ZIP code
72342
in Helena, ArkansasPopulation 4,070
25.21/ 100
Ranked #31,450 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 2.0%)
Ranked #555 of 562 Arkansas ZIPs (bottom 1.3%)
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.
Self-care disability
9.2%
in the top 1.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Stroke
7.1%
in the top 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have had a stroke.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
48.7%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›High blood pressure
56.5%
in the top 0.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure.
Full methodology ›Mobility disability
28.7%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
11.7%
in the top 2.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
37%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Diabetes
22.3%
in the top 1.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
15.6%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Full methodology ›Outer-floodplain exposure
47.6%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST94thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 0.2%-annual-chance flood band — the “500-year” zone, a lower but real 1-in-500 yearly chance.
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 ›Cross-source signals
Combined exposures in this ZIP
More than one environmental exposure stands out in this ZIP. Each is established independently and shown on its own above; they are grouped here for context — not because one causes the other.
This area ranks among the highest 10% of US ZIP codes for both flood exposure and the share of households without a vehicle.
See the full flooding, evacuation & humid-heat analysis →
The read
By the composite health measure, Helena, Arkansas (ZIP 72342) ranks in the bottom 2.0% nationally (31,450th) and the bottom 1.3% of Arkansas (555th).
Several measures weigh most on this area's profile, and they come first: modeled self-care disability lies in the top 1.3% nationally, and stroke lands in the top 1.1% nationally. Modeled short sleep sits in the top 0.7% nationally, and high blood pressure is in the top 0.5% nationally. Modeled mobility disability settles in the top 0.9% nationally, vision disability resides in the top 2.4% nationally, and fair or poor health registers in the top 1.6% nationally. Modeled diabetes rests in the top 1.5% nationally, modeled independent living disability stands in the top 2.0% nationally, and outer-floodplain exposure lies in the top 1.0% nationally.
Read against the ZIPs closest to it, outer-floodplain exposure runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. To spell things out, outer-floodplain exposure is land with a lower but real 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year, nicknamed the "500-year floodplain". Close by, ZIP 72333, just across the boundary, ranks healthier 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.
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 2%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 4%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 24%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 20%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 2%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 24%
8%
Disability
healthier than 1%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 3%
5%
Lifting this score
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Mental Health
healthier than 59%
8%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 4%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 6%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 11%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 36%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 3%
11%
Disability
healthier than 2%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 13%
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
72333
Arkansasshares a border
Score 29.13
Closest healthier
72355
Arkansasshares a border
Score 27.25
Similar health profile
72021
Arkansas99% similar profile
Score 31.40
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 | 36.6% | 33.0–40.5 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 56.5% | 52.2–60.9 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.5% | 6.7–8.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 12.3% | 10.9–14.0 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 10.9% | 9.7–12.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 12.8% | 11.3–14.5 |
| Depression among adults | 22.6% | 19.2–26.4 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 22.3% | 19.8–25.1 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.3% | 36.9–45.9 |
| Obesity among adults | 49.2% | 41.6–57.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 7.1% | 6.4–7.8 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 29.0% | 24.9–33.3 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 13.7% | 11.3–16.3 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 82.4% | 80.0–84.5 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.6% | 80.4–86.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 85.6% | 83.5–87.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 59.5% | 54.2–64.7 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 41.7% | 38.0–45.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 68.3% | 59.8–76.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 10.2% | 8.1–12.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 21.6% | 18.6–24.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 44.6% | 39.0–50.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 48.7% | 41.8–55.6 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 37.0% | 33.0–41.1 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.3% | 18.1–22.8 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 20.3% | 18.0–22.9 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 22.1% | 19.6–24.8 |
| Any disability among adults | 48.6% | 43.6–53.6 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 9.7% | 8.6–10.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 15.6% | 13.9–17.5 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 28.7% | 25.4–32.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 9.2% | 8.2–10.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.5–13.1 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 33.0% | 28.7–37.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 35.5% | 31.2–39.8 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 30.0% | 26.1–34.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 25.6% | 22.3–29.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 17.9% | 15.7–20.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 37.8% | 32.4–43.3 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 21.7% | 19.1–24.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 26.6% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (4.0–30.6%) n=574 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 20.1% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.3% (1.5–24.1%) n=573 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 22.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.0% (3.7–23.0%) n=577 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 16.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.5% (4.4–30.5%) n=577 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 18.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–11.6%) n=573 |
| Households without a vehicle | 28.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–12.5%) n=574 |
| Broadband subscription | 77.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.2% (65.0–94.7%) n=574 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 40.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.4% (4.3–33.2%) n=574 |
| Homeownership rate | 36.9% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.6% (57.7–96.1%) n=574 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 3.5% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.3% (0.0–5.7%) n=574 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–6.5%) n=578 |
| Single-parent households | 29.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.0% (35.3–79.3%) n=571 |
| Population 65+ | 25.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.6–37.9%) n=578 |
| Median age | 47.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.6 yr (33.6–58.1) n=573 |
| Median household income | $36,905 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $53,893 ($36,003–$79,139) n=505 |
| Median home value | $97,200 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $128,200 ($73,260–$235,420) n=519 |
| Median gross rent | $704 | $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 | 70.3 yr ± 1.21 | 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 1.21 years of 70.3, 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