n=1,334 |
| Median home value | $218,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $154,250 ($86,310–$346,100) n=1,332 |
| Median gross rent | — | $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 | 76.4 yr ± 0.71 | 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 0.71 years of 76.4, 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