Asthma appears to be slamming mostly black communities in western and southern parts of the city and suburbs. In many of these areas, one of every 100 children, on average, ends up hospitalized for the disease each year.

Notes: ZIP code areas are ranked by the rate of child asthma hospitalizations for every 100,000 children under age 15 in 2001 (Chicago) or 2002 (Cook County).
Sources: Cook County Bureau of Health Services; Chicago Department of Public Health; U.S. Census Bureau; analyzed by The Chicago Reporter and Chicago Parent.