ZIP code
68669
in Ulysses, NebraskaPopulation 493
56.26/ 100
Ranked #8,004 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 25%)
Ranked #167 of 566 Nebraska ZIPs (top 30%)
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.
Radon
4.5 pCi/L
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Binge drinking
21.3%
in the top 2.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST92ndUS97thDefinition & 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 ›Nitrate in drinking water
7.1%
in the top 3.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Loneliness
27.5%
in the bottom 5.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST26thUS5thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report feeling lonely.
Full methodology ›Distance to a community health center
21 mi
in the top 7.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST57thUS92ndDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
10.0%
in the bottom 9.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST14thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
10.8%
in the bottom 8.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST17thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Unemployment rate
7.0%
in the top 20% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS80thDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›The read
Overall, Ulysses, Nebraska (ZIP 68669) places in the top 25% healthiest ZIPs nationally (8,004th) and the top 30% of Nebraska (167th).
The measures land in both directions, and neither dominates: modeled loneliness sits in the bottom 5.0% nationally, and housing-cost burden lies in the bottom 9.4% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability rests in the bottom 8.9% nationally, and transportation resides in the bottom 11.1% nationally. Modeled housing insecurity is in the bottom 11.4% nationally, and short sleep lands in the bottom 13.0% nationally. Pulling the other way, modeled radon stands in the top 0.8% nationally, binge drinking registers in the top 2.7% nationally, and nitrate settles in the top 3.6% nationally. Distance to a community health center sits in the top 7.7% nationally.
For readers new to these terms, radon is a radioactive soil gas the EPA identifies as the top cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. Among nearby ZIPs, the nearest healthier one overall is ZIP 68434, 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.
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 70%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 97%
8%
Disability
healthier than 79%
7%
About typical
Preventive Care
healthier than 47%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 44%
11%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 44%
5%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 17%
14%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 6%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 64%
21%
Mental Health
healthier than 91%
8%
Disability
healthier than 73%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 66%
5%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 56%
16%
Holding it back
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 24%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 36%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
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
68367
Nebraskashares a border
Score 54.49
Closest healthier
68434
Nebraskashares a border
Score 57.70
Similar health profile
68331
Nebraska99% similar profile
Score 55.55
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 | 27.1% | 23.9–30.4 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 35.1% | 31.1–39.0 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 10.1% | 9.2–11.2 |
| Current asthma among adults | 9.0% | 7.9–10.1 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.1–7.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 6.5% | 5.6–7.6 |
| Depression among adults | 15.8% | 13.3–18.5 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 10.9% | 9.4–12.6 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 34.1% | 30.2–38.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 38.5% | 31.8–45.3 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.4% | 3.0–3.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.1% | 8.1–12.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 7.5% | 6.1–9.1 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.9–82.4 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 76.6% | 73.1–79.8 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.1% | 84.3–87.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 61.5% | 56.5–66.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.5% | 63.0–69.7 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 74.8% | 66.9–81.6 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 21.3% | 18.1–24.8 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 13.5% | 11.4–15.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.8% | 21.7–30.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 30.7% | 25.1–36.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 15.3% | 13.1–17.8 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 13.1% | 11.5–14.9 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 11.8% | 10.3–13.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 10.8% | 9.4–12.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 26.4% | 22.8–30.5 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.4% | 7.4–9.5 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.6–7.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 12.1% | 10.3–14.0 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.1% | 2.7–3.5 |
| Vision disability among adults | 3.9% | 3.5–4.4 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.7% | 16.5–22.9 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.1% | 7.4–10.9 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 4.9–7.3 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.5% | 6.2–8.8 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 5.3% | 4.6–6.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 27.5% | 23.2–32.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.2% | 4.4–6.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NE median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 8.0% (2.6–16.7%) n=578 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 7.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 8.4% (1.6–20.4%) n=579 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 5.2% (1.5–11.9%) n=578 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 17.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 24.4% (12.1–39.7%) n=578 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 7.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 1.4% (0.0–5.8%) n=579 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.5% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 2.1% (0.0–7.6%) n=578 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.0% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (75.9–96.3%) n=578 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 10.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 18.5% (7.6–30.4%) n=578 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.5% (61.0–93.2%) n=578 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.7% (0.0–4.6%) n=578 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.1% (0.0–8.3%) n=579 |
| Single-parent households | 59.9% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 57.2% (42.6–77.1%) n=577 |
| Population 65+ | 29.4% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 21.2% (11.4–34.7%) n=579 |
| Median age | 46.2 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.3 yr (33.0–56.3) n=577 |
| Median household income | $86,397 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $73,386 ($53,469–$103,625) n=556 |
| Median home value | $122,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $168,400 ($90,000–$306,740) n=533 |
| Median gross rent | $1,563 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $850 ($610–$1,250) n=442 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NE median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.4 yr ± 1.19 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 80.1 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 1.19 years of 80.4, 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