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ZipVitals

ZIP code

71427

in Flatwoods, LouisianaPopulation 172

41.34/ 100

Ranked #25,787 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 20%)

Ranked #189 of 508 Louisiana ZIPs (top 37%)

Ranked #14 of 23 Alexandria, LA ZIPs (bottom 39%)

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.

Home broadband subscription

47.8%

in the bottom 1.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST3rd
US1st
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Distance to an emergency room

23.6 mi

in the top 3.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST99th
US96th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.

Full methodology ›

PFAS in drinking water

7.5%

in the bottom 4.1% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST4th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.

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 ›

Distance to a hazardous-chemical facility

18.4 mi

in the top 5.7% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST99th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest facility that handles enough hazardous chemicals to require an EPA risk-management plan for accidental releases.

Full methodology ›

Humid extreme heat

145.7 days/year

in the top 5.9% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST59th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a nursing home

12.9 mi

in the top 7.0% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST97th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.

Full methodology ›

Transportation noise

0.06%

in the bottom 7.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US7th
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 ›

Arsenic in groundwater

1.3%

in the bottom 8.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST31st
US9th
Definition & source ›

The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms 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 ›

Natural-disaster risk

in the bottom 10.2% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST5th
US10th
Definition & source ›

This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.

Full methodology ›

Park land

9.7%

in the top 12.2% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST95th
US88th
Definition & source ›

The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.

Full methodology ›

The read

Flatwoods, Louisiana (ZIP 71427), on the composite measure, lands in the bottom 20% nationally (25,787th) and the top 37% of Louisiana (189th), based on limited data; treat as directional.

continue reading

Where the data leans one way, another reading answers it: modeled pfas stands in the bottom 4.1% nationally, and distance to a hazardous-chemical facility is in the top 5.7% nationally. Unemployment rests at the national minimum, shared with about 15% of ZIPs. Modeled transportation noise sits in the bottom 7.5% nationally. Households without a vehicle registers at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Modeled arsenic lands in the bottom 8.6% nationally. On the other hand, home broadband subscription resides in the bottom 1.3% nationally, and distance to an emergency room lies in the top 3.6% nationally. Modeled humid heat settles in the top 5.9% nationally, and distance to a nursing home stands in the top 7.0% nationally.

Set against the neighboring ZIPs, park land runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. 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. Arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 71455, 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 Alexandria, LA metro area.

Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 97%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 80%

13%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 18%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 26%

16%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 26%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 7%

8%

Disability

healthier than 21%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 7%

5%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 11%

5%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 63%

16%

Environmental Hazard

in the top 0.6%

14%

Preventive Care

healthier than 82%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 83%

11%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 41%

21%

Disability

healthier than 58%

7%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 50%

5%

Holding it back

Mental Health

healthier than 31%

8%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 4%

5%

Lifting this score

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 70%

16%

Environmental Hazard

in the top 0.00%

14%

Preventive Care

in the top 0.00%

13%

Risk Behavior

in the top 0.00%

11%

About typical

Disability

healthier than 52%

7%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 32%

21%

Mental Health

healthier than 31%

8%

Climate / Disaster RiskPartial

healthier than 13%

5%

Healthcare Access

in the bottom 0.00%

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%33.7–39.7
High blood pressure among adults44.0%40.4–47.5
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults10.1%9.2–11.1
Current asthma among adults10.5%9.4–11.6
Coronary heart disease among adults8.6%7.7–9.7
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults10.6%9.1–12.3
Depression among adults29.8%26.4–33.2
Diagnosed diabetes among adults15.0%13.2–16.8
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened42.9%39.5–46.4
Obesity among adults38.2%32.9–43.7
Stroke among adults4.5%4.0–5.0
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years18.8%16.0–21.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years7.8%6.1–9.7
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure81.2%79.0–83.3
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults82.0%79.4–84.5
Cholesterol screening among adults87.5%85.5–89.2
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years71.5%67.8–74.7
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults58.8%55.5–61.8
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years77.7%71.4–82.6
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults15.8%13.4–18.4
Current cigarette smoking among adults19.2%16.1–22.4
No leisure-time physical activity among adults30.4%26.1–34.9
Short sleep duration among adults35.8%30.9–40.4
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults25.0%21.7–28.7
Frequent mental distress among adults19.5%17.4–21.8
Frequent physical distress among adults17.2%15.2–19.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults18.6%16.3–21.1
Any disability among adults41.1%36.6–45.6
Hearing disability among adults10.0%8.9–11.2
Independent living disability among adults10.3%8.9–11.7
Mobility disability among adults19.4%16.9–22.1
Self-care disability among adults4.9%4.2–5.6
Vision disability among adults6.1%5.3–7.0
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults25.6%22.1–29.1
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults17.6%14.5–20.8
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults14.7%11.9–17.6
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults12.3%10.3–14.3
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults8.9%7.7–10.3
Loneliness among adults35.7%31.4–40.0
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults9.1%7.7–10.4
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)LA median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate8.7%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36417.8% (6.0–36.8%) n=504
Uninsured 18–649.1%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28610.4% (2.9–20.5%) n=505
No HS diploma (25+)29.3%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50514.0% (4.3–26.4%) n=508
Bachelor's or higher (25+)0.0%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50516.6% (5.9–37.1%) n=508
Unemployment rate (16+)0.0%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2745.5% (0.0–13.6%) n=501
Households without a vehicle0.0%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3226.0% (0.0–15.0%) n=504
Broadband subscription47.8%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32284.4% (64.1–94.5%) n=504
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)17.4%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32223.1% (9.3–41.8%) n=504
Homeownership rate87.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.4% (50.9–92.7%) n=504
Crowded housing (>1 per room)4.3%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.5% (0.0–4.8%) n=504
Foreign-born population0.0%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5531.2% (0.0–7.6%) n=508
Single-parent households51.4%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08748.0% (29.6–65.8%) n=495
Population 65+9.3%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55317.3% (10.2–29.0%) n=508
Median age26.5 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29239.6 yr (33.0–52.4) n=500
Median household income$48,750$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$56,458 ($34,647–$88,928) n=457
Median home value$151,500$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$163,450 ($86,100–$284,620) n=452
Median gross rent$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$915 ($606–$1,325) n=389
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)LA median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth74.4 yr ± 1.8078.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30875.9 yr (73.2–79.0) n=494

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 1.80 years of 74.4, 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