ZIP code
72837
in Dover, ArkansasPopulation 8,499
37.89/ 100
Ranked #28,076 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 12.5%)
Ranked #342 of 562 Arkansas ZIPs (bottom 39%)
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.
Park land
52.2%
in the top 2.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST96thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area that is public parkland.
Full methodology ›Obesity
46.9%
in the top 2.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with obesity, defined as a body-mass index of 30 or higher.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
20.8%
in the top 6.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST80thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
77.5%
in the top 5.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS94thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Lead in tap water
5.5 ppb
in the top 8.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
US91stDefinition & 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 ›Home broadband subscription
73.9%
in the bottom 8.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST22ndUS9thDefinition & source ›
The share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.13 per 1,000 residents
in the top 14.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS85thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets 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. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›The read
Dover, Arkansas (ZIP 72837), by its overall standing, sits in the bottom 12.5% nationally (28,076th) and the bottom 39% of Arkansas (342nd).
The data points to real strain across a number of measures here: modeled obesity rests in the top 2.2% nationally, modeled cognitive disability lies in the top 6.6% nationally, and lead in tap water sits in the top 8.6% nationally. Home broadband subscription settles in the bottom 8.9% nationally, modeled fair or poor health registers in the top 11.1% nationally, and modeled tooth loss stands in the top 10.4% nationally. Modeled mobility disability lands in the top 11.4% nationally, and independent living disability is in the top 11.3% nationally. On the brighter side, park land resides in the top 2.3% nationally, and modeled tree cover rests in the top 5.9% nationally.
Held up against its neighbors, park land 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. The nearest ZIP ranking healthier overall is ZIP 72802, 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 84%
14%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 56%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 12%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 37%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 17%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 13%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 12%
8%
Disability
healthier than 10%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 33%
5%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 61%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 72%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 81%
5%
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 58%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 27%
21%
Preventive Care
healthier than 25%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 28%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 21%
8%
Disability
healthier than 26%
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 85.8; chronic-disease standing 12.2 — 74 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #841 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
72686
Arkansasshares a border
Score 34.66
Closest healthier
72802
Arkansasshares a border
Score 45.70
Similar health profile
72137
Arkansas99% similar profile
Score 40.47
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 | 34.5% | 31.1–38.0 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 43.0% | 39.0–47.1 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.3% | 8.4–10.3 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.4% | 10.1–12.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.2% | 8.3–10.3 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 11.8% | 10.5–13.2 |
| Depression among adults | 25.9% | 22.4–29.8 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 14.7% | 12.9–16.7 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 41.0% | 36.9–45.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 46.9% | 39.9–53.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.7% | 4.3–5.1 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 23.0% | 19.1–27.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 11.6% | 9.7–13.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.1% | 75.2–80.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 77.4% | 73.7–80.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 84.0% | 81.9–86.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 60.0% | 54.4–64.9 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 50.8% | 46.8–54.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 70.4% | 61.6–77.9 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.2% | 11.6–17.2 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 20.5% | 17.8–23.5 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 36.9% | 32.2–41.9 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 37.8% | 31.6–44.0 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 28.7% | 25.5–32.2 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 20.3% | 18.0–22.6 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 18.3% | 16.3–20.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 20.8% | 18.6–23.2 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.1% | 38.6–47.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 10.2% | 9.2–11.4 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 12.0% | 10.7–13.4 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 21.5% | 19.0–24.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.3 |
| Vision disability among adults | 7.3% | 6.6–8.0 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 26.4% | 22.8–30.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 20.3% | 17.3–23.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 13.8% | 11.6–16.1 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 14.4% | 12.3–16.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 10.3% | 9.0–11.7 |
| Loneliness among adults | 32.4% | 27.9–37.4 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 10.9% | 9.4–12.4 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | AR median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (4.0–30.6%) n=574 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 16.5% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.3% (1.5–24.1%) n=573 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.2% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 12.0% (3.7–23.0%) n=577 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 15.5% (4.4–30.5%) n=577 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.3% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–11.6%) n=573 |
| Households without a vehicle | 2.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.1% (0.0–12.5%) n=574 |
| Broadband subscription | 73.9% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 83.2% (65.0–94.7%) n=574 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 21.5% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.4% (4.3–33.2%) n=574 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 77.6% (57.7–96.1%) n=574 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.7% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.3% (0.0–5.7%) n=574 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.7% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.8% (0.0–6.5%) n=578 |
| Single-parent households | 57.8% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 53.0% (35.3–79.3%) n=571 |
| Population 65+ | 21.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.6–37.9%) n=578 |
| Median age | 42.1 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.6 yr (33.6–58.1) n=573 |
| Median household income | $53,833 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $53,893 ($36,003–$79,139) n=505 |
| Median home value | $158,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $128,200 ($73,260–$235,420) n=519 |
| Median gross rent | $884 | $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 | 76.7 yr ± 1.05 | 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 1.05 years of 76.7, 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