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ZIP code

72579

in Sulphur Rock, ArkansasPopulation 1,407

ZipVitals Score
How is the ZipVitals Score calculated? →

37.64/ 100

Ranked #28,218 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 12.1%)

Ranked #352 of 562 Arkansas ZIPs (bottom 37%)

Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.

Robust across all 9 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

65.6%

in the bottom 4.3% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST11th
US4th
Definition & source ›

The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Full methodology ›

Mammography

67.3%

in the bottom 6.1% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST15th
US6th
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.

Full methodology ›

Cognitive disability

20.8%

in the top 6.6% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST80th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Full methodology ›

Arsenic in groundwater

1.2%

in the bottom 5.8% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST43rd
US6th
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 ›

Slow internet speeds

1.8%

in the top 6.5% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST95th
US94th
Definition & source ›

The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.

Full methodology ›

Distance to a Superfund site

68.3 mi

in the top 6.9% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST94th
US93rd
Definition & source ›

The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.

Full methodology ›

Obesity

42.9%

in the top 9.4% nationally

Lower is healthier

ST77th
US91st
Definition & source ›

The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.

Full methodology ›

Median household income

$104,167

in the top 16% nationally

Higher is healthier

ST98th
US84th
Definition & source ›

The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.

Full methodology ›

The read

On balance, and by the composite measure, Sulphur Rock, Arkansas (ZIP 72579) ranks in the bottom 12.1% nationally (28,218th) and the bottom 37% of Arkansas (352nd).

continue reading

Neither strongly one way nor the other, the measures sit mixed: modeled arsenic settles in the bottom 5.8% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site lies in the top 6.9% nationally. Housing-cost burden resides in the bottom 10.2% nationally. Against that, home broadband subscription lands in the bottom 4.3% nationally, modeled mammography registers in the bottom 6.1% nationally, and modeled cognitive disability sits in the top 6.6% nationally. Slow internet speeds rests in the top 6.5% nationally, modeled tooth loss is in the top 10.4% nationally, and modeled obesity stands in the top 9.4% nationally. Modeled extreme heat settles in the top 13.5% nationally.

In plainer terms, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. Extreme heat is a modeled count of days a year reaching a dangerously high temperature, a leading weather hazard. For a healthier nearby ZIP overall, look to ZIP 72469, 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.

Compare within

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 82%

14%

About typical

Healthcare Access

healthier than 57%

5%

Holding it back

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 18%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 30%

16%

Preventive Care

healthier than 13%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 9%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 8%

8%

Disability

healthier than 14%

7%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 29%

5%

Lifting this score

Environmental Hazard

healthier than 68%

14%

Climate / Disaster Risk

healthier than 72%

5%

About typical

Chronic Disease Burden

healthier than 44%

21%

Social Need / SDOH

healthier than 50%

16%

Healthcare Access

healthier than 59%

5%

Holding it back

Preventive Care

healthier than 14%

13%

Risk Behavior

healthier than 18%

11%

Mental Health

healthier than 11%

8%

Disability

healthier than 37%

7%

“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 81.8; chronic-disease standing 18.4 — 63 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.

    Ranked #1,491 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.

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 adults32.0%28.9–35.5
High blood pressure among adults42.7%38.8–47.0
Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults8.9%8.1–9.8
Current asthma among adults11.0%9.7–12.4
Coronary heart disease among adults8.8%7.9–9.8
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults11.1%9.9–12.5
Depression among adults27.5%23.9–31.5
Diagnosed diabetes among adults14.2%12.4–16.2
High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened41.2%37.1–45.6
Obesity among adults42.9%35.7–50.8
Stroke among adults4.4%4.1–4.9
All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years23.0%19.6–26.7
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years11.5%9.5–13.7
Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure77.5%74.7–80.1
Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults78.4%74.7–81.7
Cholesterol screening among adults83.1%80.9–85.1
Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years59.1%54.3–64.0
Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults49.1%45.5–52.6
Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years67.3%59.5–74.9
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Binge drinking among adults14.7%12.1–17.7
Current cigarette smoking among adults19.7%17.1–22.8
No leisure-time physical activity among adults37.0%32.2–42.5
Short sleep duration among adults40.0%34.2–46.3
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults27.4%24.3–31.0
Frequent mental distress among adults20.5%18.3–23.0
Frequent physical distress among adults18.1%16.1–20.3
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Cognitive disability among adults20.8%18.6–23.4
Any disability among adults42.4%38.0–47.4
Hearing disability among adults9.9%8.9–11.1
Independent living disability among adults11.6%10.4–13.1
Mobility disability among adults20.1%17.8–22.8
Self-care disability among adults5.3%4.8–6.0
Vision disability among adults6.9%6.3–7.7
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
MeasureCrude prevalence95% CI
Lack of social and emotional support among adults27.5%24.0–31.8
Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults20.1%17.2–23.5
Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults13.2%11.2–15.7
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults14.1%12.2–16.5
Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults10.3%9.1–11.8
Loneliness among adults34.7%30.1–40.2
Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults10.6%9.2–12.2
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)AR median (p10–p90)
Poverty rate8.7%10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,36416.3% (4.0–30.6%) n=574
Uninsured 18–649.2%9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,28611.3% (1.5–24.1%) n=573
No HS diploma (25+)4.7%7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,50512.0% (3.7–23.0%) n=577
Bachelor's or higher (25+)19.3%23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,50515.5% (4.4–30.5%) n=577
Unemployment rate (16+)0.6%3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,2743.9% (0.0–11.6%) n=573
Households without a vehicle6.8%3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,3224.1% (0.0–12.5%) n=574
Broadband subscription65.6%89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,32283.2% (65.0–94.7%) n=574
Housing cost burden (≥30% income)10.7%23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,32220.4% (4.3–33.2%) n=574
Homeownership rate69.0%78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,32277.6% (57.7–96.1%) n=574
Crowded housing (>1 per room)0.7%1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,3221.3% (0.0–5.7%) n=574
Foreign-born population3.1%2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,5530.8% (0.0–6.5%) n=578
Single-parent households27.9%53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,08753.0% (35.3–79.3%) n=571
Population 65+9.2%19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,55319.7% (11.6–37.9%) n=578
Median age37.3 yr42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,29242.6 yr (33.6–58.1) n=573
Median household income$104,167$72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318$53,893 ($36,003–$79,139) n=505
Median home value—$222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049$128,200 ($73,260–$235,420) n=519
Median gross rent$794$1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670$800 ($568–$1,094) n=393
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
MeasureValueUS median (p10–p90)AR median (p10–p90)
Life expectancy at birth77.0 yr ± 1.0478.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,30876.2 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 1.04 years of 77.0, 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