ZIP code
59255
in Poplar, MontanaPopulation 3,083
18.58/ 100
Ranked #31,945 of 32,066 US ZIPs (bottom 0.4%)
Ranked #338 of 341 Montana ZIPs (bottom 0.9%)
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.
Independent-living disability
17.1%
in the top 1.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & 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 ›Mammography
59.8%
in the bottom 0.8% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of women aged 50–74 who had a mammogram within the past two years.
Full methodology ›Vision disability
12.6%
in the top 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are blind or have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
48.1%
in the bottom 1.4% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST1stUS1stDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›Cognitive disability
25.3%
in the top 0.9% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
Full methodology ›Tooth loss
33%
in the top 1.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 65 and older who have lost all of their natural teeth.
Full methodology ›Fair or poor health
36.1%
in the top 2.0% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS98thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who rate their own general health as fair or poor.
Full methodology ›Lack of transportation
24.7%
in the top 0.7% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who lacked reliable transportation in the past 12 months.
Full methodology ›Self-care disability
8.0%
in the top 2.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Full methodology ›Distance to a Superfund site
212.3 mi
in the top 0.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST94thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The distance in miles from this ZIP’s edge to the nearest Superfund site — an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has listed for cleanup.
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
- People living in poverty
- Food insecurity
- Housing insecurity
- Adults reporting fair or poor health
- Chronic conditions
Barriers to reaching care
- Distance to the nearest community health center
- Thin local supply of pharmacies
- Households with no vehicle
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
Overall, Poplar, Montana (ZIP 59255) lands in the bottom 0.4% nationally (31,945th) and the bottom 0.9% of Montana (338th).
What defines this place in the numbers is worth naming first: modeled independent living disability lands in the top 1.0% nationally, and mammography sits in the bottom 0.8% nationally. Modeled vision disability is in the top 1.6% nationally, and colon screening settles in the bottom 1.4% nationally. Modeled cognitive disability resides in the top 0.9% nationally, tooth loss registers in the top 1.8% nationally, and fair or poor health rests in the top 2.0% nationally. Modeled transportation stands in the top 0.7% nationally, and self-care disability lies in the top 2.8% nationally. More encouragingly, distance to a Superfund site lands in the top 0.9% nationally.
A note on the terms: distance to a Superfund site is an abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous-waste site the EPA has identified for cleanup. For a healthier nearby comparison, ZIP 59201, just across the boundary, ranks better overall. 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
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 99%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 61%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 10%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.6%
16%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.6%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.3%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 2%
8%
Disability
in the bottom 0.7%
7%
Healthcare Access
in the bottom 0.3%
5%
Lifting this score
Environmental Hazard
in the top 0.00%
14%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 2%
21%
Social Need / SDOH
in the bottom 0.6%
16%
Preventive Care
in the bottom 0.00%
13%
Risk Behavior
in the bottom 0.00%
11%
Mental Health
in the bottom 0.00%
8%
Disability
in the bottom 0.00%
7%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 3%
5%
Healthcare Access
healthier than 4%
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 ›
Findings that name this ZIP
One of our published findings lists this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Clean environment, heavy chronic burden
Where the environment and chronic illness point in opposite directions
Environmental-hazard standing 98.8 (top 10%); chronic-disease standing 10.1 — 89 points apart, cleaner on the environment than it is on chronic illness.
Ranked #158 of the 18,187 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by the gap from cleanest environment to heaviest chronic burden, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
59201
Montanashares a border
Score 33.07
Closest healthier
59213
Montanashares a border
Score 22.95
Similar health profile
86434
Arizona99% similar profile
Score 20.07
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 | 30.4% | 27.1–33.6 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 39.1% | 35.1–43.2 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 6.2% | 5.5–6.8 |
| Current asthma among adults | 16.0% | 14.2–17.9 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 8.8% | 7.9–9.8 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 12.1% | 10.6–13.8 |
| Depression among adults | 28.4% | 24.5–32.3 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 17.8% | 15.5–20.0 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 32.2% | 28.4–36.1 |
| Obesity among adults | 46.2% | 38.7–53.5 |
| Stroke among adults | 5.7% | 5.1–6.2 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 33.0% | 28.1–38.2 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 15.5% | 12.4–18.9 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 70.5% | 67.2–73.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 68.8% | 64.3–72.9 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 73.7% | 70.3–76.8 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 48.1% | 43.0–53.1 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 39.7% | 36.2–43.4 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 59.8% | 50.8–68.3 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 16.8% | 13.8–20.0 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 30.8% | 26.6–34.9 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 35.2% | 29.9–40.8 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 46.1% | 39.9–52.3 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 36.1% | 32.0–40.4 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 25.6% | 22.8–28.4 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 22.9% | 20.2–25.6 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 25.3% | 22.3–28.5 |
| Any disability among adults | 48.6% | 43.3–53.7 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 12.2% | 10.9–13.7 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 17.1% | 15.0–19.3 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 23.2% | 20.2–26.1 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 8.0% | 7.0–9.1 |
| Vision disability among adults | 12.6% | 11.2–14.2 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 29.6% | 25.5–34.1 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 40.2% | 34.9–46.1 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 34.8% | 29.8–40.4 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 27.9% | 23.9–32.3 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 24.7% | 21.5–28.1 |
| Loneliness among adults | 36.8% | 31.7–42.1 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 23.3% | 20.1–26.6 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | MT median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 43.2% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 9.7% (1.9–27.5%) n=360 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 34.8% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 11.1% (0.0–33.1%) n=357 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 14.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 4.7% (0.0–14.1%) n=360 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 18.5% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 26.6% (12.3–46.1%) n=360 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 18.0% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 1.8% (0.0–10.2%) n=357 |
| Households without a vehicle | 15.0% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 1.7% (0.0–9.5%) n=360 |
| Broadband subscription | 61.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.3% (72.1–100.0%) n=360 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 12.8% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 21.1% (7.3–37.2%) n=360 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.7% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 78.0% (56.9–95.8%) n=360 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 7.4% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 0.9% (0.0–6.6%) n=360 |
| Foreign-born population | 0.3% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 0.9% (0.0–4.9%) n=360 |
| Single-parent households | 43.1% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 61.3% (39.9–84.5%) n=356 |
| Population 65+ | 8.9% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 24.0% (12.9–44.0%) n=360 |
| Median age | 25.4 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 46.0 yr (32.9–62.3) n=358 |
| Median household income | $45,379 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $66,875 ($44,980–$95,192) n=321 |
| Median home value | $91,800 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $292,450 ($127,430–$548,550) n=312 |
| Median gross rent | $394 | $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 | 75.5 yr ± 0.67 | 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 0.67 years of 75.5, 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