ZIP code
73838
in Chester, OklahomaPopulation 528
49.45/ 100
Ranked #17,004 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 47%)
Ranked #73 of 634 Oklahoma ZIPs (top 11.6%)
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.
Nitrate in drinking water
48%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST87thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of this area’s domestic-well groundwater at or above the federal nitrate limit of 10 milligrams 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 ›Housing-cost burden
1.9%
in the bottom 4.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST2ndUS4thDefinition & source ›
The share of households spending 30% or more of their income on housing.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
89 mi
in the top 4.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST99thUS96thDefinition & 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 ›Dry extreme heat
68.8 days/year
in the top 6.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST79thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year with a modeled daily high of at least 95 °F.
Full methodology ›Mammography
68.6%
in the bottom 9.1% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST60thUS9thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
3.0%
in the bottom 9.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST3rdUS10thDefinition & 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
92.1%
in the top 13.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST92ndUS87thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
45.1%
in the top 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST90thUS83rdDefinition & 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 ›Air-toxics cancer risk
20 per million
in the bottom 25% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST8thUS25thDefinition & source ›
The EPA’s modeled estimate of added lifetime cancer risk from breathing outdoor air toxics, in cases per million people exposed over a lifetime.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
17.6%
in the bottom 30% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST9thUS30thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›The read
In its overall standing, Chester, Oklahoma (ZIP 73838) lands in the bottom 47% nationally (17,004th) and the top 11.6% of Oklahoma (73rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
This area's pressures are easy to read across the measures: modeled nitrate is in the top 1.0% nationally, extreme heat sits in the top 6.1% nationally, and mammography lands in the bottom 9.1% nationally. On the brighter side, housing-cost burden lies in the bottom 4.0% nationally, and distance to a Superfund site stands in the top 4.3% nationally. Households without a vehicle rests at the national minimum, shared with about 16% of ZIPs. Poverty registers in the bottom 9.8% nationally, and modeled transportation noise resides in the bottom 10.7% nationally. Modeled loud transportation noise settles at the national minimum, shared with about 22% of ZIPs. Homeownership is in the top 13.3% nationally.
Put simply, nitrate is a groundwater compound from fertilizer, manure, and sewage, 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. No nearby ZIP ranks healthier overall than this one.
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 79%
14%
About typical
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 49%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 56%
16%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 58%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 46%
8%
Disability
healthier than 54%
7%
Holding it back
Preventive Care
healthier than 39%
13%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 6%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 29%
5%
Lifting this score
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 80%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 84%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 91%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 83%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 86%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 89%
8%
Disability
healthier than 89%
7%
Holding it back
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 8%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 33%
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
73663
Oklahomashares a border
Score 44.59
Similar health profile
77861
Texas99% similar profile
Score 50.58
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 | 30.2% | 26.7–33.7 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.0% | 33.6–42.4 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 9.4% | 8.5–10.4 |
| Current asthma among adults | 11.1% | 9.8–12.5 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 7.0% | 6.2–7.9 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 7.5% | 6.5–8.7 |
| Depression among adults | 24.2% | 20.6–28.0 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 11.5% | 9.9–13.2 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 39.7% | 35.1–44.2 |
| Obesity among adults | 40.4% | 32.2–48.8 |
| Stroke among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–3.9 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 10.8% | 8.8–13.1 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.6% | 6.9–10.5 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 78.2% | 75.1–81.0 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 78.4% | 74.6–81.7 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 87.4% | 85.5–89.2 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 65.9% | 60.8–70.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 61.6% | 57.9–65.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 68.6% | 59.3–76.4 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 14.6% | 11.8–17.5 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 15.2% | 12.7–18.0 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 29.0% | 24.2–34.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.3% | 27.7–41.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 17.6% | 15.0–20.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 16.4% | 14.4–18.5 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 13.6% | 11.9–15.5 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 14.9% | 13.0–17.1 |
| Any disability among adults | 34.4% | 29.8–39.2 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 8.8% | 7.8–9.9 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 7.9% | 6.9–9.0 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 15.3% | 13.2–17.8 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 3.5% | 3.1–4.0 |
| Vision disability among adults | 4.5% | 4.0–5.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 23.1% | 19.4–27.2 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 11.8% | 9.7–14.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.9% | 7.2–10.8 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 9.8% | 8.1–11.6 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.4% | 5.5–7.4 |
| Loneliness among adults | 31.2% | 26.1–36.7 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 6.8% | 5.8–7.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 3.0% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 16.3% (6.5–26.1%) n=643 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 12.2% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 19.4% (9.5–30.7%) n=643 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 4.9% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.9% (4.8–18.9%) n=644 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 31.3% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 18.4% (9.0–38.4%) n=644 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.1% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.3% (0.4–8.8%) n=643 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.6% (0.0–9.0%) n=643 |
| Broadband subscription | 78.2% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 85.4% (70.2–95.0%) n=643 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 1.9% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 20.0% (9.5–31.0%) n=643 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.2% (56.5–91.0%) n=643 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 2.3% (0.0–6.1%) n=643 |
| Foreign-born population | 4.2% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.9% (0.0–9.3%) n=645 |
| Single-parent households | 71.5% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.7% (39.5–66.1%) n=640 |
| Population 65+ | 28.0% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 18.4% (11.9–29.5%) n=645 |
| Median age | 52.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 40.3 yr (33.1–52.0) n=642 |
| Median household income | $95,588 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $58,728 ($43,042–$88,542) n=616 |
| Median home value | $161,500 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $142,200 ($83,960–$248,900) n=615 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $839 ($628–$1,136) n=546 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | OK median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.9 yr ± 0.89 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 77.2 yr (73.6–81.3) n=638 |
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 0.89 years of 77.9, 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