As schools restart, these ZIP codes have the worst COVID rates in the Wichita area

As some school districts resumed in-person classes this week following the holiday break, some ZIP codes in the Wichita area have higher coronavirus rates than others.

Sedgwick County Health Department data for the last two weeks show the five worst ZIP codes for the rate of new cases were west Wichita’s 67227, Viola’s 67149, Andale’s 67001, east Wichita’s 67206 and Kechi’s 67067.

The five worst ZIP codes for the positive test rate were Bentley’s 67016, Colwich’s 67030, Viola’s 67149 and west Wichita’s 67227 and 67223.

The positive test rate and the rate of new cases are the most important metrics for COVID-19 spread, Sedgwick County Health Director Adrienne Byrne has said. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment categorizes a positive test rate that is above 15% as being in the red zone, as is a rate above 150 new cases per 100,000 people. That is the equivalent of 1.5 per 1,000.

All five of the above ZIP codes had rates that would put them in the red zone, as did several more ZIP codes in the Wichita area.

Researchers with the University of Washington and Michigan Sate University found that in-person schooling likely does not contribute to community spread, as long as schools follow health guidelines and the rates of community spread are low.

But when community spread is already high — as it is in Sedgwick County as a whole and many of its ZIP codes — holding classes in-person likely does contribute to further community spread, the researchers wrote. Sedgwick County’s rate of new cases is in the red zone of both the White House COVID-19 Task Force and the Kansas State Department of Education.

The study was published in December by the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research

“Our findings suggest that school districts’ choices to offer hybrid or fully in-person instruction are not significantly contributing to COVID spread in communities when there are low or modest pre-existing case rates in the population,” the researchers wrote. “But ... we do find, consistent with epidemiological predictions, that in-person schooling is predicted to lead to community COVID spread when pre-existing case rates in the counties in which school districts are located are high.”

A full list of ZIP codes in Sedgwick County is available below with totals as of Monday and increases in the last two weeks. The report includes the population, total confirmed cases, total tests administered, the number of new cases, the rate of new cases per 1,000 people and the positive test rate.

The Sedgwick County Health Department’s online ZIP code map, which is the source of the data, can be accessed at www.sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/.

Two ZIP codes — for McConnell Air Force Base and Wichita State University — do not have data because they have no population. County officials have said that members of the military who live in on-base housing are included in the surrounding 67210 ZIP code.

Many of the ZIP code areas in Sedgwick County extend into neighboring counties. The ZIP code population data on the map includes people who live in other counties, but the number of tests and cases only include Sedgwick County residents.

The case rate per population includes Sedgwick County residents who were tested compared with the total population of the ZIP code, including other counties. That means case rates are likely underestimated for ZIP codes that extend into neighboring counties, such as Mulvane’s.

Names of towns from other counties are included solely as a reference for the relative location of the ZIP code.

SEDGWICK COUNTY ZIP CODES AND COVID-19 STATISTICS

67001 — Andale: 1,508 people, 95 total cases, 716 total tests. There were 18 new cases, for a rate of 11.94 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 14.52%.

67016 — Bentley: 558 people, 31 total cases, 207 total tests. There were six new cases, for a rate of 10.75 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 21.43%.

67017 — Benton: 2,408 people, nine total cases, 103 total tests. There were zero new cases out of four new tests.

67020 — Burrton: 1,692 people, five or fewer total cases, five or fewer total tests. There was an unknown case change.

67025 — Cheney: 3,780 people, 208 total cases, 1,584 total tests. There were 27 new cases, for a rate of 7.14 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 10.19%.

67026 — Clearwater: 4,802 people, 305 total cases, 2,561 total tests. There were 34 new cases, for a rate of 7.08 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.91%.

67030 — Colwich: 2,861 people, 182 total cases, 1,041 total tests. There were 32 new cases, for a rate of 11.18 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 20.13%.

67031 — Conway Springs: 2,607 people, six total cases, 38 total tests. There was at least one new case, which would be a rate of at least 0.38 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of at least 10.00%.

67037 — Derby: 28,364 people, 1,458 total cases, 13,766 total tests. There were 182 new cases, for a rate of 6.42 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 6.63%.

67039 — Douglass: 3,255 people, five or fewer total cases, five or fewer total tests. There was an unknown case change.

67050 — Garden Plain: 1,939 people, 142 total cases, 691 total tests. There were 16 new cases, for a rate of 8.25 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 12.70%.

67052 — Goddard: 9,357 people, 512 total cases, 3,536 total tests. There were 66 new cases, for a rate of 7.05 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 12.43%.

67055 — Greenwich: 138 people, five or fewer total cases, 16 total tests. There was an unknown case change.

67060 — Haysville: 14,210 people, 797 total cases, 7,101 total tests. There were 76 new cases, for a rate of 5.35 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 6.16%.

67067 — Kechi: 1,735 people, 106 total cases, 842 total tests. There were 20 new cases, for a rate of 11.53 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 13.79%.

67101 — Maize: 4,899 people, 345 total cases, 2,348 total tests. There were 53 new cases, for a rate of 10.82 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 16.61%.

67106 — Milton: 272 people, five or fewer total cases, 20 total tests. There was an unknown case change.

