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ZIP code

68348

in Elk Creek, NebraskaPopulation 341

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

45.17/ 100

Ranked #22,232 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 31%)

Ranked #550 of 566 Nebraska ZIPs (bottom 2.9%)

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

3.8 pCi/L

in the top 3.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST58th
US97th
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 ›

Hearing disability

12.9%

in the top 2.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US98th
Definition & source ›

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

Full methodology ›

Distance to a community health center

41.5 mi

in the top 1.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST84th
US98th
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 ›

Coronary heart disease

11.2%

in the top 3.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.

Full methodology ›

Loneliness

27.9%

in the bottom 6.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST40th
US7th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.

Full methodology ›

Energy-cost burden

5.4%

in the top 6.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST85th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.

A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.

Full methodology ›

Stroke

5.5%

in the top 7.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US92nd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.

Full methodology ›

Short sleep

30%

in the bottom 9.7% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST49th
US10th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.

Full methodology ›

High blood pressure

44.5%

in the top 13.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST98th
US86th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.

Full methodology ›

Mobility disability

20.5%

in the top 15% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US85th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Full methodology ›

The read

Overall, Elk Creek, Nebraska (ZIP 68348) lands in the bottom 31% nationally (22,232nd) and the bottom 2.9% of Nebraska (550th).

continue reading

Several measures weigh most on this area's profile, and they come first: modeled radon lies in the top 3.0% nationally, and hearing disability lands in the top 2.1% nationally. Distance to a community health center sits in the top 1.9% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease is in the top 3.6% nationally. Modeled energy burden settles in the top 6.1% nationally, and stroke resides in the top 7.8% nationally. Fiber broadband registers at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. On the better side, modeled loneliness rests in the bottom 6.8% nationally, modeled short sleep stands in the bottom 9.7% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site lies in the top 10.4% nationally.

A note on the terms: radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 68305, just across the boundary, ranks better overall.

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

Mental Health

healthier than 97%

8%

About typical

Preventive Care

healthier than 47%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 46%

11%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 13%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 20%

16%

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 38%

14%

Disability

healthier than 23%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 29%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 1%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 75%

14%

Mental Health

healthier than 92%

8%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

in the bottom 0.5%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 9%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 37%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 29%

11%

Disability

healthier than 2%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 24%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 6%

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 adults35.9%32.2–39.4
High blood pressure among adults44.5%40.2–48.6
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults12.7%11.6–13.9
Current asthma among adults9.3%8.3–10.5
Coronary heart disease among adults11.2%9.8–12.6
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults10.9%9.2–12.8
Depression among adults16.3%13.8–18.9
Diagnosed diabetes among adults16.2%14.1–18.4
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened41.8%37.5–46.1
Obesity among adults37.9%31.0–44.7
Stroke among adults5.5%4.8–6.2
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years16.0%13.1–19.1
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years9.8%7.6–12.3
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure85.7%83.3–87.8
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults79.6%76.5–82.5
Cholesterol screening among adults87.9%86.2–89.5
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years60.5%55.2–65.5
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults59.7%56.0–63.2
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years71.3%62.6–78.9
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.5%13.0–18.2
Current cigarette smoking among adults16.4%13.3–19.3
No leisure-time physical activity among adults35.8%30.7–41.3
Short sleep duration among adults30.0%24.2–36.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults22.1%18.7–25.9
Frequent mental distress among adults12.7%11.1–14.3
Frequent physical distress among adults15.9%13.8–18.2
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults12.6%10.8–14.5
Any disability among adults36.5%31.9–41.2
Hearing disability among adults12.9%11.5–14.5
Independent living disability among adults9.1%7.8–10.5
Mobility disability among adults20.5%17.5–23.7
Self-care disability among adults5.0%4.3–5.9
Vision disability among adults6.3%5.4–7.3
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults20.8%17.5–24.5
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.9%10.4–15.9
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults9.7%7.7–12.2
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults8.2%6.7–10.0
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults6.4%5.4–7.6
Loneliness among adults27.9%23.6–32.6
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults5.7%4.8–6.9
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)NE median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate9.7%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,3648.0% (2.6–16.7%) n=578
Uninsured 18–640.6%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,2868.4% (1.6–20.4%) n=579
No HS diploma (25+)10.0%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,5055.2% (1.5–11.9%) n=578
Bachelor's or higher (25+)18.9%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50524.4% (12.1–39.7%) n=578
Unemployment rate (16+)1.3%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2741.4% (0.0–5.8%) n=579
Households without a vehicle0.7%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3222.1% (0.0–7.6%) n=578
Broadband subscription88.7%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32287.6% (75.9–96.3%) n=578
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)25.4%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32218.5% (7.6–30.4%) n=578
Homeownership rate90.1%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32280.5% (61.0–93.2%) n=578
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.0%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3220.7% (0.0–4.6%) n=578
Foreign-born population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.1% (0.0–8.3%) n=579
Single-parent households86.8%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08757.2% (42.6–77.1%) n=577
Population 65+46.6%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55321.2% (11.4–34.7%) n=579
Median age62.7 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.3 yr (33.0–56.3) n=577
Median household income$71,597$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$73,386 ($53,469–$103,625) n=556
Median home value—$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$168,400 ($90,000–$306,740) n=533
Median gross rent$275$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 ± 1.0678.9 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 1.06 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