ZIP code
72121
in Pangburn, ArkansasPopulation 3,631
41.04/ 100
Ranked #25,995 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 19%)
Ranked #223 of 562 Arkansas ZIPs (top 40%)
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.
Lead in tap water
15 ppb
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
US99thDefinition & source ›
The lead level at the 90th percentile of tap-water samples reported by the public water systems serving this ZIP, in parts per billion — the EPA requires action above 15 ppb.
Measured from EPA records for the public water systems that serve this ZIP. Households on private wells — roughly 30% of the US population — are not covered by this measure, and this figure says nothing about their water.
Full methodology ›Unemployment rate
11.8%
in the top 6.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The share of the civilian labor force that is unemployed.
Full methodology ›Pharmacy access
0.39 per 1,000 residents
in the top 8.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST87thUS91stDefinition & source ›
The number of pharmacies located 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 ›Mammography
68.4%
in the bottom 8.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST25thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Crowded housing
6.0%
in the top 10.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS89thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes with more than one person per room, the Census definition of crowded housing.
Full methodology ›Median household income
$44,221
in the bottom 8.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST26thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
5.5 per 100,000 residents per year
in the bottom 22% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS22ndDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›The read
Pangburn, Arkansas (ZIP 72121), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 19% nationally (25,995th) and the top 40% of Arkansas (223rd).
The data points to real strain across a number of measures here: lead in tap water settles in the top 1.0% nationally, unemployment registers in the top 6.7% nationally, and modeled mammography stands in the bottom 8.6% nationally. Crowded housing lands in the top 10.8% nationally, modeled extreme heat is in the top 13.3% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure resides in the top 13.4% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability rests in the top 13.5% nationally. On the brighter side, pharmacy lies in the top 8.6% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise sits at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Distance to a community health center settles at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs.
Held up against its neighbors, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. Defined in plain terms, lead in tap water is the EPA trigger, 15 parts per billion in tap samples, above which a water system must act on lead. Loud transportation noise is the modeled share of an area exposed to road, rail, and air noise at or above 65 decibels, near conversation volume. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 72085, 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 94%
14%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 51%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 18%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 22%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 28%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 24%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 17%
8%
Disability
healthier than 17%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 25%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 93%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 64%
5%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 44%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 58%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 58%
11%
Disability
healthier than 48%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 52%
5%
Holding it back
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 36%
16%
Mental Health
healthier than 37%
8%
“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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 93.6 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 18.3 — 75 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #747 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
72081
Arkansasshares a border
Score 38.37
Closest healthier
72085
Arkansasshares a border
Score 41.47
Similar health profile
36750
Alabama99% similar profile
Score 43.27
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 | 34.4% | 31.5–37.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.0% | 40.3–47.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.8% | 8.9–10.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.9% | 9.7–12.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.0% | 8.2–9.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.8% | 9.5–12.2 |
| Depression among adults | 26.2% | 23.0–29.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.1% | 12.5–15.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.1% | 38.4–45.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.1% | 34.5–45.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.6% | 4.2–5.0 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 18.3% | 15.7–21.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 10.1% | 8.4–12.2 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 79.7% | 77.1–81.8 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 79.0% | 76.0–81.6 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 86.1% | 84.4–87.6 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 64.0% | 59.8–68.0 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 53.3% | 49.8–56.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 68.4% | 61.3–74.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 13.8% | 11.6–16.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 18.9% | 16.3–21.6 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 34.0% | 29.6–38.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.5% | 32.6–42.4 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 26.1% | 23.2–29.3 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 19.1% | 17.2–21.0 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 17.7% | 15.8–19.7 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 19.1% | 17.1–21.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 42.0% | 37.9–46.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.2% | 9.2–11.2 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 10.7% | 9.6–12.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.4% | 18.1–22.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.1% | 4.5–5.7 |
| Vision disability among adults | 6.4% | 5.8–7.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.0% | 22.9–29.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 17.5% | 15.1–20.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 10.6% | 9.0–12.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 12.2% | 10.6–14.1 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 8.7% | 7.7–9.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.5% | 28.6–36.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 9.0% | 7.9–10.2 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (4.0–30.6%) n=574 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.3% (1.5–24.1%) n=573 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 15.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.0% (3.7–23.0%) n=577 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.5% (4.4–30.5%) n=577 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 11.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–11.6%) n=573 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.1% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–12.5%) n=574 |
| Broadband subscription | 87.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.2% (65.0–94.7%) n=574 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 32.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.4% (4.3–33.2%) n=574 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.6% (57.7–96.1%) n=574 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 6.0% | 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 | 42.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.0% (35.3–79.3%) n=571 |
| Population 65+ | 13.1% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.6–37.9%) n=578 |
| Median age | 38.6 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.6 yr (33.6–58.1) n=573 |
| Median household income | $44,221 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $53,893 ($36,003–$79,139) n=505 |
| Median home value | $175,900 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $128,200 ($73,260–$235,420) n=519 |
| Median gross rent | $846 | $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 | 78.2 yr ± 1.81 | 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 1.81 years of 78.2, 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