67108 — Mount Hope: 1,601 people, 90 total cases, 875 total tests. There were four new cases, for a rate of 2.50 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 3.10%.

67110 — Mulvane: 8,891 people, 332 total cases, 2,900 total tests. There were 45 new cases, for a rate of 5.06 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.39%.

67118 — Norwich: 703 people, five or fewer total cases, five or fewer total tests. There was an unknown case change.

67120 — Peck: 1,011 people, 47 total cases, 227 total tests. There were seven new cases, for a rate of 6.92 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 16.28%.

67133 — Rose Hill: 6,395 people, five or fewer total cases, 95 total tests. There was an unknown case change.

67135 — Sedgwick: 3,260 people, 40 total cases, 567 total tests. There were seven new cases, for a rate of 2.15 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 5.56%.

67147 — Valley Center: 10,537 people, 509 total cases, 4,726 total tests. There were 63 new cases, for a rate of 5.98 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 8.84%.

67149 — Viola: 863 people, 62 total cases, 348 total tests. There were 11 new cases, for a rate of 12.75 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 20.00%.

67202 — Wichita: 1,671 people, 228 total cases, 1,428 total tests. There were 15 new cases, for a rate of 8.98 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 8.20%.

67203 — Wichita: 29,540 people, 2,343 total cases, 16,487 total tests. There were 260 new cases, for a rate of 8.80 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.49%.

67204 — Wichita and Park City: 21,783 people, 1,559 total cases, 9,297 total tests. There were 146 new cases, for a rate of 6.70 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 10.81%.

67205 — Wichita: 19,444 people, 1,197 total cases, 9,309 total tests. There were 166 new cases, for a rate of 8.54 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.70%.

67206 — Wichita: 16,106 people, 1,152 total cases, 14,095 total tests. There were 186 new cases, for a rate of 11.55 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 6.03%.

67207 — Wichita: 28,313 people, 1,731 total cases, 13,653 total tests. There were 200 new cases, for a rate of 7.06 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.12%.

67208 — Wichita: 17,703 people, 1,224 total cases, 10,722 total tests. There were 129 new cases, for a rate of 7.29 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 7.01%.

67209 — Wichita: 13,380 people, 936 total cases, 6,689 total tests. There were 114 new cases, for a rate of 8.52 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.67%.

67210 — Wichita: 9,722 people, 458 total cases, 3,164 total tests. There were 50 new cases, for a rate of 5.14 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 10.75%.

67211 — Wichita: 18,974 people, 1,292 total cases, 9,054 total tests. There were 144 new cases, for a rate of 7.59 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 11.88%.

67212 — Wichita: 44,824 people, 2,640 total cases, 20,217 total tests. There were 371 new cases, for a rate of 8.28 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 11.38%.

67213 — Wichita: 23,117 people, 1,244 total cases, 9,563 total tests. There were 130 new cases, for a rate of 5.62 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.96%.

67214 — Wichita: 14,680 people, 1,122 total cases, 8,630 total tests. There were 88 new cases, for a rate of 5.99 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 8.59%.

67215 — Wichita: 6,128 people, 433 total cases, 2,835 total tests. There were 52 new cases, for a rate of 8.49 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 12.12%.

67216 — Wichita: 23,223 people, 1,455 total cases, 9,752 total tests. There were 133 new cases, for a rate of 5.73 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 9.80%.

67217 — Wichita: 30,313 people, 1,718 total cases, 12,925 total tests. There were 188 new cases, for a rate of 6.20 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 10.49%.

67218 — Wichita: 22,499 people, 1,444 total cases, 11,959 total tests. There were 162 new cases, for a rate of 7.20 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 7.68%.

67219 — Park City and Wichita: 13,398 people, 704 total cases, 6,622 total tests. There were 71 new cases, for a rate of 5.30 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 7.03%.

67220 — Bel Aire and Wichita: 14,060 people, 932 total cases, 7,646 total tests. There were 109 new cases, for a rate of 7.75 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 8.04%.

67221 — McConnell AFB: Zero people, five or fewer total cases, five or fewer total tests.

67223 — Wichita: 582 people, 29 total cases, 176 total tests. There were five new cases, for a rate of 8.59 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 17.24%.

67226 — Bel Aire and Wichita: 20,442 people, 1,331 total cases, 11,814 total tests. There were 170 new cases, for a rate of 8.32 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 8.86%.

67227 — Wichita: 304 people, 28 total cases, 178 total tests. There were six new cases, for a rate of 19.74 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 19.35%.

67228 — Wichita: 2,636 people, 167 total cases, 1,272 total tests. There were 28 new cases, for a rate of 10.62 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 11.81%.

67230 — Wichita: 11,072 people, 715 total cases, 5,862 total tests. There were 112 new cases, for a rate of 10.12 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 10.67%.

67232 — Wichita: 664 people, 14 total cases, 105 total tests. There were two new cases, for a rate of 3.01 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 10.00%.

67235 — Wichita: 13,210 people, 838 total cases, 6,049 total tests. There were 109 new cases, for a rate of 8.25 new cases per 1,000 and a positive test rate of 11.31%.

67260 — Wichita State University: Zero people, five or fewer total cases, five or fewer total tests.

67543 — Haven: 2,029 people, five or fewer total cases, five or fewer total tests. There was an unknown case change.