ZipCheckup Blog: Water Safety Insights

133 School Districts in Lead Risk Zones

Children in 133 ZIP codes attend school where lead exceeds safe levels and plumbing dates to the 1940s-50s. Data investi...

2.6M Miles of Pipeline — Where Incidents Cluster

America's pipeline network delivers gas to 177 million people. PHMSA tracks every incident. 42,675 ZIP codes mapped agai...

5,662 ZIPs Hit with EPA Enforcement in 2026

A surge in EPA enforcement activity has impacted nearly 1 in 5 ZIP codes in 2026. Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois lead...

544 A-Grade Islands Surrounded by Failing Neighbors

How do some ZIPs achieve excellent water safety while neighbors struggle? 544 'islands of safety' found — their secrets ...

633 ZIPs: High Contamination, Zero Enforcement

Hundreds of communities have serious water violations with zero EPA enforcement on record. Regulatory gaps put 667 ZIP c...

93 Nuclear Reactors and Their Danger Zones

The NRC requires emergency planning zones around every nuclear reactor. We mapped which ZIP codes fall within these zone...

Aging Infrastructure: $18,841 Avg Maintenance Debt

America's water infrastructure ages faster than it's replaced. Analysis of 39,422 ZIP codes reveals ~$19,000 avg mainten...

EPA Tracks Air Pollution to Your Block

EPA's EJScreen maps 11 environmental indicators across every census tract. 42,675 ZIP codes indexed for particulate matt...

Every Bridge Near You Has a Safety Rating

The National Bridge Inventory tracks 42,675 ZIP codes with bridge infrastructure. 4,029 ZIPs have high-risk bridges, avg...

Every Chemical Factory Near You — EPA TRI Data

EPA's Toxic Release Inventory monitors 21,856 facilities across 8,797 ZIP codes. 3.4 billion pounds of chemicals release...

Fatal Traffic Crashes by ZIP Code — NHTSA Data

42,795 traffic deaths in 2022. NHTSA FARS data mapped to 42,675 ZIP codes. Some counties have fatality rates 3x the nati...

FEMA Paid $88B in Flood Claims — Every ZIP Code

2.66 million flood insurance claims. $88.2 billion in payouts. 26,172 ZIP codes with flood loss history. FEMA data mappe...

IRS Income Data vs Water Quality by ZIP Code

IRS income data reveals wealthier ZIP codes score worse on water safety. 331 ZIPs earning $150K+ received F grades.

Lead + Flood + Old Housing: Double Burden ZIPs

10 ZIP codes face the triple threat of lead contamination, flood risk, and aging pre-1960 housing. Compounding infrastru...

Leaking Gas Tanks Under Your Feet — EPA's UST Database

455,830 underground storage tanks. 43,801 confirmed leaks still open. EPA data shows which ZIP codes sit on the worst co...

Mortgage Lending Fairness by Neighborhood — HMDA

HMDA requires lenders to report every mortgage application by census tract. Data reveals persistent lending disparities ...

NOAA Sea Level Projections for Your ZIP Code

25 coastal states face 12-18 inches of sea level rise. Combined with $87.9B in flood damage, data reveals the most vulne...

PFAS Near Military Bases: 1,183 Sites Analyzed

844 of 1,183 US military installations have PFAS contamination nearby. AFFF firefighting foam legacy and impact on commu...

Rich ZIP Codes with Terrible Water: The Wealth Paradox

633 affluent ZIP codes earning $100K+ have D or F safety grades. Money doesn't guarantee clean water — here's where weal...

Safest and Riskiest Metros for Homebuyers in 2026

Which metro areas offer the safest home environment? We ranked America's major metros using EPA, FEMA, and Census data —...

State of Home Safety 2026: 41,344 ZIP Codes, A C Grade for America

Annual analysis of 49 federal data sources across 41,344 ZIP codes. National Home Safety Score: 67/100 (Grade C). 23,861...

Toxic Waste Near 7,194 ZIP Codes — Superfund Map

1,807 Superfund sites. 41,344 ZIP codes mapped by proximity. 7,194 ZIPs rated high or very high risk. EPA contamination ...

Underground Tank Cleanups: $2.2 Billion Cost

43,801 leaking underground storage tanks unresolved. Cleanup costs, timelines, and burden by ZIP code. 1,237 ZIPs at ver...

USGS Tracks Your Groundwater — The Data

USGS monitors 506,398 wells across 3,050 ZIP codes. Avg well depth: 58 feet. Some aquifers rising, others dropping below...

Water Rate Fairness — Low-Income ZIPs Pay More

Water utility rates cross-referenced with violations and household income. Some ZIPs pay premium rates for water violati...

Waukesha's Water: From Radium to Lake Michigan

How Waukesha, WI fought radium in groundwater and became the first city outside the Great Lakes basin to win Lake Michig...

What Water Contamination Costs Homeowners

Median ZIP faces $1,700 in safety remediation costs. 40,170 ZIP codes analyzed for lead, radon, flood risk, PFAS, and fi...

Your County's Health Report Card Is Online

CDC tracks asthma, lead exposure, and environmental health risks for 39,040 ZIP codes. Cross-referenced with water quali...

Your State's Energy Code May Cost You $1,200/yr

14,195 ZIP codes in areas with energy code gaps. State energy codes mapped against housing stock age reveal measurable c...

Your ZIP Code's Food Access Score — USDA Data

18,150 ZIP codes rated high food desert risk. 5,497 ZIPs have food insecurity above 20%. USDA maps every food desert in ...