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ZIP code

67521

in Brownell, KansasPopulation 136

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

49.03/ 100

Ranked #17,630 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 45%)

Ranked #374 of 682 Kansas ZIPs (bottom 45%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Broad coverage across health domains

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.

Fiber broadband

100%

at the national maximum

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US99th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes where fiber-optic internet service is available.

Full methodology ›

Nitrate in drinking water

39.9%

in the top 1.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US99th
Definition & source ›

The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams 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 ›

Industrial-pollution burden

in the bottom 4.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST3rd
US4th
Definition & 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 ›

Loneliness

27.3%

in the bottom 4.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST6th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Radon

3.3 pCi/L

in the top 6.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST75th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The modeled typical indoor radon level for this area, in picocuries per liter — the EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above.

Modeled from indoor-radon measurements. In Alaska and Hawaii, where those measurements are not published, a US Geological Survey geologic radon-potential category stands in — a coarser input, disclosed rather than hidden.

Full methodology ›

Tree cover

0.00%

at the national minimum

Higher is healthier

ST1st
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.

Full methodology ›

Hearing disability

11.6%

in the top 6.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST93rd
US94th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.

Full methodology ›

Transportation noise

0.02%

in the bottom 6.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST13th
US6th
Definition & 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 ›

Homeownership rate

96.9%

in the top 6.5% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST94th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.

Full methodology ›

Walkability

2.1 intersections/sq mi

in the bottom 8.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST9th
US8th
Definition & source ›

The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.

Full methodology ›

The read

Overall, Brownell, Kansas (ZIP 67521) places in the bottom 45% nationally (17,630th) and the bottom 45% of Kansas (374th), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

The measures that matter most for this area lead the way: modeled nitrate stands in the top 1.2% nationally, and radon registers in the top 6.9% nationally. Modeled tree cover settles at the national minimum, and hearing disability sits in the top 6.0% nationally. On the better side, fiber broadband lies at the national maximum, modeled industrial-pollution burden rests in the bottom 4.1% nationally, and modeled loneliness resides in the bottom 4.1% nationally. Modeled transportation noise is in the bottom 6.1% nationally, and homeownership lands in the top 6.5% nationally. Households without a vehicle stands at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs.

For readers new to these terms, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Industrial-pollution burden is the EPA's modeled screening score weighting industrial chemical releases by their toxicity and how many people live nearby. Radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 67637, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Preventive Care

healthier than 77%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 63%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 91%

8%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 55%

16%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 17%

21%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 37%

14%

Disability

healthier than 33%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 17%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 9%

5%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 62%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 90%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 68%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 95%

8%

About typical

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 45%

14%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 5%

21%

Disability

healthier than 20%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 15%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 20%

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.

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
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Arthritis among adults36.7%32.9–40.3
High blood pressure among adults44.8%40.3–48.9
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults12.6%11.5–13.9
Current asthma among adults9.7%8.6–10.8
Coronary heart disease among adults10.3%9.1–11.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults10.1%8.4–11.9
Depression among adults18.7%16.0–21.6
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.3%13.2–17.5
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened44.4%39.9–48.6
Obesity among adults36.0%29.2–42.9
Stroke among adults4.8%4.2–5.5
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years11.3%9.5–13.3
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years8.0%6.0–10.6
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure84.9%82.4–86.9
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults80.8%77.9–83.4
Cholesterol screening among adults88.5%86.9–90.0
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years68.4%63.8–72.5
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults64.1%60.8–67.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years73.9%66.7–80.0
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults13.3%11.1–15.6
Current cigarette smoking among adults15.6%12.5–19.0
No leisure-time physical activity among adults30.1%25.1–35.3
Short sleep duration among adults33.9%28.3–39.6
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults20.8%17.5–24.4
Frequent mental distress among adults13.8%12.1–15.6
Frequent physical distress among adults15.0%13.0–17.1
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults13.4%11.5–15.5
Any disability among adults35.4%30.9–40.2
Hearing disability among adults11.6%10.3–13.0
Independent living disability among adults8.5%7.3–9.8
Mobility disability among adults18.9%16.1–21.9
Self-care disability among adults4.4%3.8–5.2
Vision disability among adults5.3%4.5–6.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults19.7%16.5–22.9
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults10.4%8.2–12.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults6.1%4.7–7.7
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults7.9%6.5–9.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults5.8%4.9–6.8
Loneliness among adults27.3%23.1–31.5
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.2%5.2–7.3
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)KS median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate5.1%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.8% (2.7–20.7%) n=688
Uninsured 18–641.3%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28610.6% (2.3–24.2%) n=686
No HS diploma (25+)0.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.7% (1.1–14.8%) n=689
Bachelor's or higher (25+)19.8%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50524.0% (11.3–43.6%) n=689
Unemployment rate (16+)3.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2742.2% (0.0–7.1%) n=689
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.8% (0.0–8.3%) n=688
Broadband subscription93.8%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32288.4% (75.3–96.9%) n=688
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)9.4%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32219.5% (7.8–31.9%) n=688
Homeownership rate96.9%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32279.7% (59.7–94.6%) n=688
Crowded housing (>1 per room)1.6%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.6%) n=688
Foreign-born population2.9%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.1% (0.0–9.9%) n=692
Single-parent households93.0%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08755.7% (41.7–78.0%) n=684
Population 65+40.4%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55320.6% (11.9–35.1%) n=692
Median age28.0 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29241.9 yr (32.2–56.9) n=689
Median household income$111,848$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$67,738 ($49,860–$97,877) n=659
Median home value$77,000$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$135,800 ($68,740–$290,700) n=627
Median gross rent—$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$820 ($592–$1,257) n=519
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)KS median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth77.8 yr ± 0.6178.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30878.9 yr (76.2–81.8) n=687

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 77.8, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.

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