ZIP code
18602
in Bear Creek Village, PennsylvaniaPopulation 628
61.79/ 100
Ranked #3,643 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 11.4%)
Ranked #163 of 1,748 Pennsylvania ZIPs (top 9.4%)
Ranked #6 of 73 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA ZIPs (top 8.3%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
Some domains have limited local data — read this Score as directional
What defines this ZIP
Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.
Median household income
$160,962
in the top 2.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST98thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The middle household income in this ZIP — half of households earn more, half earn less — in dollars per year.
Full methodology ›Natural-disaster risk
in the bottom 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST13thUS4thDefinition & source ›
This area’s national rank on its single highest non-flood natural hazard — such as wildfire, tornado, or earthquake — in FEMA’s modeled National Risk Index; flooding is shown separately.
Full methodology ›Tree cover
82.6%
in the top 4.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area covered by forest.
Full methodology ›Homeownership rate
99.1%
in the top 5.2% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST93rdUS95thDefinition & source ›
The share of occupied homes that are owned, rather than rented, by the people living in them.
Full methodology ›Expected annual disaster loss
$0
in the bottom 6.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST16thUS6thDefinition & source ›
FEMA’s modeled estimate, in dollars per year, of the average harm to people expected from natural hazards — an annualized average, not a forecast for any single year.
Full methodology ›PFAS in drinking water
61.4%
in the top 7.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST89thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that PFAS “forever chemicals” would be detected in untreated groundwater in this area, the source private wells draw on.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Poverty rate
2.5%
in the bottom 8.3% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST11thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The share of residents whose income is below the federal poverty line, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
73.1%
in the top 7.0% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS93rdDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Slow internet speeds
0.65%
in the top 16% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST91stUS84thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Humid extreme heat
20.3 days/year
in the bottom 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST7thUS17thDefinition & source ›
The average number of days per year when modeled heat stress — temperature, humidity, sun, and wind combined — reaches levels hard on the body outdoors.
Full methodology ›The read
On the data available so far, Bear Creek Village, Pennsylvania (ZIP 18602) lands in the top 11.4% healthiest ZIPs nationally (3,643rd) and the top 9.4% of Pennsylvania (163rd), based on limited data; treat as directional.
The available readings suggest a handful of things about this area: household income settles in the top 2.9% nationally, and modeled disaster risk rests in the bottom 3.9% nationally. Modeled tree cover lands in the top 4.0% nationally, and homeownership settles in the top 5.2% nationally. Modeled expected annual loss rests in the bottom 6.2% nationally, and poverty lands in the bottom 8.3% nationally. Modeled extreme heat settles at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs. Modeled colon screening rests in the top 7.0% nationally. By contrast, modeled pfas lands in the top 7.4% nationally. Fiber broadband settles at the national minimum, shared with about 19% of ZIPs.
Against its neighbors, park land runs far lower than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. For context, disaster risk is the area's national rank on its highest non-flood peril in FEMA's modeled Risk Index, like wildfire or quake. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate, in dollars, of average yearly harm to people from natural hazards. Pfas is the man-made "forever chemicals" that build up in the body and environment instead of breaking down; here a modeled estimate of the chance a private well contains them. The closest ZIP that ranks healthier overall is ZIP 18707, about 3.2 miles away.
What’s driving this score
Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 66%
16%
Preventive CarePartial
healthier than 96%
15%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 68%
6%
About typical
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 42%
19%
Holding it back
Healthcare Access
healthier than 38%
6%
Not placed: Chronic Disease Burden and Risk Behavior — too little of each is measured here to compare reliably. They still count toward the score (together 38% of it); we just will not publish a standing we cannot stand behind.
No data: Mental Health and Disability — not measured in this ZIP, so it is left out of the score entirely rather than estimated.
“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
18661
Pennsylvaniashares a border
Score 52.71
Closest healthier
18707
Pennsylvaniaabout 3.2 mi away
Score 63.28
Similar health profile
18246
Pennsylvania99% similar profile
Score 63.48
How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured
Evidence
Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.
Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 8.9% | 7.0–11.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 73.1% | 68.4–77.3 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 72.4% | 69.1–75.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 77.8% | 70.4–84.2 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Short sleep duration among adults | 34.1% | 28.4–40.3 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | PA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 2.5% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.3% (2.1–21.6%) n=1,759 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 5.4% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 6.3% (0.0–16.6%) n=1,753 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 0.5% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 7.0% (1.5–16.1%) n=1,762 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 51.9% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 21.9% (8.9–50.4%) n=1,762 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 0.8% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 3.9% (0.0–9.6%) n=1,755 |
| Households without a vehicle | 0.9% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 4.8% (0.0–15.6%) n=1,758 |
| Broadband subscription | 91.6% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 88.2% (75.7–97.3%) n=1,758 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 20.6% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.9% (9.9–35.3%) n=1,758 |
| Homeownership rate | 99.1% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 80.1% (57.1–94.5%) n=1,758 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 0.0% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.6% (0.0–3.3%) n=1,758 |
| Foreign-born population | 2.5% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 1.4% (0.0–10.2%) n=1,763 |
| Single-parent households | 28.4% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 56.3% (38.5–72.8%) n=1,744 |
| Population 65+ | 15.6% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 21.1% (12.3–31.4%) n=1,763 |
| Median age | 34.8 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 44.2 yr (33.9–55.5) n=1,752 |
| Median household income | $160,962 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $71,250 ($50,880–$112,747) n=1,642 |
| Median home value | $412,700 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $197,200 ($99,000–$382,120) n=1,649 |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $983 ($701–$1,527) n=1,367 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | PA median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.0 yr ± 1.79 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.2 yr (76.0–82.0) n=1,730 |
About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 1.79 years of 81.0, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾More ZIPs to explore ▴
How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured