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ZIP code

68343

in Dorchester, NebraskaPopulation 1,008

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

53.67/ 100

Ranked #11,127 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 35%)

Ranked #301 of 566 Nebraska ZIPs (bottom 47%)

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

Robust across all 9 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.

Radon

4.8 pCi/L

in the top 0.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST96th
US99th
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 ›

Child-care access

0.99 per 1,000 residents

in the top 2.4% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST88th
US98th
Definition & source ›

The number of child day-care services 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 ›

Binge drinking

20.6%

in the top 4.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST83rd
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

19.2 mi

in the top 8.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST54th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest federally funded community health center, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay.

Full methodology ›

Recreation access

0.99 per 1,000 residents

in the top 9.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST90th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The number of places for physical recreation — gyms, sports, and fitness venues — 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 ›

Colon-cancer screening

59.8%

in the bottom 13.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST8th
US14th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.

Full methodology ›

The read

Dorchester, Nebraska (ZIP 68343), by its composite score, sits in the top 35% healthiest ZIPs nationally (11,127th) and the bottom 47% of Nebraska (301st).

continue reading

The data opens on a genuinely even set of readings: childcare resides in the top 2.4% nationally, and recreation is in the top 9.1% nationally. Housing-cost burden lands in the bottom 16% nationally, and modeled cognitive disability stands in the bottom 16% nationally. On the other side, modeled radon registers in the top 0.4% nationally, modeled binge drinking settles in the top 4.2% nationally, and distance to a community health center sits in the top 8.7% nationally. Modeled extreme heat lies in the top 15% nationally. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility rests at the national minimum, shared with about 31% of ZIPs. Modeled colon screening resides in the bottom 13.7% nationally.

For anyone unfamiliar, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is a plant handling large amounts of hazardous chemicals that must file an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. For a healthier comparison close by, see ZIP 68313, 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

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 67%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 94%

8%

Disability

healthier than 69%

7%

About typical

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 52%

16%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 41%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 23%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 33%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 30%

11%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 9%

5%

Nothing measured is lifting this score.

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 58%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 42%

16%

Mental Health

healthier than 47%

8%

Disability

healthier than 54%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 59%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 45%

5%

Holding it back

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 39%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 16%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 9%

11%

“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 adults27.1%24.0–30.5
High blood pressure among adults34.2%30.4–38.3
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults9.1%8.3–10.1
Current asthma among adults9.0%7.9–10.2
Coronary heart disease among adults6.8%6.0–7.7
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults6.8%5.9–7.8
Depression among adults17.3%14.6–20.3
Diagnosed diabetes among adults11.8%10.2–13.7
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened35.7%31.7–40.0
Obesity among adults41.0%34.3–48.0
Stroke among adults3.4%3.1–3.8
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years11.5%9.2–14.2
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years10.2%8.5–12.1
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure79.7%76.9–82.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults75.7%72.1–79.1
Cholesterol screening among adults84.9%83.0–86.6
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years59.8%54.4–65.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults65.6%62.0–69.1
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years74.5%66.6–81.5
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults20.6%17.4–24.1
Current cigarette smoking among adults14.0%11.7–16.5
No leisure-time physical activity among adults27.1%22.8–31.8
Short sleep duration among adults34.1%28.2–40.6
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults17.2%14.7–19.9
Frequent mental distress among adults13.6%11.9–15.5
Frequent physical distress among adults12.5%10.8–14.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults11.8%10.2–13.5
Any disability among adults29.0%24.9–33.2
Hearing disability among adults8.3%7.3–9.3
Independent living disability among adults7.0%6.1–8.0
Mobility disability among adults13.6%11.7–15.8
Self-care disability among adults3.5%3.1–3.9
Vision disability among adults4.5%4.0–5.1
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults20.3%17.2–23.7
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.1%10.0–14.3
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults8.2%6.7–9.7
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults9.6%8.1–11.2
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.3%5.4–7.2
Loneliness among adults29.7%25.2–34.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults6.3%5.4–7.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NE median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate7.3%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.0% (2.6–16.7%) n=578
Uninsured 18–6414.1%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2868.4% (1.6–20.4%) n=579
No HS diploma (25+)8.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.2% (1.5–11.9%) n=578
Bachelor's or higher (25+)19.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50524.4% (12.1–39.7%) n=578
Unemployment rate (16+)1.2%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2741.4% (0.0–5.8%) n=579
Households without a vehicle1.4%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.1% (0.0–7.6%) n=578
Broadband subscription86.4%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.6% (75.9–96.3%) n=578
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)13.8%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.5% (7.6–30.4%) n=578
Homeownership rate76.6%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32280.5% (61.0–93.2%) n=578
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.9%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.6%) n=578
Foreign-born population6.8%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.1% (0.0–8.3%) n=579
Single-parent households48.5%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08757.2% (42.6–77.1%) n=577
Population 65+23.6%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55321.2% (11.4–34.7%) n=579
Median age46.1 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.3 yr (33.0–56.3) n=577
Median household income$74,554$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,386 ($53,469–$103,625) n=556
Median home value$173,400$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$168,400 ($90,000–$306,740) n=533
Median gross rent$619$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$850 ($610–$1,250) n=442
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NE median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth77.2 yr ± 1.2678.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30880.1 yr (77.4–83.0) n=553

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 1.26 years of 77.2, 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