ZIP code
63538
in Elmer, MissouriPopulation 105
39.95/ 100
Ranked #26,794 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 16%)
Ranked #698 of 993 Missouri ZIPs (bottom 30%)
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.
Home broadband subscription
40%
in the bottom 0.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
3.7%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 65 decibels — around the volume of normal conversation.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.4 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 4.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS4thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
25.9%
in the top 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
100%
at the national maximum
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Transportation noise
13.5%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST96thUS95thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of residents exposed to average road, rail, and aviation noise at or above 55 decibels — a noticeable background presence.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
11.7%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST85thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
2.0%
in the top 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
39.4%
in the top 6.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
70.2 mi
in the top 6.5% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›The read
Elmer, Missouri (ZIP 63538), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 16% nationally (26,794th) and the bottom 30% of Missouri (698th).
The profile cuts both ways, and the readings bear that out: distance to a Superfund site resides in the top 6.5% nationally. Working the other way, home broadband subscription lies in the bottom 0.9% nationally, modeled loud transportation noise settles in the top 2.6% nationally, and walkability stands in the bottom 4.4% nationally. Modeled tooth loss is in the top 6.2% nationally, and PFAS in drinking water rests at the national maximum. Modeled transportation noise sits in the top 5.2% nationally, and hearing disability registers in the top 5.6% nationally. Slow internet speeds lands in the top 5.8% nationally, and floodplain exposure resides in the top 6.4% nationally.
In everyday language, 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 Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 63501, 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.
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 49%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 40%
13%
Mental Health
healthier than 51%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 13%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 16%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 19%
11%
Disability
healthier than 19%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 12%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 14%
5%
Lifting this score
Mental Health
healthier than 86%
8%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 56%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 16%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 15%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 38%
14%
Disability
healthier than 33%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 6%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 4%
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
63501
Missourishares a border
Score 46.47
Closest healthier
63530
Missourishares a border
Score 45.90
Similar health profile
67352
Kansas99% similar profile
Score 41.69
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 | 35.9% | 32.1–39.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.4% | 38.9–47.7 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 11.1% | 9.9–12.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.3% | 9.1–11.6 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.0% | 8.7–11.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.1% | 9.4–13.0 |
| Depression among adults | 23.0% | 19.6–26.6 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.3% | 13.2–17.5 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.9% | 38.5–47.5 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.4% | 28.3–42.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.8% | 4.2–5.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 25.9% | 21.4–30.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.2% | 7.3–11.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 81.9% | 79.2–84.3 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 80.6% | 77.2–83.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.1% | 84.0–88.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.4% | 58.8–69.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 52.6% | 48.3–56.3 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 71.3% | 62.3–78.5 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.1% | 11.6–16.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.9% | 15.7–22.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.1% | 28.6–39.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.6% | 31.8–45.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.8% | 21.1–28.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.8% | 14.8–18.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.1% | 14.9–19.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.8% | 15.5–20.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 41.8% | 36.4–47.1 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.3–13.3 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.2% | 8.8–11.6 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.5% | 17.5–23.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.8% | 4.1–5.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.9% | 5.1–6.8 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.2% | 16.8–23.6 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.3% | 10.8–16.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 8.3–12.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.5% | 8.8–12.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.6–9.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.8% | 25.2–34.8 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.6–9.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 26.7% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.3% (3.2–26.0%) n=1,009 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 25.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 13.2% (3.5–28.4%) n=1,006 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 9.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.5% (2.5–20.5%) n=1,009 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 4.4% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 18.1% (7.2–40.2%) n=1,009 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.9% (0.0–8.5%) n=1,003 |
| Households without a vehicle | 9.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–11.9%) n=1,009 |
| Broadband subscription | 40.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.3% (72.7–95.2%) n=1,009 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 27.3% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.7% (8.4–33.9%) n=1,009 |
| Homeownership rate | 94.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 79.4% (56.0–94.3%) n=1,009 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.1%) n=1,009 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–6.4%) n=1,010 |
| Single-parent households | 88.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 55.0% (39.5–75.6%) n=1,005 |
| Population 65+ | 52.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.2% (11.7–31.1%) n=1,010 |
| Median age | 67.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.5 yr (33.3–55.9) n=1,005 |
| Median household income | $47,188 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,740 ($42,457–$95,231) n=948 |
| Median home value | $88,000 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $174,150 ($91,880–$309,500) n=930 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $813 ($553–$1,265) n=786 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.2 yr ± 1.45 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 77.6 yr (74.6–81.0) n=995 |
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 1.45 years of 76.2, 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