How US Zip Codes Predict Health Outcomes

Health disparities – or how those in different groups experience different health outcomes depending on their race/ethnicity or other factors – are not a new concept. However, recent research has shifted to highlight how location, and specifically zip codes, influence an individual’s overall health and wellness.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a U.S. nonprofit focused on identifying and addressing barriers to health, your zip code can predict your life expectancy. (Enter your zip code here  to see how yours compares to the national average lifespan of 77.5 years.)

Multiple, overlapping disparities present in a zip code have wide-ranging consequences that affect health outcomes. For example, in poorer neighborhoods, individuals not only have more difficulty accessing doctors or prescriptions, but they also have less access to healthy food (which impacts nutrition) and reduced housing security (which creates challenges with keeping appointments). They also experience higher levels of chronic stress and inflammation.

Meanwhile, many rural communities have limited access to specialized practitioners and equipment. On Native American reservations, which are covered by the Indian Health Service, access for remote populations to practitioners and supplies is further complicated by a lack of funding, transportation difficulties, and other factors. As a result, it is not surprising that Native Americans experience unusually high rates of diabetes, liver disease, and other illnesses, as well as a lower life expectancy compared to other ethnicities.

Access to healthy food is limited in many rural and urban neighborhoods.

While health disparities have historically been racialized, recent research emphasizes that it is typically “place not race” that determines health outcomes. A 2011 study published in Health Affairs found that in integrated settings, black and white Americans displayed minimal differences in the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and other health challenges in which national disparities were widely observed.

In addition to treating illness, one’s location can affect the ability to obtain an early diagnosis. One recent study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia in August 2024, found that “where one resides influences the likelihood of receiving an ADRD diagnosis, particularly among those 66-74 years of age and minoritized groups.” This is significant because, according to NPR, a more rapid diagnosis can influence factors such as early treatment options and access to clinical trials. “Without that diagnosis, you can’t get educated, you can’t prepare,” Julie Bynum, a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and a lead author of the study, told CNN .

Now, health companies and other advocates are looking at interventions to address the widespread influences that affect these numbers, such as partnering with community-based organizations to expand offerings. Some of the more hopeful efforts to reduce health disparities between zip codes include improving access to healthy food, education, and economic stability in addition to medical care.