ZIP code
59003
in Ashland, MontanaPopulation 1,334
27.62/ 100
Ranked #31,159 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 2.9%)
Ranked #330 of 341 Montana ZIPs (bottom 3.3%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
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.
Energy-cost burden
8.8%
in the top 0.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The modeled share of household income spent on home energy bills — electricity, gas, and heating fuels.
A modeled share of household income spent on home energy. Estimates that hit the model’s 100% ceiling are suppressed rather than published, because at that point the figure reflects the model’s limit rather than a measured burden.
Full methodology ›Fatal road crashes
75 per 100,000 residents per year
in the top 1.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The annual rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 residents, pooled over a ten-year window.
A rate per resident population. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the rate to be reliable — about 30% of US ZIPs — no value is published rather than an unstable one; those ZIPs are absent from this comparison, not counted as crash-free.
Full methodology ›Distance to an emergency room
37.5 mi
in the top 1.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST98thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare-certified hospital with an emergency room.
Full methodology ›Independent-living disability
14.6%
in the top 3.2% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor’s office, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
10.4%
in the top 4.1% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Fine-particle (PM2.5) exceedance
3.3%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST77thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The share of days in the year when modeled fine-particle (PM2.5) pollution was above the EPA’s daily limit of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
Full methodology ›Distance to a nursing home
23.3 mi
in the top 2.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST81stUS98thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing home.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
19.3%
in the top 2.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
22%
in the top 3.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS96thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Walkability
1.3 intersections/sq mi
in the bottom 3.7% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST48thUS4thDefinition & source ›
The number of street intersections per square mile — a standard street-connectivity measure; denser networks correlate with more walkable neighborhoods.
Full methodology ›Cross-source signals
Health need and barriers to care documented here
On our reading, this ZIP code carries the overlap at its acute level: acute means at least three of the six health-need readings and at least three of the six access barriers apply to the same place.
These are two separate readings of public data that both apply to this place — never a claim that one causes the other, never a severity score, and never a statement about any person who lives here.
Health need documented here
- Food insecurity
- Housing insecurity
- Adults reporting fair or poor health
Barriers to reaching care
- Distance to the nearest emergency room
- Thin local supply of doctors
- Thin local supply of pharmacies
A reading appears below only where this ZIP code is among the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on it — one national bar, the same for every ZIP in the country.
See the full care-deserts analysis →The read
Judged by its overall standing, Ashland, Montana (ZIP 59003) sits in the bottom 2.9% nationally (31,159th) and the bottom 3.3% of Montana (330th), based on limited data; treat as directional.
Here the data is straightforward about what defines the area: modeled energy burden lies in the top 0.6% nationally, fatal road crashes registers in the top 1.1% nationally, and distance to an emergency room is in the top 1.2% nationally. Modeled independent living disability lies in the top 3.2% nationally, vision disability registers in the top 4.1% nationally, and fine-particle is in the top 2.0% nationally. Distance to a nursing home lies in the top 2.5% nationally, and modeled transportation registers in the top 2.6% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability is in the top 3.9% nationally, and walkability lies in the bottom 3.7% nationally.
Put plainly, fine-particle is fine airborne particles about one-thirtieth the width of a hair, counted on modeled days above the EPA standard. Energy burden is the share of household income that goes to home energy bills. A healthier nearby ZIP overall is ZIP 59062, just across the boundary. Across other measures, the ZIP also shows documented health need overlapping with barriers to reaching care, sitting in the most-affected 10% of US ZIP codes on several need measures and several access barriers.
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
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 85%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 20%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.8%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 17%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 4%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 4%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 5%
8%
Disability
healthier than 4%
7%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 12%
5%
Nothing measured is lifting this score.
About typical
Healthcare Access
healthier than 50%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 1%
16%
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 31%
14%
Preventive Care
healthier than 2%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 2%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 3%
8%
Disability
healthier than 3%
7%
Climate / Disaster RiskPartial
healthier than 19%
5%
“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
59043
Montanashares a border
Score 16.75
Closest healthier
59062
Montanashares a border
Score 47.60
Similar health profile
95428
California99% similar profile
Score 29.20
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 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 30.5% | 27.8–33.1 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 38.6% | 35.3–41.8 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 7.5% | 6.9–8.1 |
| Current asthma among adults | 14.4% | 13.0–15.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.5% | 7.7–9.4 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 10.7% | 9.6–12.0 |
| Depression among adults | 26.0% | 22.9–29.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 15.2% | 13.6–16.9 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 31.6% | 28.7–34.6 |
| Obesity among adults | 41.1% | 35.6–46.9 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.1% | 4.7–5.6 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 22.8% | 19.7–25.9 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 14.3% | 11.8–17.0 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 71.5% | 69.0–73.9 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 69.8% | 66.3–73.4 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 75.9% | 73.4–78.4 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 56.4% | 52.0–60.6 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 48.5% | 45.3–51.5 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 69.6% | 62.7–75.8 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 18.2% | 15.6–21.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 24.8% | 22.0–27.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 30.4% | 26.5–34.4 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 38.2% | 33.0–43.7 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 30.2% | 27.2–33.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 23.1% | 20.9–25.3 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 19.8% | 18.0–21.8 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 22.0% | 19.8–24.4 |
| Any disability among adults | 43.2% | 39.3–47.0 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.5% | 10.4–12.6 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 14.6% | 13.0–16.2 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 20.3% | 18.3–22.5 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 6.6% | 6.0–7.4 |
| Vision disability among adults | 10.4% | 9.3–11.5 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 27.8% | 24.5–31.5 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 31.4% | 27.8–35.2 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 26.0% | 22.6–29.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 20.9% | 18.3–23.7 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 19.3% | 17.1–21.6 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.4% | 32.3–41.0 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 16.9% | 14.9–19.0 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 24.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.7% (1.9–27.5%) n=360 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 10.6% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.1% (0.0–33.1%) n=357 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 7.0% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 4.7% (0.0–14.1%) n=360 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 25.8% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.6% (12.3–46.1%) n=360 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 3.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 1.8% (0.0–10.2%) n=357 |
| Households without a vehicle | 10.6% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 1.7% (0.0–9.5%) n=360 |
| Broadband subscription | 78.3% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.3% (72.1–100.0%) n=360 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 19.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.1% (7.3–37.2%) n=360 |
| Homeownership rate | 38.5% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.0% (56.9–95.8%) n=360 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 7.2% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.9% (0.0–6.6%) n=360 |
| Foreign-born population | 5.4% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.9% (0.0–4.9%) n=360 |
| Single-parent households | 60.2% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 61.3% (39.9–84.5%) n=356 |
| Population 65+ | 19.3% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 24.0% (12.9–44.0%) n=360 |
| Median age | 41.0 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 46.0 yr (32.9–62.3) n=358 |
| Median household income | $44,833 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,875 ($44,980–$95,192) n=321 |
| Median home value | $76,400 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $292,450 ($127,430–$548,550) n=312 |
| Median gross rent | $619 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $877 ($544–$1,329) n=213 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.1 yr ± 1.04 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 79.7 yr (76.7–83.7) n=358 |
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 1.04 years of 77.1, 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