ZIP code
63539
in Ethel, MissouriPopulation 259
41.57/ 100
Ranked #25,597 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 20%)
Ranked #612 of 993 Missouri ZIPs (bottom 38%)
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
51.4%
in the bottom 1.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
4.0%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
49.5%
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
12.1%
in the top 3.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.5 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 4.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS5thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
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 ›Tooth loss
25.2%
in the top 7.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
75.4 mi
in the top 5.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS94thDefinition & 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 ›Households without a vehicle
16.8%
in the top 6.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with no vehicle available.
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
11.5%
in the top 6.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST82ndUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›The read
Judged by its overall standing, Ethel, Missouri (ZIP 63539) sits in the bottom 20% nationally (25,597th) and the bottom 38% of Missouri (612th).
A few readings account for most of this area's strain: home broadband subscription settles in the bottom 1.6% nationally, modeled loud transportation noise lands in the top 2.2% nationally, and housing-cost burden rests in the top 3.3% nationally. Crowded housing settles in the top 3.3% nationally, walkability lands in the bottom 4.8% nationally, and PFAS in drinking water rests at the national maximum. Modeled tooth loss settles in the top 7.0% nationally, and households without a vehicle lands in the top 6.0% nationally. Modeled hearing disability rests in the top 6.5% nationally. On the better side, distance to a Superfund site settles in the top 5.7% nationally.
Put plainly, 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 nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 63534, 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 53%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 44%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 20%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 12%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 38%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 19%
11%
Disability
healthier than 18%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 34%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 11%
5%
Lifting this score
Mental Health
healthier than 79%
8%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 42%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 52%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 43%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 41%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 30%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 10%
16%
Disability
healthier than 31%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 2%
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
63534
Missourishares a border
Score 43.70
Closest healthier
63557
Missourishares a border
Score 47.43
Similar health profile
72339
Arkansas98% similar profile
Score 38.35
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 | 34.6% | 30.8–38.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 41.1% | 36.6–45.3 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.9% | 9.8–12.0 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.3% | 9.0–11.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.1–10.5 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.6% | 9.0–12.4 |
| Depression among adults | 23.5% | 19.9–27.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.7% | 11.7–15.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 40.7% | 36.3–45.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 34.7% | 27.5–42.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.7% | 4.1–5.3 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 25.2% | 20.9–29.4 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 9.8% | 7.5–12.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 80.7% | 77.8–83.1 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.6% | 76.0–82.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.1% | 82.7–87.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.6% | 56.2–66.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 52.4% | 48.2–56.2 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 76.5% | 68.3–83.0 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.8% | 12.1–17.7 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.5% | 15.1–21.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.2% | 28.6–39.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.0% | 31.2–44.9 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 24.2% | 20.5–28.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 17.2% | 15.0–19.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 16.8% | 14.6–19.2 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.3% | 15.6–20.9 |
| Any disability among adults | 41.9% | 36.9–47.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.5% | 10.2–12.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.7% | 9.1–12.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.3% | 17.4–23.4 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.6% | 4.0–5.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.0% | 5.1–6.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 20.1% | 16.9–23.7 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.3% | 10.8–16.5 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.7% | 8.5–13.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.8% | 8.9–13.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.7–9.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 30.5% | 25.9–35.9 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 7.9% | 6.7–9.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.9% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.3% (3.2–26.0%) n=1,009 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 45.7% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 13.2% (3.5–28.4%) n=1,006 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 13.3% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.5% (2.5–20.5%) n=1,009 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 12.7% | 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 | 16.8% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–11.9%) n=1,009 |
| Broadband subscription | 51.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.3% (72.7–95.2%) n=1,009 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 49.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.7% (8.4–33.9%) n=1,009 |
| Homeownership rate | 88.8% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 79.4% (56.0–94.3%) n=1,009 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 12.1% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.1%) n=1,009 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–6.4%) n=1,010 |
| Single-parent households | 44.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 55.0% (39.5–75.6%) n=1,005 |
| Population 65+ | 30.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.2% (11.7–31.1%) n=1,010 |
| Median age | 41.5 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.5 yr (33.3–55.9) n=1,005 |
| Median household income | $35,417 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,740 ($42,457–$95,231) n=948 |
| Median home value | $95,600 | $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