ZIP code
62556
in Palmer, IllinoisPopulation 370
52.35/ 100
Ranked #12,968 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 40%)
Ranked #552 of 1,368 Illinois ZIPs (top 40%)
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.
Housing-cost burden
46.2%
in the top 4.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
5.4 ppb
in the top 9.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
US91stDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
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 ›Unemployment rate
0.57%
in the bottom 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS16thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
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
Palmer, Illinois (ZIP 62556), by its overall standing, sits in the top 40% healthiest ZIPs nationally (12,968th) and the top 40% of Illinois (552nd).
Several readings land clearly in this area's favor and shape the picture: crowded housing sits at the national minimum, shared with about 29% of ZIPs. Unemployment settles in the bottom 16% nationally. Outer-floodplain exposure registers at the national minimum, shared with about 36% of ZIPs. Set against that, housing-cost burden stands in the top 4.8% nationally, and lead in tap water lands in the top 9.0% nationally. Fiber broadband is at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled radon resides in the top 11.6% nationally, and binge drinking rests in the top 11.9% nationally. Home broadband subscription lies in the bottom 13.4% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site sits in the bottom 18% nationally.
Defined in plain terms, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 62546, 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
Mental Health
healthier than 61%
8%
Disability
healthier than 67%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 61%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 56%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 50%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 45%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 46%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 40%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 34%
16%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 68%
14%
Disability
healthier than 60%
7%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 54%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 47%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 55%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 58%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 49%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 38%
16%
“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
62546
Illinoisshares a border
Score 53.33
Closest healthier
62563
Illinoisabout 9.6 mi away
Score 61.49
Similar health profile
60401
Illinois96% similar profile
Score 53.77
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 | 28.7% | 25.0–32.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 36.1% | 31.5–40.6 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.8% | 8.8–10.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.1% | 8.9–11.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.2% | 6.2–8.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.6% | 6.3–8.9 |
| Depression among adults | 21.9% | 18.2–25.7 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.2% | 9.4–13.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 37.6% | 32.8–42.3 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.9% | 27.3–44.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.6% | 3.1–4.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 15.1% | 11.8–18.6 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.0% | 5.3–8.8 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 77.1% | 73.8–80.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.9% | 74.1–81.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.7% | 85.7–89.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.1% | 58.3–69.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 64.2% | 59.9–68.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.1% | 61.4–79.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.9% | 15.5–22.6 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 14.4% | 11.6–17.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 22.5% | 17.9–27.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 35.5% | 27.9–43.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 18.0% | 15.0–21.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.2–18.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.4% | 11.5–15.4 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.0% | 11.1–15.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 29.9% | 25.1–34.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 7.9% | 6.8–9.0 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.7% | 6.6–8.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 13.7% | 11.4–16.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.4% | 2.9–3.9 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.2% | 3.6–4.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 24.1% | 20.3–28.3 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.1% | 8.8–13.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.3% | 8.1–12.9 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.3% | 7.5–11.2 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.2% | 5.2–7.3 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.7% | 27.3–38.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.8% | 4.8–6.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | IL median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.4% (3.4–21.4%) n=1,378 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 3.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.6% (1.7–15.2%) n=1,375 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 8.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 6.5% (2.1–16.1%) n=1,377 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 10.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.6% (9.3–49.2%) n=1,377 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.6% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.7–10.0%) n=1,375 |
| Households without a vehicle | 3.2% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–11.8%) n=1,377 |
| Broadband subscription | 77.8% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 89.4% (77.4–96.0%) n=1,377 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 46.2% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.2% (10.7–34.7%) n=1,377 |
| Homeownership rate | 89.2% | 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 | 49.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.8% (39.6–70.3%) n=1,372 |
| Population 65+ | 27.8% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.4% (12.1–28.7%) n=1,378 |
| Median age | 50.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.1 yr (34.3–52.1) n=1,373 |
| Median household income | $55,694 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $75,429 ($50,714–$114,949) n=1,334 |
| Median home value | $102,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $154,250 ($86,310–$346,100) n=1,332 |
| Median gross rent | $720 | $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 | 76.7 yr ± 1.16 | 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 1.16 years of 76.7, 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