ZIP code
72048
in Ethel, ArkansasPopulation 59
37.52/ 100
Ranked #28,272 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 11.9%)
Ranked #357 of 562 Arkansas ZIPs (bottom 36%)
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.
Hearing disability
14.2%
in the top 0.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
79.8%
in the top 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›Coronary heart disease
12.1%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have coronary heart disease or angina.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
5.4%
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Housing-cost burden
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Transportation noise
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & 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 ›Poverty rate
0.00%
at the national minimum
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
100%
at the national maximum
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
24.7%
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST86thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.1 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 2.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST2ndUS3rdDefinition & 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
In its overall standing, Ethel, Arkansas (ZIP 72048) lands in the bottom 11.9% nationally (28,272nd) and the bottom 36% of Arkansas (357th).
Reading across the data, the real pressures come first: modeled hearing disability lands in the top 0.8% nationally, floodplain exposure lies in the top 1.2% nationally, and modeled coronary heart disease stands in the top 1.6% nationally. Modeled mobility disability rests in the top 3.9% nationally, and walkability registers in the bottom 2.9% nationally. More encouragingly, modeled pfas resides in the bottom 1.4% nationally, and housing-cost burden settles at the national minimum. Modeled transportation noise is at the national minimum, and poverty sits at the national minimum. Homeownership lands at the national maximum.
Against the wider neighborhood, outer-floodplain exposure runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Put simply, 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. Floodplain exposure is land with about a 1-in-100 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "100-year floodplain". Transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to average road, rail, and air noise at or above 55 decibels. On the overall standing, ZIP 72042, just across the boundary, ranks healthier.
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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 97%
14%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 49%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 45%
13%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 6%
21%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 35%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 32%
8%
Disability
healthier than 6%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
in the bottom 0.7%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 17%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 74%
16%
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.9%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 81%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 73%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 75%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Disability
healthier than 16%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 2%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 8%
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
72042
Arkansasshares a border
Score 41.14
Closest healthier
72140
Arkansasshares a border
Score 39.27
Similar health profile
27925
North Carolina99% similar profile
Score 40.76
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 | 39.2% | 35.1–43.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 49.0% | 44.5–53.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.1% | 11.7–14.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.6% | 9.2–11.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 12.1% | 10.4–14.2 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 12.4% | 10.2–14.9 |
| Depression among adults | 24.4% | 20.8–28.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.9% | 13.6–18.4 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 44.1% | 39.6–48.7 |
| Obesity among adults | 35.6% | 28.7–42.7 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.9% | 4.9–7.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.9% | 15.7–22.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.8% | 8.3–14.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.7% | 81.4–85.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 82.7% | 79.7–85.5 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 88.0% | 86.1–89.9 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.8% | 59.8–69.8 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 51.5% | 47.8–55.6 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.5% | 61.4–77.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 11.9% | 9.7–14.3 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 16.3% | 13.4–19.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 37.9% | 31.8–44.0 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.5% | 31.5–44.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 28.4% | 23.8–33.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 18.0% | 15.6–20.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 19.0% | 16.4–21.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 18.6% | 15.9–21.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 46.3% | 40.8–51.8 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 14.2% | 12.3–16.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.1–14.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 24.7% | 20.7–28.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.6% | 4.7–6.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.4% | 6.1–8.9 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.3% | 22.1–30.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 16.4% | 13.2–19.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.1% | 7.9–12.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.5% | 9.5–13.5 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.5% | 7.2–9.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 35.6% | 30.4–40.6 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 8.3% | 7.0–9.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 0.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (4.0–30.6%) n=574 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 0.0% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.3% (1.5–24.1%) n=573 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 3.4% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.0% (3.7–23.0%) n=577 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 5.1% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.5% (4.4–30.5%) n=577 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–11.6%) n=573 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–12.5%) n=574 |
| Broadband subscription | 62.1% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.2% (65.0–94.7%) n=574 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 0.0% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.4% (4.3–33.2%) n=574 |
| Homeownership rate | 100.0% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.6% (57.7–96.1%) n=574 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.3% (0.0–5.7%) n=574 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.0% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–6.5%) n=578 |
| Single-parent households | 100.0% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.0% (35.3–79.3%) n=571 |
| Population 65+ | 15.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.6–37.9%) n=578 |
| Median age | 52.7 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.6 yr (33.6–58.1) n=573 |
| Median household income | — | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $53,893 ($36,003–$79,139) n=505 |
| Median home value | $268,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $128,200 ($73,260–$235,420) n=519 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $800 ($568–$1,094) n=393 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.8 yr ± 2.47 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 76.2 yr (73.4–79.7) n=580 |
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 2.47 years of 77.8, 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