Pollution and Population Health by ZIP Code
Look up any U.S. ZIP code to compare two independent federal datasets — EPA environmental measurements and CDC PLACES modeled health prevalence — side by side, with a statistical comparison index. Association, not causation.
- EPA pollution percentiles, air-quality grade, toxic-release facilities and Superfund proximity
- CDC PLACES modeled prevalence of asthma, COPD and cancer, each with a 95% confidence interval
- A statistical comparison index — observed asthma versus a model’s prediction, with its R²
What the report section shows
- Block A — EPA environmental measurements for the ZIP code
- Block B — CDC modeled health prevalence with confidence intervals
- A Pollution–Health Comparison Index with its model fit (R²)
- Plain-language notes on why the two datasets are independent
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this tool show?
It opens any U.S. ZIP code’s report at the Pollution and Population Health section. There you see two independent federal datasets side by side — EPA environmental measurements and CDC PLACES modeled health prevalence — plus a statistical index that compares observed asthma prevalence with a model’s prediction.
Does a high comparison index prove pollution affects health here?
No. The pollution data (EPA) and the health data (CDC) are independent datasets. The index is a statistical comparison — it shows whether observed asthma sits above or below a model’s prediction. It does not demonstrate that pollution affected any health outcome.
What is the Pollution–Health Comparison Index?
It is a percentile rank from an ordinary least-squares regression. The model predicts expected adult-asthma prevalence from local pollution and poverty measurements; the index ranks how far observed prevalence sits above or below that prediction. The model’s R² is shown alongside it so you can judge how well the model fits.
Where does the data come from?
Environmental data comes from EPA EJScreen, the National Emissions Inventory, the Toxics Release Inventory and the Superfund National Priorities List. Health data comes from CDC PLACES, which publishes modeled small-area prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals.
Is this medical advice?
No. The health figures are CDC modeled population estimates, not diagnoses, and they do not describe any individual. Nothing in this tool is medical advice. For questions about personal health, a licensed clinician is the right source.
Data Sources & Methodology
Data Sources
- EPA — EJScreen, National Emissions Inventory, Toxics Release Inventory, Superfund (NPL) — Pollution percentiles, air-quality grade, toxic-release facilities and Superfund proximity by ZIP code.
- CDC PLACES — modeled small-area health estimates — Modeled small-area prevalence of asthma, COPD and cancer with 95% confidence intervals.
Methodology
An ordinary least-squares regression predicts expected adult-asthma prevalence from five EPA and socio-economic measurements. The residual — observed minus expected — is percentile-ranked to form the Pollution–Health Comparison Index. The model’s R² is published with the index. The two datasets are presented separately and are never combined into a single causal score.