This episode of the Planet Money podcast dives into the history and significance of ZIP codes—a simple numerical system that has significant implications. It takes listeners back to the post-World War II era, showing how ZIP codes transformed mail sorting and soon spread to many other fields. However, the podcast also addresses the critiques of ZIP code usage, noting how their boundaries often don’t match city limits, which can cause issues like misdelivered mail and flawed public health data. For instance, discrepancies in ZIP codes have led to underreported COVID cases in certain areas. While recognizing that ZIP codes greatly improved mail delivery, the podcast highlights the challenges of using them in non-postal contexts, which can result in misleading data and poor resource distribution. Ultimately, this discussion helps listeners grasp the unexpected consequences of ZIP codes and emphasizes the need to be mindful of data limitations in analysis.
