ZIP code
64055
in Independence, MissouriPopulation 35,960
44.96/ 100
Ranked #22,450 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 30%)
Ranked #432 of 993 Missouri ZIPs (top 44%)
Ranked #150 of 200 Kansas City, MO-KS ZIPs (bottom 25%)
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.
Air-toxics cancer risk
40 per million
in the top 4.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Industrial-pollution burden
in the top 4.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST95thUS95thDefinition & 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 ›Dental provider access
1 per 1,000 residents
in the top 6.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices located 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 ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the top 8.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS91stDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›Loud transportation noise
1.8%
in the top 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS91stDefinition & 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 ›Outer-floodplain exposure
3.8%
in the top 9.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Subsidized affordable housing
268 units
in the top 9.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of affordable rental units in this ZIP supported by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Full methodology ›Walkability
92 intersections/sq mi
in the top 11.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS88thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
7.9%
in the top 12.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS88thDefinition & 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 ›Transit access
2.4 per 1,000 residents
in the top 12.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS87thDefinition & 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 ›The read
On balance, and by the composite measure, ZIP 64055, one of several in Independence, Missouri ranks in the bottom 30% nationally (22,450th) and the top 44% of Missouri (432nd).
Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: dental providers sits in the top 6.0% nationally, and subsidized affordable housing rests in the top 9.2% nationally. Walkability is in the top 11.7% nationally, and transit stands in the top 12.8% nationally. Against that, modeled air-toxics cancer risk settles in the top 4.5% nationally, industrial-pollution burden lies in the top 4.7% nationally, and expected annual loss resides in the top 8.7% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise lands in the top 8.9% nationally, outer-floodplain exposure registers in the top 9.2% nationally, and modeled transportation noise sits in the top 12.3% nationally.
Compared with the ZIPs it borders, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In plainer terms, air-toxics cancer risk is a modeled EPA estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air, per million people. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 64057, 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 Kansas City, MO-KS metro area.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
healthier than 73%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 55%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 46%
13%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 45%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 39%
21%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 3%
14%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 39%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 21%
8%
Disability
healthier than 26%
7%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 62%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 67%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 78%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 79%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 80%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 58%
21%
Disability
healthier than 50%
7%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 4%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 29%
8%
Lifting this score
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 80%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 65%
5%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 51%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 45%
11%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 23%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 36%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 15%
14%
Mental Health
healthier than 21%
8%
Disability
healthier than 19%
7%
“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
2 of our published findings list 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.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 77.9 ± 1.2 years. The 46 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 75.8 years — 2.1 years above them.
Ranked #1,360 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Highest-risk tenth
Air toxics and the years between the two ends of the risk scale
Modeled air-toxics cancer risk is 40.0 cases per million — among the tenth of compared ZIP codes with the most. Estimated life expectancy is 77.9 ± 1.2 years.
Ranked #504 of the 4,173 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by modeled air-toxics risk, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
64050
Missourishares a border
Score 37.04
Closest healthier
64057
Missourishares a border
Score 50.29
Similar health profile
37411
Tennessee97% similar profile
Score 43.63
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 | 31.3% | 28.8–33.9 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.2% | 35.4–41.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.8% | 8.9–10.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.4% | 9.4–11.7 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.8% | 7.1–8.6 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.1% | 8.2–10.0 |
| Depression among adults | 25.9% | 23.2–28.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.0% | 11.5–14.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.4% | 39.4–45.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.8% | 32.0–39.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.2% | 3.9–4.5 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 13.2% | 10.9–15.7 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.0% | 8.8–11.4 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.4% | 75.9–80.7 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.3% | 75.7–80.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.7% | 84.1–87.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 66.4% | 62.5–70.2 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.5% | 58.4–64.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.8% | 68.7–80.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.2% | 14.0–18.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.2% | 14.3–18.1 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 32.4% | 29.3–35.7 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 33.2% | 29.6–36.8 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 22.4% | 20.3–24.7 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.5% | 16.8–20.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 15.4% | 13.8–17.0 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 17.6% | 16.0–19.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 39.4% | 36.3–42.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.6% | 8.7–10.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.2% | 9.2–11.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.7% | 16.9–20.6 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.4% | 4.0–4.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.2–6.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 21.8% | 19.1–24.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.8% | 12.9–16.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.9% | 9.4–12.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 13.2% | 11.6–14.9 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.1% | 28.7–35.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.4% | 8.3–10.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MO median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 12.3% (3.2–26.0%) n=1,009 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 17.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 13.2% (3.5–28.4%) n=1,006 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 9.5% (2.5–20.5%) n=1,009 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 25.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 18.1% (7.2–40.2%) n=1,009 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 5.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 2.9% (0.0–8.5%) n=1,003 |
| Households without a vehicle | 5.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–11.9%) n=1,009 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 86.3% (72.7–95.2%) n=1,009 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 34.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.7% (8.4–33.9%) n=1,009 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.6% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 79.4% (56.0–94.3%) n=1,009 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 2.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.1% (0.0–5.1%) n=1,009 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.9% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–6.4%) n=1,010 |
| Single-parent households | 47.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 55.0% (39.5–75.6%) n=1,005 |
| Population 65+ | 21.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.2% (11.7–31.1%) n=1,010 |
| Median age | 39.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 41.5 yr (33.3–55.9) n=1,005 |
| Median household income | $62,439 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $61,740 ($42,457–$95,231) n=948 |
| Median home value | $176,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $174,150 ($91,880–$309,500) n=930 |
| Median gross rent | $1,166 | $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 | 77.9 yr ± 0.61 | 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 0.61 years of 77.9, 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